TEACHING

Don Atkin

REPLACEMENT THEOLOGY

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. - Galatians 2:20

Paul is saying, "I have been replaced!"

The kingdom is advanced as more and more people realize this truth and begin to truly live life in the flesh by faith in the Son of God (or, as some versions offer, by the faith of the Son of God).

REPLACEMENT THEOLOGY AND BAPTISM

In response to hearing the gospel, many inquired: What shall we do? Peter responded,

Repent (change minds; change governments), and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you. - Acts 2:38-39a

Without exception, every conversion recorded in the book of Acts included baptism the same hour of the day or night. Why? What is the significance of baptism that would cause new believers to immediately obey this command? Paul explains:

Do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin.

Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. - Romans 8:3-11

Many fail to enjoy the overcoming life because they are trying to do so in their own power. Christ, the Overcomer, is our life. We don’t merely strive to please God; we reckon ourselves dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. The life which we now live in the flesh, we live by the faith of the Son of God.

Reckon means "consider" and more. It is a bookkeeping term, as in "reconciling the books." Yes, we are to consider ourselves dead, but that consideration is solidly based upon the word of God. We are reconciled to God through the faith of the Son of God who lives and rules within us.

REPLACEMENT THEOLOGY AND THE PROMISE OF HIS RETURN

Here’s what Jesus says to His disciples:

The Spirit of truth (I am the truth), whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.

I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.

A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also.

At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.

He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.

If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. You have heard Me say to you, "I am going away and coming back to you."

REPLACEMENT THEOLOGY AND THE MIND

Paul, in I Corinthians 2:16, stated: We have the mind of Christ. This ought to be the testimony of all believers who are transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2).

Fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. - Philippians 2:2,5

This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind . . . . you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. - Ephesians 4:17, 20-24

Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. - Colossians 3:2-4

Yes, Christ is our life. We have been replaced, by the Anointed One. This is a mystery that defies human understanding, and comes to us only by divine revelation. We cannot get our minds around this. If, indeed, we are successful in getting our minds around this revelation - it is evidence that we have the mind of Christ.

Speaking of the children of (natural) Israel, Paul writes that their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ. But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

Now the Lord (Jesus Christ) is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. - II Corinthians 3:14-18

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In summary, we no longer need to live under the veil of unbelief. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17). Here is the word of God:

God willed to make known (to the saints) what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. - Colossians 1:27

It is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. - II Corinthians 4:6-7

The love of Christ (within us) compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again. Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold all things have become new.

Christ is both the beginning and the perpetuation of a new race.

You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. - I Peter 2:9