Understanding the Process of Salvation in Romans (Part 11 - Functional Salvation (Christ in you))

Start this lesson series here: 
Understanding the Process of Salvation in Romans (Part 1)

Understanding the Process of Salvation in Romans (Part 11 - Functional Salvation (Christ in you))

The primary topic of Romans 1 to 5 is justification, or as I also describe it by saying, “Just as if I never sinned”. Justification is a positional salvation, meaning that we do not experience this salvation in this natural realm or at this time. We are justified, imputed with the righteousness of Christ, and fully and permanently saved by God’s decree and by the cross work of Christ from a heavenly perspective, but justification does nothing to our flesh! Though our souls are eternally saved when we believe in Christ, our flesh and our lives here on earth do not change or get affected one iota. Another way we can understand this salvation is that we are placed in Christ, as confirmed by a myriad of verses, with the following being a sample of the many,

1 Cor 1:2 Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord,

1 Cor 1:30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God —and righteousness and sanctification and redemption— 

Col 2:10 ...and you are complete in Him [Christ], who is the head of all principality and power.

Eph 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

Rom 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

In contrast to positional (heavenly) salvation and being in Christ, Romans 6 to 8 deals with sanctification which is a conditional, or functional salvation. This means that after justification, our salvation continues to develop or grow and eventually starts to affect or influence our natural condition, functioning within us towards the outside and manifesting outwardly into the world. Through justification we are placed IN CHRIST, but sanctification is more appropriately understood as CHRIST IN US; His life being formed within us through the power of the written Word of God, influencing our thoughts, reasoning, speech, actions, and behaviours, to the degree that we give ourselves over in obedience to it. Here are a few confirming verses,

Revelation(4v6): The Structure of Creation

THE BOOK OF
REVELATION

(Rev.4:6)

The Structure of Creation

What is my purpose for discussing this topic? Well, it is certainly not primary doctrine that we need to know and that can save us. But, it can inspire us and provide us with some sense of the greatness of God and His multi-layered creation. We know from scripture, and from our knowledge of the physical realm, that God is ordered and structured, so we can easily accept that when it comes to the invisible and metaphysical realms, this same order and structure would be maintained. We cannot measure and fully understand the nature of things in the spiritual realm, but the principles that govern that realm can be related to by our understanding of the realm in which we live. If we project our knowledge from this realm into the invisible, knowing that the physical realm is a mere shadow, or reflection, of the invisible realm, then we can only stand in awe and wonder at what we can expect to find when we, as the body of Christ, pass over into that realm at our call to come home (Romans 8:23). Remember, you and I have a heavenly destination. Our eternal purpose, as the body of Christ, is to govern this realm. So, this is why it is motivational and insightful to delve into this topic, even though we cannot even fully fathom the basics of it yet.