WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE "IN CHRIST?"

The phrase, 'in Christ' or 'in Him' is found many times in the New Testament. My favorite verse of all is Colossians 2:10, which reads, 'And you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.' That idea of completeness should be comforting to us, because is speaks of lacking nothing, not in want, or needing no thing to be added to us. Even though we may have times of physical need, we know from this verse that our times of spiritual need are behind us when we are in Christ. Another section of scripture that is equally as comforting is found in the first chapter of Ephesians. Listen to these comforting words:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved. - Ephesians 1:3-6

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth - in Him. - Ephesians 1:7-10

In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. - Ephesians 1: 11-12

In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory. - Ephesians 1:13-14

Look at all that is true of you who believe in this one section of God's Word! If you believe in Jesus, that He died for your sin, trusting in the promises of God, then all of this is true about you right now.

You are blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ

You are chosen before the foundation of the world

You are holy and without blame

You have been adopted

You are accepted

You are redeemed

You have forgiveness of sins

You know the mystery of His will

You have obtained an inheritance

You are His glory

You are sealed with the Holy Spirit

Your inheritance is guaranteed

What does it do to you to read a list like that? Do you, like me, look at that list and say to yourself, 'I don't deserve that''? Well you're right. You don't deserve any of that. In fact, none of us does.

From the greatest to the least among us, none of us deserves to be treated that way. We deserve to be punished for our sin. I have sinned against the Lord in thought, word, and deed. Try as I might, every day ends with me having done the very things I tried not to do, and not doing the things I tried so hard to do right.

And even if I could become better at not sinning, I know that I would still mess up eventually. No matter how successful I was at mortifying the flesh, no matter how many things I didn't do, or how many good things I accomplished, I would still be left with the problem of my sinful nature. It is still in there.

That is the beautiful thing about the good news. There is someone who can rescue me from this dilemma, and that someone is Jesus the Christ, the Son of God, who became flesh and dwelt among us, who lived a perfect life for me, who died the perfect death in my place, and whom God raised for me so that I could be saved from the penalty of sin, be forgiven, and be declared righteous!

And all of these things listed here are now true about me. They are a reality in God's eyes, because He has promised in His Word that they are true. God does not lie, He does not go back on His Word, and He does not back away from His promises.

To be 'in Christ' means that all of the things that the Bible says are true about a believer in Jesus are a present reality and can be enjoyed in the here and now. 'For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, 'Abba, Father'', Romans 8:15 tells us.

You do not have to live in fear of the fires of hell 'nipping at your heels', as some might suggest, but you can rest in the promises of God that your inheritance is guaranteed, that it is an objective reality that you already possess, and that you are accepted by God because you believe in Jesus the Christ.

How should we then live? In the confidence that we are adopted by our Heavenly Father, as securely as those who were chosen from before the foundation of the world, and as holy and without blame as those who are complete in Him who is the head of all principality and power. We live this life out of our position in Christ, not as some say by trying all the harder to prove it.

And what of sin? When sin accuses we say, 'Yes, I am a sinner. What of it? My Lord Jesus is a greater Savior. I have been saved by His mercy, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.' (See: Titus 3:5) For it is written, 'Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.' - 1 John 4:4

And that is what it means to be 'in Christ.'

To view many other promises God has given believers in who we are in Christ, you can click here: Who God Says I Am In Christ

God's peace to you!

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