“IN CHRIST JESUS” Galatians 3:23-4:7
CWBC – 7/28/19
Jon Daniels
INTRO – Driving down Spring Ridge Rd last week. Saw a sign in front yard of a home. Noticed that on either end of the top of the sign, there were large vines. Actually looked like bushes growing on top of the sign. Couldn’t see any vines going down to the ground. Could only see the leave on the top corners of the sign.
But here’s what I knew to be true: Those vines were IN the ground. In order for those vines to be growing on top of that sign, there had to be a connection down to the ground where the roots were. That’s where the nourishment would be received – where the water would soak into the ground – where the connection to the life-giving, life-sustaining nutrients would help the vines to live. It didn’t matter that I couldn’t see the roots. They were there, giving life to the branches of the vines that I could see.
As we continue working our way through the book of Galatians, our roots are going deeper & deeper into the life-giving, life-sustaining Gospel of Jesus Christ.
“Avoid a sugared Gospel as you would shun sugar of lead [a toxic poison]. Seek that Gospel which rips up & tears & cuts & wounds & hacks & even kills, for that is the Gospel that makes alive again. And when you have found it, give good heed to it. Let it enter into your inmost being. As the rain soaks into the ground, so pray the Lord to let his Gospel soak into your soul.” (Spurgeon)
Religion says, “Attain”; the gospel says, “Obtain.” Religion says, “Attempt”; the gospel says, “Accept.” Religion says, “Try”; the gospel says, “Trust.” Religion says, “Do this;” the gospel says, “It is done” (John T. Seamands).
Today, we are going to look at what it means for us to be “In Christ Jesus.”
EXPLANATION – Open your Bibles to Gal. 3:23-4:7 (page 566 in pew Bible).
The theme of Galatians is Christian Freedom – “True Freedom” is title of sermon series.
Story of Elizabeth Keckley who was a slave in Missouri before the Civil War. Her greatest desire was to purchase freedom for herself and her son. Her owner agreed that if she could raise $1,200 she could gain her freedom. Keckley worked as a seamstress and came up with a plan to go to New York City and work there to raise the money, but her owner feared that she would not return.
Instead, some of her wealthy clients in St. Louis contributed the money she needed, and Elizabeth Keckley paid the price for her freedom as well as her son’s. She moved to Washington, DC, where she counted Mary Lincoln among her dressmaking clients. Without the help of someone else, Keckley would never have been able to purchase her freedom.
This is what Christ has done for us. He & He alone has purchased our freedom. He & He alone give us the strength to live in that freedom. There’s nothing we can do to gain our salvation, & there’s nothing we can do to keep our salvation. Colin Smith: “The Gospel is more than forgiveness for the past & heaven for the future; it is the power & presence of God in your life today by the power of the HS.” This is what Galatians is all about. It helps us get a firm grasp on the Gospel – its past aspect – that there was a specific point in our life where we trusted in Christ alone to save us – its future aspect – that there is a heavenly home awaiting all of us who have trusted Christ - & its present aspect – that we have the Holy Spirit living in us to equip us to live a God-honoring life. We are free & don’t need to lose our freedom. You WERE a slave – You’re NOW a son/daughter of God b/c you are IN CHRIST JESUS…unless you’ve never trusted Christ to save you. Then do that NOW!
APPLICATION – Here are 4 beautiful applications of what it means for us to be IN CHRIST JESUS:
WE HAVE A NEW FAMILY – 3:26 – We sang just a few minutes ago, “I’m no longer a slave to sin, I am a child of God.” That’s what Paul is talking about here in 3:26. Through faith in Christ alone, we enter a new family as a son or daughter of God. Once you’re “in Christ Jesus,” you’re never “out of Christ Jesus!” Once you’re in the family of God, you’re never out of the family of God.
Karl Stegall tells of two brothers who entered the first grade. One said he was born January 1, 1984. The other said he was born April 4, 1984. “That is
impossible,” said the teacher. “No,” replied the first brother, “one of us is adopted.” “Which one?” asked the teacher. “I don’t know,” he replied.
One day I asked my Dad and he kissed us both and said, I forgot.”
We who are in the family can never forget that every one of us was adopted into the family of
God. So Paul wrote to the Romans that we are “God’s very own children, adopted into the bosom of his family.” (Romans 8:15 TLB)
How awesome that we are adopted by God into the family of God! That means that:
- He chose us!
- He loves us!
- He is going to keep us!
- He will never leave us nor forsake us!
WE HAVE A NEW IDENTITY – 3:27 – 2 things we see in this verse:
- The identity of baptism
- The identity of clothing
Let’s look at baptism. Baptism is an immersion. It means that we get soaked! What a cool picture of what happens when we come to know Christ! WE GET SOAKED IN HIM! Our literal baptism is a picture of the spiritual baptism that happens when we accept Him as our Savior. It’s a beautiful picture of our identity with Him. That’s why it is SO important. If you’re saved but you’ve never been baptized, you’re missing an extremely important part of your identity w/ Christ.
Let’s look at the clothing. Not only are we baptized into Christ, but we are clothed w/ Christ. We actually “put on” Christ. I love the consistency of Paul’s teachings throughout his letters:
- Rom. 13:14 – “…put on the Lord Jesus Christ, & make no provision for the flesh.”
- Eph. 4:24 – “…put on the clean, fresh clothes of the new life which was made by God’s design for righteousness & the holiness which is no illusion.” (Phillips)
- Col. 3:10 – “Put on your new nature, & be renewed as you learn to know your Creator & become like Him.” (NLT)
We all can see how clothing identifies a person. Many times, the clothing we put on tells something about us – College football season coming soon – start seeing specific colors & emblems on clothing – Uniforms of police officers & military personnel – Robes that judges wear.
When we are in Christ Jesus, we are clothed w/ Him. When others look at us, they should see Him. Wrap left hand around right index finger – all you see is my left hand. It covers my finger. In the same way, when we are in Christ Jesus, He covers us – He clothes us. He is seen in our lives. We have a new identity, & that identity is CHRIST! We are baptized into Him. We are clothed w/ Him. We are identified w/ Him.
WE HAVE A NEW UNITY – 3:28 – If there’s anything that ought to characterize Christians & display our being in Christ to a watching world, it should be our unity w/ other brothers & sisters in Christ. And, yet, this seems to be an area that constantly gives us trouble.
- We have the same Savior
- We have the same Bible
- We have the same Holy Spirit
- We have the same heavenly home
Our faith in Christ makes us one w/ each other & eliminates all distinctions & prejudices that rise up to separate us. Look at v. 28 again.
Here’s a startling truth: Jesus Christ is the answer to all the prejudice, bitterness, hatred, oppressions, bigotry, & inequalities in the world. All of those lines are obliterated when we are IN CHRIST JESUS. How can He do this? Look again at the statement in v. 28: “You are ALL one in Christ Jesus.” I looked this verse up on Biblegateway.com & 58 out of 59 translations had the word “all” in this verse.
If we are going to have ANY hope of seeing a great revival sweep through the Church, it will have to be when we truly long for & work toward the unity that should characterize us as those who are in Christ Jesus. If we are going truly have the passion we need to have to reach the lost for Christ, it will be when we truly understand that the Gospel is for ALL people, & that ALL who are saved are our brothers & sisters in Christ.
I had b’fast this past week w/ a 68 yr.-old African-American man who is a brother in Christ. We talked about how the walls have to come down in the Church. We talked about the differences in our cultures. He helped me understand the struggles he’s had in his life b/c of his skin color. He helped me think about the issues facing a predominantly white church striving to reach a community that is changing racially & demographically. We talked about how the love of Christ & the Gospel transcends all of the barriers & obstacles, & how wonderful it is when brothers & sisters come together in unity. Jesus Christ alone can change lives, melt cold hearts, destroy strongholds, & open blind eyes.
Every believer – Jew, Greek, slave, free, male, female, black, white, rich, poor, young, old, Republican, Democrat, Calvinist, Arminian, charismatic, non-charismatic, educated, uneducated – all stand on level, equal ground at the foot of the cross. No person is accepted for any other reason other than faith in Christ Jesus. And that is our basis for unity when we are in Christ Jesus.
WE HAVE A NEW DADDY – 4:4-7 – I love this word, “Abba”! It means “Daddy.” GOD ADOPTS US INTO HIS FAMILY IN CHRIST JESUS! It’s an amazing spiritual reality! Listen to these truths about our adoption by our new Heavenly Daddy:
- Adoption means to place as a son. Beautiful pic of what God does for those who are in Christ.
- Ancient world, the family was based on Roman law called “patria potestas” – the father’s power. The law gave the father absolute power over his children. Regardless of the age of the child – even into adulthood – the father held all power over personal & property rights.
- This made adoption a serious matter. When a child was adopted, 3 legal steps were taken:
o Adopted child was adopted permanently. Could not be adopted today & abandoned tomorrow. Became a son of the father forever. He was eternally secure w/ his new daddy.
o Adopted child immediately had all the rights of a legitimate son in the new family.
o Adopted child completely lost all rights in his old family. He was considered a completely new person – all old debts & obligations connected to his former family were canceled out & abolished as if they never existed.
Do you see how incredible it is when are in Christ & are adopted by our new Daddy?
- We are His forever!
- We have all the rights & privileges of a genuine son of God!
- We have moment-by-moment access into His presence!
- We are bound together w/ all other children of God!
- We are a new person. We taken out of our old fallen family & PLACED AS A SON into His family! All our old debts & obligations are obliterated!
CONCLUSION – Question: Are YOU “in Christ Jesus?”
