In Christ (Part One )

IN CHRIST (part one)

Last week my sermon was based on Jesus' words to the teacher of the law when he told him he was not far from the kingdom of God. Some people are close to being saved but they're not there yet. But for those who cross that threshold and become born-again, we are now considered to be 'in Christ'. It's an interesting phrase used to refer followers of Jesus but what does it mean?

1) To be in Christ means we live a new life.

We like to have new things. When we were kids we loved birthdays and Christmas. It meant we were getting some new stuff. When the new school year was starting, you went out with mom and got new school clothes and new school supplies. It felt good; it took the sting out of having to go back to school. When things wear out you replace it with new. New is fresh; new is exciting. When we're saved, we become new.

2nd Cor. 5:17, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"

Isn't that awesome! Some ladies like to get a makeover. They get a new hairstyle, new make-up, new clothes. Sometimes you give a room in your house a make-over. New floor, new fixtures, new paint, etc. It might be hard work but you like the results when you're finished. Well, in our new life, we are going through a make-over of sorts.

Rom. 6:1-4, "What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life."

When we were baptized, we surrendered our old life lived under the control of our own desires and agenda in exchange for a new life under the control of the Holy Spirit. As Jesus went through a death, burial and resurrection, so do we. At our baptism we are dying to self, burying our sins and are spiritually resurrected to live a new life with a new purpose.

That doesn't mean everything in our life changes. We may still have the same job, living situation, family, etc. but the life we live now we live by faith in Jesus. It means everything in our life is viewed through the lens of spirituality. That means we turn everything in our life over to the control of Jesus. When we do that we're giving Jesus the opportunity to bless our work, relationships, activities, etc.

However, there may be some things or even people in our lives that Jesus will direct us to change or even remove if it doesn't honor him or serve his will. But he will always do what's best for us and what's best for the advancement of the kingdom; which is what we should want now too.

When we think of the word repentance, we could look at it in a negative light. "Now that I'm a Christian I can't do this or that anymore. I have to change." Although change isn't easy, we need to look at our new life as a life of freedom and blessing.

Rom. 6:22-23, "But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Becoming a slave to God doesn't sound like we're being set free. But being in Christ means we are set free from the penalty of sin and the power of sin's control. Being under God's control results in holiness and eternal life. Being in Christ with the Spirit of Christ gives us the freedom to be more like Christ.

2nd Cor. 3:17-18, "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."

Earlier, Paul had referred to Moses when he was with God on the mountain. When he came down his face shone from being in God's presence. It freaked the Israelites out so Moses covered his face with a veil until the glory faded. Paul uses this imagery to describe what happens to us.

The veil that prevents us from shining the light of Christ was removed when we were saved. Now, because the Spirit of the Lord is in us, we now have the ability to let the light shine. We didn't have that ability before our salvation. After Moses came down off the mountain his glory faded. But we're doing the opposite; we're moving our way up the mountain, getting closer and closer to the image of Christ and are therefore reflecting the Lord's glory with ever-increasing glory. That's the privilege we have in Christ.