IN CHRIST DETERMINISM
A true Christian is not merely a man altered, but a man re-made.
(2 Corinthians 5:17 Deane)
God is your Father; Jesus is your older brother, and some new things run in your family.
Mark Hankins
Psychology tells us that three factors have determined what kind of person you are. Those three factors are:
- Genetic determinism (You are what you are because of your genes.)
- Psychic determinism (Your identity, your behavior, and your potential are produced by your thinking.)
- Environmental determinism (Your surroundings and influences limit your future.)
There is some truth to the fact that all of these factors can affect you, but God brings another factor into your life when you are born of Him. I call this factor “In Christ Determinism.” A person in Christ thinks God’s thoughts and sees himself in Him. Once you get born again, your future and your potential are radically altered as a result.
It is good news that all things are made new, but it is also good news that old things are passed away. If all you have as a Christian is something new added to you, you would still have to deal with and live with the old conditions. In Christ, your past is dead and gone!
Confession: I am not merely a man altered; I am a man re-made in Christ. Praise God my past is dead and gone!