ROYAL EXCHANGE
Gal.2:20(KJV)
"I am crucified with
Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and
the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son
of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."
2
Cor.5:15(KJV)
"And that he died
for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto
themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again."
When a person migrates to a completely strange
country,in order to
adapt he or she needs to exchange his or her 'old' lifestyle with the
'new' lifestyle.
The 'old' lifestyle belongs to the 'former' country while the
'new' lifestyle belongs to the 'new' country.
When a person comes to Christ and receives him as personal Lord and
Saviour,he or she becomes a new person (2 Cor.5:17) known as a son of
God (John 1:12-13) who is now 'migrated' into a new and completely
different nation known as the kingdom of God (John 3:3-8;Col.1:13).
It is only in the kingdom of God that one's divine destiny can be
fulfilled!
But there should be a complete exchange of 'lifestyle' for this to be a
possibility!
Both lifestyles are not compatible (Gal.5:17).
The real exchange can only take place through the Lord who is the King
of the kingdom therefore it is a 'royal exchange'.
This is very crucial for divine destiny to be fulfilled.
Divine destiny is what or who God has called one to be as an
individual,family, community,or nation.
It is designed by God to be revealed,pursued,and fulfilled in God's own
way,not Man's way (Isa.55:8-9).
Mankind has tried to use the power of imagination (Gen.11:6)
and/or occult (Deut.18:9-14) using human strength and/or
wisdom (Eccl.9:11).
This is the 'old' lifestyle that needs to be exchanged with the new
when a person enters the kingdom of God.
It is when a Christian holds onto or goes back to the 'old'
lifestyle that the fulfillment of divine destiny is sabotaged.
The human body is the earthen vessel (2 Cor.4:7) which contains the
human spirit and soul (Heb.4:12).
For every Christian,it is also the temple of God:-
1 Cor.6:19-20(KJV)
"What? know ye not
that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which
ye have of God, and ye are not your own?"
"For ye are
bought
with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit,
which are God's."
The temple of God built by King Solomon(Acts
7:47) was called 'an house of sacrifice' by the Lord himself:-
2 Chron.7:12(KJV)
"And the LORD
appeared to Solomon by night, and said unto him, I have heard thy
prayer, and have chosen this place to myself for an house of sacrifice."
A sacrifice is something precious that one can
offer to God:-
2 Sam.24:24(KJV)
"And the king said
unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither
will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth
cost me nothing. So David bought the threshingfloor and the oxen for
fifty shekels of silver."
The most important sacrifice that a Christian
can offer to the Lord is
not his or her praises (Heb.13:15) or money (2 Cor.9:7) but his or her
body.
According to the old lifestyle,mankind has handled the human body in
two extremes,one is narcissism (Phil.3:19) and the other is
ascetism (Col.2:23).
For the Christian,feastings and fastings are done to the glory of God
just like all other things(1 Cor.10:31).
But according to the new lifestyle,it is to be handled in God's way as
a sacrifice to him:-
Rom.12:1-2(KJV)
"I beseech you
therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies
a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable
service."
"And be not
conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your
mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect,
will of God."
When this sacrifice is made,it is a proof of
one's faith,obedience,humility,and love!
Since the body is considered to be God's temple(1 Cor.3:16) the
Christian is exhorted to effect the royal exchange that will ensure the
fulfillment of divine destiny:-
Eph.4:22-24(KJV)
"That ye put off
concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt
according to the deceitful lusts;"
"And be
renewed in
the spirit of your mind;"
"And that
ye put on
the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true
holiness."
Col.3:9-10(KJV)
"Lie not one to
another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; "
"And have
put on the
new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that
created him:"
'The old man' is the embodiment of 'the self
life' while 'the new man'
is the embodiment of 'the Christ life'(Gal.2:20;2 Cor.5:15).
Only 'the new man' is really compatible with the body as God's temple.
As the Christian 'puts and keeps off' the old man and 'puts and keeps
on' the new man the body becomes a showcase of 'the Christ life'.
'The Christ life' is the only kind of life that fulfills divine
destiny.
'The Christ life' in any Christian does not destroy his or her
uniqueness but enhances the latter to the glory of God!
This secret is available for the benefit of every Christian alive today
so as to fulfill divine destiny to the glory of God!
Relevant to this royal exchange is the regular,progressive, and
continuous renewal of the mind with the word of God(Eph.4:23) by the
Spirit of God(2 Cor.3:18).
Anyone can become a Christian and experience this secret today by
repenting from sin and receiving Jesus Christ the Son of God as
personal Lord and Saviour.
