My previous Rest Stop (Living Out of Being In Christ Part 1) focused
on the meaning of being in Christ. What a most wonderful phrase that is!
In his 13 New Testament letters, Paul
never referred to believers as Christians. In fact, the word Christian is found only twice in the New Testament (Acts 11:26 and 1 Peter 4:16).
In contrast, over 150 times Paul referred to believers as being in
Christ. Sinclair Ferguson well
describes that the phrase in Christ
is either in every paragraph of
Paul's letters or is under every
paragraph of Paul's letters. This phrase
is indeed that foundational!
The previous Rest Stop noted that the
phrase in Christ means in union with Christ. Being in
union with Christ is not a higher state limited to certain Christians. Every Christian is in union with Christ! Being in union with Christ
is how each Christian is born again through Christ's death, burial, and
resurrection!
The previous Rest Stop also
presented two warnings: (1) Being in Christ does not mean we become
merged or absorbed into Christ, and to the other extreme, (2) being in Christ does not mean we are merely in a general relationship with
Christ where we are close to Him but not really vitally joined to Him.
The previous Rest Stop summarized
that being in Christ means there is a distinction between us and Christ. We remain responsible humans, and
Christ is God and we are not. However,
there is no separation between us and Christ. We remain totally dependent on Christ as our source
of all we will ever need.
This Rest Stop (Living Out of Being In Christ Part 2) focuses on the reality of being in Christ.
The next Rest Stop (Living Out of Being In Christ Part 3) will focus on the results of being in Christ.
THE REALITY OF BEING IN CHRIST
I am indebted to Martyn Lloyd Jones in his recorded sermon "Union with Christ" for mentoring me in the following biblical truths. Dr. Jones
preached at Westminster Chapel in London from 1939 to 1968.
Following are objective truths of being in union with Christ. These truths are not to be aspired to attain; these truths are the already and forever reality of being in Christ!
A
spiritual and literal union
1 Corinthians 12:13 reveals, "For by
one Spirit we were all baptized into one body." The word baptized means to be united with. Our union with Christ is not
theoretical. Our union with Christ is
not a legal standing.
Our union with Christ is wondrously real!
A
living union
Romans 6:11 says that "you are alive
to God in Christ Jesus our Lord." In Christ Jesus our Lord means in union with Christ Jesus our Lord.
Our spiritual life is drawn and sustained
from Christ through this union by the Holy Spirit. Something of His fullness flows into and
through us. John 1:16 says, "And of His
fullness we have all received, and grace for grace."
John 15:5 Jesus says, "I am the Vine (the
life), you are the branches (connected to Me through a living union; believe Me
and I will produce fruit of My life through you." (my paraphrase).
Our union with Christ is vitally alive!
An
organic union
Our union with Christ is a two-way
relationship. Christ is indeed the
Source, but we are receivers of, and responders to, Him. We receive, but we also give to others what
we receive.
Ephesians 4:15-16, "Christ
is the head of the body from whom the whole body joined and knit together by
what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every
part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in
love."
Therefore, our part in our union with Christ
is not passive. Our part is to actively
edify others by giving to them out of our resources in union with Christ.
Our union with Christ is lovingly
active!
A
personal union
We are all part of the body of
Christ and all of us are connected to Christ as the head of the body. However, first and foremost, each of us is
individually united with Christ.
There
are some people who believe Christians are united with Christ only through the
church. However, we do not derive our
life from the church, but we derive our life from our Lord Jesus Christ. We are born of the Spirit, not by the church.
Listen to how personal our union
with Christ is in Galatians 2:20: "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no
longer I who live but Christ lives in me; and the life I now live in the body I
live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me
and gave Himself for me."
Our union with Christ is intimately personal!
An unbreakable union
We don't go into and out of union
with Christ. Because our union with
Christ was initially in His crucifixion and burial, our union with Him now in
His resurrection can never ever be undone!
Our union with Christ is gloriously
eternal!
CLOSING
If we don't know and believe these foundational objective truths, we will be led astray by our subjective feelings in striving using our own fleshly resources.
If we do know and believe these truth, will grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ through our union
with Him (2 Peter 3:18).
I very much look forward to sharing some amazing subjective, experiential results of being in union with Christ with you in the
next Rest Stop.
Have a special week.
