The Undercover Adventist

Uniting Heaven and Earth Christ in Philippians and Colossians  Living with Christ Lesson 11 - Friday Further Thought   Justified by Faith, Raised With Christ One of the most freeing truths in Scripture is found in Epistle to the Romans: “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:1). To be justified means to be declared righteous—not because we earned it, not because we improved enough, but because we trusted Christ. That promise is not theory. It becomes deeply personal the moment you realize you no longer have to carry the crushing weight of proving yourself to God. What Has It Meant to Be “Justified by Faith”? In real life, justification by faith changes how you wake up in the morning. You stop living in quiet fear that you are not good enough. You stop bargaining with God after every failure. You stop assuming His love fluctuates with your performance. When you believe you are justified by faith, shame begins to lose i...

  Uniting Heaven and Earth Christ in Philippians and Colossians  Living with Christ Lesson 11 - Sunday  Heavenly-Mindedness Based on Colossians 3:1–4 The apostle Paul begins this passage with a powerful statement: “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God” (Colossians 3:1). According to Paul, the condition necessary for heavenly-mindedness is that we have been raised with Christ . This refers to the spiritual transformation that occurs when we accept Christ by faith. Through His death and resurrection, the believer leaves behind the old life of sin and begins a new life centered in Him. Because we have been raised with Christ, Paul urges us to “set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth” (Col. 3:2). To be heavenly-minded does not mean ignoring earthly responsibilities or withdrawing from the world. Rather, it means that our priorities, values, and hopes are shaped by heaven....