What It Means To Be In Christ
Saul was a Jew who was born in Tarsus, and was a protégé of Gamaliel; a doctor of the law. Saul was a Pharisee who was zealous in keeping the law, and was also zealous in persecuting men and women who believed on Jesus Christ (Acts 22:3-4). Saul received letters of permission from the chief priests to go to Damascus to take into custody Jews that were being held for confessing Jesus Christ (Acts 22:5). However, this trip to Damascus would put Saul’s life on a path that he, nor those that knew him could have imagined, and it would be pivotal in Paul’s New Testament writings to the church.
As a result of Saul’s encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus, he understood that persecuting those who believed on Jesus Christ meant that he was persecuting Jesus. This event may have provided Saul with his first revelation of “what it means to be in Christ.” Saul who began using his Roman name Paul as he preached the gospel of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, is credited with writing at least thirteen of the New Testament epistles.
While Paul is credited with expounding on what it means to be in Christ, Jesus was the first to make reference to being “in Christ” in the New Testament. For example, Jesus made reference to being “in Christ” when he promised to send the gift of the Comforter. Jesus told his disciples that on the day that the Comforter would come (which is the first reference to the outpouring of the Holy Ghost on the Day of Pentecost), that they would know for themselves “the immanence of the Son in the Father and their own union with the Father through him” (Bible Hub/Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers). Jesus says, “At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you” (John 14:20).
Paul was a gifted expounder of God’s word, and through the illumination of the Holy Ghost, he provided greater insight and new revelations on many topics of Christianity. The following are some of Paul’s teachings on “what is means to be in Christ”:
True believers are free from condemnation as their lives are governed by the indwelling Spirit of Christ. Paul writes, “THERE is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit” (Rom. 8:1). Those who walk after the Spirit manifests the fruits of the Spirit as described in Ephesians 5:9 and Galatians 5:22-23.
Believers are members of the body of Christ, and along with other members make up his body. Paul writes, “So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another” (Rom. 12:5). Similarly, a diversity of members work together in unity to form a natural body. Christ is the head of the church, which is his body (Eph. 1:22-23), and a diversity of members work together in unity to make up the fulness of his body.
Believers are one with the Lord through their union with the Holy Spirit. Paul writes, “But he that is joined to the Lord is one spirit” (1 Cor. 6:17). The close and intimate union between Christ and the believer is compared to that of a vine and its branches (John 15:1-6), and to that of a husband and wife (Eph. 5:22-23).
Through the indwelling Spirit of the Holy Ghost, believers are baptized into the family of God. Paul writes, “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit”. (1 Cor. 12:13). Regardless of an individual’s national or social status, those regenerated and sanctified by the indwelling Spirit of Christ are equal members of the body of Christ (Gal. 3:28).
Through their unity with Christ believers are new creations that have never existed before. Believers' past sins are forgiven and they take on the divine nature of Christ. Paul writes, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Cor. 5:17). Strong’s definition of “new” in this passage of scripture is G2537, translated “kainos,” which means of a new kind, unprecedented, novel, uncommon, unheard of (Blue Letter Bible). Paul writes, “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren” (Rom. 8:29).
As a result of the sacrifice of Christ on the cross, the sinful, old nature is crucified with Christ, and the divine nature of Christ lives within the believer. Paul writes, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Gal. 2:20). Believers should no longer be slaves to sin because they died to sin through the crucifixion of Christ (Rom. 6:6).
In Jesus Christ believers possess every spiritual blessing in heavenly places. Paul admonishes believers to praise God for the salvation of the elect, and for all spiritual blessings attached to that salvation, which blessings are the result of the union of the believers with Jesus Christ. Paul writes, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ” (Eph. 1:3).
Believers have been made alive with Christ. Paul writes, “Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved)” (Eph. 2:5). Believers were spiritually dead in sin, and God made them spiritually alive in righteousness through their union with Jesus Christ (Col. 2:13).
Believers are the workmanship of God, and created for good works unto him. Believers are new creatures (Gal. 6:15) created by God in Jesus Christ to be holy, which God has predetermined should be the believer’s way of life. Paul writes, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2:10). The Apostle Paul reiterates throughout his epistles that works do not justify. However, those justified by grace performs good works (Titus 2:11, 14).
Believers that were once separated from God are now reconciled to him by the atoning blood of Christ. Paul writes, “But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ” (Eph. 2:13). The sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross grants believers boldness to enter into the presence of God (Heb. 10:19).
The believer's union with Christ is so close that they are considered his flesh and his bones. Paul uses language similar to the language that Adam used in Genesis 2:23 when he described his relationship to Eve saying, “ . . . This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh . . .” Paul writes, “For we are members of his body, of his flesh and of his bones” (Eph. 5:30). Paul alludes to a spiritual union between Christ and the church that is so intimate that they may be spoken of as “one” (Bible Hub). Paul describes the spiritual union between Christ and the Church as close as that of marriage.
The fullness of the divine nature of the Godhead dwells in Jesus Christ. Paul writes, “For it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell; And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven” (Col. 1:19-20). Believers are reconciled to God through the blood of Jesus Christ.
Through union with Christ, believers are partakers of his fullness of the divine nature. Paul writes, “For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power” (Col. 2:9-10). Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary states that “To be complete, is to be furnished with all things necessary for salvation” (Bible Hub).
Believers that are united with Christ are dead to sin, and their new identity is in his righteousness. Paul writes, “For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God” (Col. 3:3). As Jesus is in God, and God is in him through his union with the Father, believers are one in them through the indwelling spirit of the Holy Ghost (John 17:21).
The New Covenant promises empowers believers to be partakers of the divine nature. Peter writes, “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust” (2 Pet. 1:4). Believers take on the image of God’s righteousness and true holiness (Eph. 4:24).
Just as God sees believers through the righteousness of Christ, the forces of darkness in this world also sees believers through the righteousness of Christ. Therefore, those that are in Christ possess the same authority and power over the forces of darkness that Jesus demonstrated during his earthly ministry. Jesus says, “Verily, Verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father” (John 14:12).
If you would like to have a personal relationship with Jesus, you must be born-again according to Acts 2:38 which reads, "Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost."
Thank you for taking the time to read this article. Please share your comments and questions in the comments section below. We would love to hear from you.
Diane Margo Penny is an author, content creator, social media specialist, and Web Designer.
Works Cited:
The Holy Bible, King James Version. Giant Print Reference ed. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson. Publishers, 1990.
[BibleHub.com]
[BlueLetterBible.org]
Image Citation:
sunset-6547887_1920. Anita Bozic. Pixabay.com. Web. 12 Jan. 2024.
Image Citation:
sunset-6547887_1920. Anita Bozic. Pixabay.com. Web. 12 Jan. 2024.
Comments
Post a Comment