Held to the light of Scripture, in the presence and counsel of the Holy Spirit, we may learn and draw encouragement from others in the meaning of our position in Christ. With that in mind, I’ve gone searching the internet for insight into the what, who, how, and why of the “in Christ” reality. The highlights are included here.
Before continuing, ask the Holy Spirit to teach and encourage you in your reading. There is truth here that will make you free, strengthen your walk, and draw you into new depths of gratefulness and praise.
“In Christ” and its derivations are the most common description in the Scriptures of a follower of Jesus. Occurring 164 times in the letters of Paul alone, a proper study of the “in Christ” reality is indispensable to our understanding of the New Testament. Indeed, this personal relationship with Christ is the distinctive mark of his authentic followers (Stott, 2007).
Honestly, I had to think about that last sentence for a moment. If you had asked me prior to reading it, I would have told you “disciple” was the best descriptor for a follower of Jesus Christ. But, as we will discover through this study, “disciple” falls short of “in Christ” in describing the relationship offered with our Savior.
Indeed, if Jesus was only our teacher, then “disciple” would suffice. But He is so much more; and so is our relationship with Him and the reality of our life in Him. Said another way: “disciple” is certainly our title; but “in Christ” distinguishes and characterizes the reality of our relationship with Jesus.
Several internet references presented “in Christ” as synonymous with being a Christian, and left it at that. This seems incredibly inadequate. Perhaps the use of our title as a descriptor has minimized and obscured the reality of our relationship with Jesus. There is a deep mystery here – a mystery we are called to faithfully steward (1Corinthians 4:1-2). Searching out the matter promises to be a glorious exercise (Proverbs 25:2).
John Stott, in his article on the C. S. Lewis Institute website, lists three implications of being in Christ:
- Radical transformation as new creations in Christ (2Corinthians 5:17).
- Brotherly unity as members of His body, and of one another (Romans 12:4-5).
- Personal fulfillment as a human being (John 15:7-8).
Radical transformation, brotherly unity, and personal fulfillment are promises of God found solely in Christ – a reality and mystery worth more than our attention; “in Christ” is a profound doctrine we must come to believe!!
In a sermon on LifeCenter.net, Pastor Joe Wittmer (2007) tells us, “When you are in Christ, all that is true of Him changes what is true of you… It is a state of being… It is a living relationship.” Steven Lawson of Ligonier Ministries (2020) agrees (my highlights):
To be in Christ, first of all, means that we have a saving relationship with Christ and are brought into union and communion with Him in such a way that, as we are in Christ, what is true of Christ becomes true of us. His grace and His resources become our experience and possession.
Stop and run that last part through your head a couple of times. Better yet, does it resonate within your heart? It seems too audacious to believe. Dare we? Let’s keep digging.
John Piper (n.d.) encourages us: “Being ‘in Christ Jesus’ is a stupendous reality. It is breathtaking to be united to Christ. Bound to Christ.” He goes on to list six realities of the “in Christ” life.
- In Christ, we have been given grace before the world was created (2Timothy 1:9).
- In Christ, we were chosen by God before creation (Ephesians 1:4).
- In Christ, we are loved by God with an inseparable love (Romans 8:38–39).
- In Christ, we were redeemed and forgiven for all our sins (Ephesians 1:7).
- In Christ, we have become a new creation and a child of God (2Corinthians 5:17).
- In Christ, we are justified before God and the righteousness of God in Christ is imputed to us (2Corinthians 5:21).
We will dig into a few of these in Part Three: What realities and blessings are ours in Christ? In the meantime, check out Piper’s “Thirteen Stupendous Realities” of being in Christ Jesus.
The BibleAsk.org team of writers (2020) answers our question this way (my highlights):
This term is a New Testament expression which describes the closeness of the personal union that exists between the Christian and Christ. “In Christ” means more than to be dependent on Him or just to be His follower. It means having a daily relationship with Him. Vine and branch: This abiding in Christ is necessary for growth and bringing spiritual fruits. It means that the soul must be in daily communion with the Lord and must live His life (Galatians 2:20). He who professes to be in Christ is expected to bring fruits of righteousness.
Being in Christ rightly assumes a daily relationship and communion with the Lord. The branch will not otherwise survive, much less produce much fruit, separate from the Vine. This notion of communion reminds me of a great mystery Jesus shared with His followers:
Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. John 6:54-57
It would not be wrong to suggest that Jesus is speaking metaphorically here (e.g., the vine feeding the branch), but the connection of this magnificent promise with Jesus’ institution of the Lord’s Supper is also our reality in Christ (Matthew 26:26-28).
Holy Communion is more than symbol and remembrance; it is a deep mystery and a sacrament of promise. In it, God abides us deeper into Christ and one another.
Looking to the future, Jack Weldon, from the Patheos blog site (2018), shares his thoughts regarding the eternal significance of our being in Christ (my highlights):
To be found in Christ means you’ve been reconciled back to God, and at death or at Christ’s return, you can enter into the eternal kingdom which descends down from heaven (Revelation 21:1-4). Not only will you be in Christ…you will be in the kingdom…the glorious, eternal, and joyous kingdom, and best of all, be before the King of the kingdom.
Our entry into the kingdom of God is through and in Christ. He stands at the door (Revelation 3:20), He is the door (John 10:9), and in Him we find entrance (Ephesians 2:6). This gives me great encouragement for our continued study into the “in Christ” reality. I find myself excited and sober.
My soberness surprises me. Perhaps it is the significance of the topic and my inability to adequately explain the depths of the mystery. Thankfully, I gave up having all the answers many years ago. Jesus and the Holy Spirit will be our teachers.
But there is something else more personal here. Honestly, I am not quite sure what it is. Perhaps my suspicion of God’s expectations – that we live from what we know and believe – has me concerned. At the risk of scaring someone off, the “in Christ” reality is higher and deeper than anything I can recall searching out.
We will close with encouragement from Abide in Christ (Murray, 2003).
Oh, that you would come and begin simply to listen to His Word and to ask only the one question: Does He really mean that I should abide in Him? The answer His Word gives is so simple and so sure: By His almighty grace you now are in Him; that same almighty grace will indeed enable you to abide in Him. By faith you became partakers of the initial grace; by that same faith you can enjoy the continuous grace of abiding in Him.
Who in their right mind would neglect so great a salvation (Hebrews 2:1-4)? God predestined His children to abide in His Son by His own power – by grace, through faith.
But of Him you are in Christ Jesus… 1Corinthians 1:30
Stop and consider this for a few moments: The same omnipotent God who enables us to come to Him and be saved has taken responsibility onto Himself to abide and sustain us in His Son. This incredible truth begs the question:
Do you believe God has abided you in His Son?
If so, He has something grand for you in this study.
Next week, we will search out the “Who” and the “how”: Who is responsible, and how does “in Christ” become our reality? In the meantime…
God bless you with faith for the abiding life in Christ Jesus.
Humbly yours and forever His,
Rob
#iamjustthepen
BibleAsk Team. (December 12, 2020). What does it mean to be “in Christ”? BibleAsk: https://bibleask.org/what-does-it-mean-to-be-in-christ/
Lawson, S. (2020). What does it mean to be “in Christ”? Ligonier Ministries: https://www.ligonier.org/learn/qas/what-does-it-mean-to-be-in-christ
Murray, A. (2003). Abiding in Christ. Bethany House: Bloomington, MN.
Piper, J. (August 29, ????). Six Things It Means to Be in Christ Jesus. desiringGod: https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/six-things-it-means-to-be-in-christ-jesus
Stott, J. R. W. (June 3, 2007). ‘In Christ’: The Meaning and Implications of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. C.S. Lewis Institute: https://www.cslewisinstitute.org/resources/in-christ-the-meaning-and-implications-of-the-gospel-of-jesus-christ/.
Wellman, J. (January 5, 2018). What does it mean to be “in Christ”? Patheos: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/christiancrier/2018/01/05/what-does-it-mean-to-be-in-christ/
Wittmer, J. (October 26, 2014). What does it mean to be “in Christ”? Life Center:
https://lifecenter.net/sermons/2014/what-does-it-mean-to-be-in-christ/