Great confusion is caused when these two things are combined in one unit.
The reason why so many Christians are not sure that they are saved it is because they do not distinguish between their “Standing,” and their “State.”
The Standing and State compared:
THE BELIEVER’S STANDING
THE BELIEVER’S STATE
Positionally (standing), we are perfect (Heb. 10:14, I Jn. 3:5,6,9); But looking within, at our state, we may say these thing: “Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect..; “but I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection…”( Phil. 3:9, I Cor. 9:24-27).
Our Standing is not the reward of the perfected state, but the state is developed from our perfected position. Our Standing before God is sinless perfection, wholly dependent upon Christ’s work at Calvary. But the State of our walk with God depends on our works while are still upon this earth in these bodies of flesh.
The Believer’s Standing
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“Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus..” – I Cor. 1:1
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“But ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Cor. 6:11)
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“Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ?” (1 Cor. 6:15)
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“For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you” (1 Cor. 1:11)
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“And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power” (Col. 2: 10).
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“For by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified” (Heb. 10:14).
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“Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus” (Heb. 10: 19)
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“To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved” (Eph. 1:6)
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“Beloved, now are we the sons of God; and it doth not ye appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him” (1 John 3:2)
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“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God” (Rom. 5:1-2)
The Believer’s State
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“But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds” (Col. 3:8-9)
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“And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 2:6)
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“If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God” (Col. 3: 1)
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“Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth” (Col. 3:5).
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“Walk as children of light” (Eph. 5:8).
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“He that saith he abideth in him, ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked” (1 John 2:6)
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“Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another” (1 Cor. 6:7)
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Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober” (1 Thess. 5:6)
Evangelist Rodgie Quirante
The Workman’s Treasure Study Series