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The Exchanged Life
"Exchanged
Life" is a term coined by Howard Taylor to describe the life changing realization that occurred in the life of his father,
famed missionary to China, Hudson Taylor. Hudson was instrumental in establishing the China Inland Mission. His years of toil
and hard work for the Lord in the mission field yielded many saved Chinese. Ironically, this work revealed life to so many,
also sapped the life and energy from the man who was behind it.
Hudson Taylor
strove to do his best for the Lord he was serving. His greatest desire was to be an imitator of Christ. To achieve his goal,
he did what seemed more fruitful: he studied the Bible more fervently, prayed continually and fasted more often. He was so
engrossed in his effort that his life became an endless effort to please God rather than to know Him. In a moment of divine insight,
Hudson Taylor suddenly understood the Truth about his relationship with God. Jesus said, "I am the vine, you are the branches."
(John 15:5, NJKV). He realized that the vine is not merely the root that provides nourishment to the branches, but is itself
the whole plant - root, branches and leaves. Jesus is not merely our provider, but is a part of all who have called on His
name. Fruitful labor was far more dependent upon an ever-deepening fellowship with Jesus than upon works designed to please
Him. Consider Paul's statement: "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 up for me." (Gal.
2:20, NJKV
What
the Exchanged Life is not
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is not
a new teaching.
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is not
sinless perfection.
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is not
a life of passivity.
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is not
a self-help teaching.
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is not
an undisciplined life.
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is not
a second work of grace.
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is not
a counseling technique.
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is not
an improved "old man."
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is not
in any way deifying man.
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is not
instant change in behavior.
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is not
a formula for self to imitate Christ.
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is not
peace through changed circumstances.
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is not
dying to self (wiping out our personality).
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is not
a guarantee that circumstances will improve.
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is not
overlooking or approving sinful behavior (promoting license).
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is not
a guarantee that emotions will line up consistently with truth
Taken from Clarification of the Exchanged Life by Exchanged Life Ministries of Texas
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| The Evangelical Free Church of America |
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What we believe
We believe that God's Word teaches:
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Verbal Inspiration of the Bible We
believe the Holy Scriptures, both the Old and New Testaments, to be verbally inspired of God in the original manuscripts;
infallible, inerrant and God-breathed, a perfect rule of faith and practice.
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The Trinity We believe in one Triune God, eternally existing in three persons--Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit, co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory, and having the same attributes
and perfections. (1 Peter 1:2; 1 John 5:7).
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The Lord Jesus Christ We believe that God, the Son, who has always existed, became a man (without diminishing His deity) by virgin birth
through Mary. He lived a sinless life and as the infinite God-Man took upon Himself the sins of all men, died in their place
and satisfied God concerning their sins.
We further believe in the literal, physical resurrection of Jesus Christ
from the dead. He was then ascended and exalted to the right hand of God as the Great High Priest of all believers.
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The Holy Spirit We believe
that the Holy Spirit is a Divine Person, who convicts the world of sin, of righteousness and of judgment. He is the Supernatural
Agent in regeneration, baptizing all believers into the body of Christ, indwelling and sealing them unto the day of redemption.
His present ministry to believers also includes empowering, teaching, and leading into all truth.
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Man We
believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God, but that in Adam's sin, the race fell, inherited a sinful nature,
and became alienated from God; and, that man is totally depraved and, of himself, is utterly unable to remedy his lost condition.
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Salvation We believe that salvation is the gift of God brought to man by
grace (apart from any works) and received only by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, whose precious blood was shed on
Calvary for the forgiveness of sins. Upon receiving salvation, the person receives eternal life, and becomes a partaker of
Christ's life. He becomes a new creation and obtains a new identity as a child of God.
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Eternal Security We believe that all who have come to reliance upon the work of Christ
for their salvation will never lose this relationship.
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Devil and Demons We believe
that Satan is a person who is aided by a host of evil spirit beings called demons. Their design is to destroy believers, their
homes and their churches blinding the lost to the gospel. Every believer is subject to their attack but may be made victorious
through Jesus Christ.
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Sanctification Each believer partaking of eternal life (Christ's life) was united
with Christ and thus was spiritually crucified, buried, raised and enthroned with Christ. The old man died at that point in
time. The results of co-crucifixion must become an experiential reality to each believer as he chooses to walk in the spirit
and not after the flesh if he is to walk in victory. Sanctification, then, is Christ living His life out through the believer.
This is not teaching passivity, sinless perfection or the deification of man.
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