Christ Jesus has been crucified and the accomplishment of His shed blood is in the making a new group of people out of two. The two groups of Israel under the old covenant on one hand and alienated Gentiles disconected from God on the other. The new group has been formed. It is formed by Jesus' shed blood. Who is in this new group? The thing that strikes me is that this same Lord Jesus now stands with God and gurantees the standing of people in this new group. How did someone like me find myself in Christ though? What happened? Well yes Christ died - that happened - and yet Christ rose and the risen Christ did things and some directly and some through others like those He sent. What things? Things that resulted in preaching. Things like His praying resulting in the Holy Spirit coming near. Things that resulted then in power surging to show me holiness and make me want to share in it and benefit from it as a calling. Things that result in people like us encouraging and urging each other on towards a goal of ultimate salvation in the resurrection when He comes to raise the dead who are worthy. Things like revealing Himself. Things that help the publishing and spreading of various scriptures. Things working in others bringing about connections between those who find themselves in this new group. Things like repentance in obedience to Christ and those He sends and gives His commands so that an example is set to follow in not just sticking to what is said but doing what is said then getting visited by the Spirit as a sign of God accepting this because we believe what is said and hold to it to the realisation of it ultimately in obedience and blessing.
