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  YOU MUST HAVE WHAT HE IS (LIFE) TO BE WHAT HE WAS (PERFECT)
  by Major W. Ian Thomas
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Summary: True godliness is the result of God's reproduction in us, made
possible through faith and obedience.

Topics: "Spiritual Regeneration", "Christ Righteousness"
Scripture References: Romans 5:17, 2 Corinthians 3:18, Galatians 2:20, Ephesians 2:10, Philippians 2:13

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DESCRIPTION
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Major W. Ian Thomas preaches about godliness not being about imitating
God, but allowing God to reproduce Himself in us, leading to Christ-
righteousness through faith and dependence on God. This righteousness
restores the image of God in us, making us active in Christ's work and
exalting us to kingly stature. While spiritual regeneration doesn't
bring sinless perfection, our faith and obedience allow God to work in
us, transforming us to be more like Him.

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CONTENT
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For godliness is not the consequence of your capacity to imitate God,
but the consequence of His capacity to reproduce Himself in you; not
self-righteousness, but Christ-righteousness; the righteousness which is
by faith ­ a faith which by renewed dependence upon God releases His
divine action, to restore the marred image of the Invisible God. It is
not inactivity, but Christ-activity; God in action accomplishing the
divine end through human personality - never reducing man to the status
of a cabbage, but exalting man to the stature of king! "For if by one
man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive
abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life
by one, Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:17).

At first sight this might seem to offer to you the possibility of
sinless perfection as the result of spiritual regeneration, but this is
far from being the case; for it is only your faith and your obedience
which allow Him to be in you now what He was then (perfect) - and you
will be what He was then only to the degree in which you allow Him to be
in you what He is now (perfect)!

All of the Father was available to all of the Son, because by His faith-
love relationship, all of the Son was available to all of the Father,
and this constituted His perfect manhood; and the availability of the
Son to you will be in the degree of your availability to the Son,
because of your faith-love relationship to Him!

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Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/major-w-ian-thomas/you-must-have-what-he-is-life-to-be-what-he-was-perfect/
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