Facebook recently suspended my sharing to various groups. The error has been corrected (for the most part). Here are the links to the articles in this series which may have been restricted: Introduction, Biblical References, Research Report, and The Who.
As we have encouraged many times now, God has a way for everything – including His way for our finding, entering into, and living from the “in Christ” reality. Moreover, God’s ways are most often processes, not events (e.g., salvation, sanctification, transformation). This is important for several reasons.
First, if God has a way for everything, then other ways (i.e., the ways of man) are at best substandard HIS GLORY… a work undeniably HIM that the enemy can’t touch and at worst counter to God’s intention. They are often distractions and/or disobedience. In the end, they are discouraging and defeating. God’s instruction to Moses applies to us today:
The Lord will establish you as a holy people to Himself, just as He has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the Lord your God and walk in His ways. Deuteronomy 28:9
Second, the process-orientation of God’s ways indicate He is not done with us yet. Praise God for that! I can speak for myself: I hope to be far more saved, sanctified, and transformed by the end of this year.
But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. 2Corinthians 3:18
As I suspect we will discover, the provision for our being in Christ has been accomplished and the process has begun; our receiving the truth of it, and walking by faith in it, then accomplishes the full measure of its reality in our lives.
Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. Philippians 2:12-13
Third, the fact that God’s work is not done means we have more pressing on and laying hold to do ourselves.
Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Philippians 3:12
So how does God establish, grow, and sustain us in Christ?
God’s Way for Establishing Us in Christ
…just as He [God] chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love… Ephesians 1:4
The “in Christ” reality begins – before the foundation of the world!! – with the Father choosing us. Think about that for a moment. Regardless of our opinion on the age of the earth, we all must agree: God has been waiting a long time to establish us in His Son.
And then He made a way for us to respond.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16
Now this is important to our understanding: The Greek in John 3:16 literally reads, “whoever believes into Him.” I discovered this in Thayer’s Greek Lexicon on BlueLetterBible.org. It is the same in Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance. “In” is simply a mistranslation. In case you are wondering, I was not the first to discover this; others have, as well – as the internet will attest.
Indeed, God establishes us into Christ through the gift of faith, and the grace it appropriates (Ephesians 2:8-9). It should come as no surprise that the way of God for our salvation includes establishing us in Christ. We believe into Jesus. The verb tense for “believe” in John 3:16 indicates a continual and increasing belief. As we grow in our faith, we experience more of the “in Christ” reality.
And then there’s baptism:
Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. Romans 6:3–4
We believed into Jesus, and we were baptized into Jesus. Indeed, baptism is more than symbol, and more than simple obedience. Baptism is a sacrament – a sacred moment. God is there, doing something: He is baptizing us into Christ – the One Who is our life.
For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Galatians 3:26-27
We are baptized into Christ Jesus’ death and into His resurrection. We died to sin in Him, and we are raised to live to God in Christ. You believe into Jesus, you are baptized into Jesus, and you are in Christ—that is your reality, your state of being. What is true of Him becomes true of you (Wittmer, 2014).
God’s Way for Growing and Sustaining Us in Christ
He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. John 6:56
Like baptism, communion is a sacrament, meaning God is working through it supernaturally to accomplish His purposes. The supernatural work of God in communion is our being abided into Christ. When a follower of Jesus takes communion in faith and reverence, God strengthens their abiding in His Son. This is why it is so important to approach communion in reverence and faith.
Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us. 1John 3:24
Our part in the process of growing in Christ is our obedience to His commandments. By our faith (still a gift) and our choosing to obey Christ’s commandments, we lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus laid hold of us: we abide in Him.
But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ... when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 2Corinthians 3:14,16
As we abide in Christ, “the veil is taken away”, and we are able to behold Him for our transformation, from glory to glory into the very same image as the glory of the Lord (2Corinthians 3:18). Now, transformation is the work of the Holy Spirit, given to us by the Father for our spiritual growth into Christ.
So, what have we discovered?
- God chose us to live in Christ before the foundations of the world;
- He gives us faith for the grace necessary to establish us into Christ (beginning with baptism);
- He institutes communion, and calls us to obedience, to strengthen and grow our abiding in His Son;
- He opens our eyes to behold His Son; and,
- He sends the Holy Spirit to be our Transformer.
One would have to be dead to God not to be overwhelmed with awe and thanksgiving. The “How?” of the “in Christ” reality has been secured for eternity, by Almighty God! How could anyone neglect so great a salvation?
And then there is this:
But God… raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus… Ephesians 2:4-6
To further secure us in Christ, God has supernaturally placed us on the throne, in His Son. Consider this carefully: This is our reality! It is not sweet-by-and-by, “when I get to heaven.” Imagine what God intends for us to see and believe from this vantage point. Let faith arise in the omniscient, omnipotent, loving, and gracious God Who has chosen and placed us in His Son.
God bless you with faith for what only your spiritual eyes can see.
Have a strong day in the Lord,
Rob
#iamjustthepen
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/