2023.11.12.Sermon Notes. IN CHRIST
William Akehurst, HSWC
BIG IDEA: To be truly saved, you must be IN CHRIST, and the only way to be IN CHRIST, is for CHRIST to be IN YOU.
SCRIPTURES: 2 Corinthians 13:5 (Key Verse)
Ephesians 2:1-10, Galatians 3:26-28, 2 Corinthians 13:5, Romans 8:10, 2 Corinthians 4:6-7, Galatians 1:15-16, Galatians 2:20, Galatians 4:19, Ephesians 3:17, Colossians 1:27, 2 Thessalonians 1:10, Ephesians 3:14-21
IN UNISON
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: (John 1:12 NKJV)
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And because we are HIS children, GOD has sent the SPIRIT of HIS SON into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.” (Galatians 4:6 NLT)
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Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts (our sins), as we forgive our debtors (those who have sinned against us)
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. (Matthew 6:9b-13)
KEY VERSE: 2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.
SCRIPTURE READING
Ephesians 2:1-10 (NKJV)
1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins,
2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,
3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,
5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),
6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
Ephesians 2:1-10 Notes
1 You were DEAD in sin.
2 Living in sin.
3 We all lived that way.
4 But God is merciful and loving.
5 and while we were dead, HE gave us LIFE by HIS GRACE through JESUS. Made ALIVE IN CHRIST.
6 GOD raise us from the dead and from our sins, ALIVE IN CHRIST to sit with HIM in Heavenly places, all because of JESUS.
7 GOD’s incredible Grace, Love and Kindness is shown in you who are united with CHRIST, IN CHRIST.
8 GOD saved you by HIS Grace when you believed. That’s HIS Gift to you, we can’t take credit for it.
9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done.
10 You are GOD’s Masterpiece. HE created you afresh and anew in JESUS, for HIS Purpose.
Galatians 3:26-28 26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.
IS JESUS IN YOU? That’s quite a question. And it’s one that every human being needs to answer.
As believers today, we need to understand that fact that GOD’s WORD tells us that JESUS actually lives in us and is with us all the time.
It’s easy to understand that we must get GOD’s WORD IN us. By reading, studying, meditating, and memorizing scriptures. But it’s not GOD’s WORD that changes IN us.
It is us who change by GOD’s WORD in us as we become ALIVE IN CHRIST.
We become alive IN CHRIST, when we have CHRIST IN Us.
And allow HIS Presence to rule over our thoughts and actions by HIS WORD.
THE WORD OF GOD changes us from the inside out.
JESUS IS THE WORD of GOD.
And the SPIRIT that GOD places into every believer’s heart, that seals us until the Day of Redemption, is the SPIRIT OF CHRIST, the HOLY SPIRIT.
So the question is simple…IS JESUS CHRIST IN you?
Romans 8:10 And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
We are made up of body, soul and spirit. And our spirit is created with the ability to connect and receive the SPIRIT of CHRIST. When we receive JESUS as Saviour, GOD places HIS SPIRIT into our spirit, and as HE is in us, the Power of HIS Spirit of Everlasting Life takes over our spirit, to receive our redemption through JESUS. We are Sealed by JESUS’ HOLY SPIRIT.
2 Corinthians 4:6-7
6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.
We have this TREASURE, CHRIST IN us. In our earthen vessels, our bodies, our soul. So that the POWER in us is from GOD. It’s that light, that spark that begins when we receive GOD’s Greatest Gift of Love, our Salvation through JESUS. And as we fan the flame with HIS WORD and allow HIS SPIRIT to work IN us, that spark ignites the fire of HIS SPIRIT within us, and the GLORY of GOD begins to be revealed and glow from deep within.
Paul writes, that GOD revealed HIS SON JESUS “IN” himself.
Galatians 1:15-16 15 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, 16 to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood,
And when we surrender our hearts to JESUS, we acknowledge that HE took our sins to the Cross. Therefore we are Crucified with HIM, and as JESUS lives IN you and me, our lives change. We now life by HIS SPIRIT and not just our own.
Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
It’s not about us living “like” CHRIST, but that JESUS LIVES IN me. Allowing the POWER of HIS PRESENCE, HIS SPIRIT to live IN us and Change us from within. And that is the TRUE LIFE that JESUS Spoke of in John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
I hope that you are understanding these principles of Faith. As Paul writes, it’s like going through labor pains to see JESUS formed in each of you! Well, maybe not birth pains, but my desire is that you understand what CHRIST IN you means.
Galatians 4:19 My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you,
Let the SPIRIT of CHRIST IN you begin in your spirit and spread throughout your inward being. Allowing HIM to rule in your mind, emotions, will and conscience and change you in thought and actions.
Ephesians 3:17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
Colossians 1:27 To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
The mystery and riches of GOD’s GLORY is revealed in this…CHRIST IN You. And not just that JESUS is IN you, but that HE is in us as our Hope of Glory.
When I think of GOD’s GLORY, I visualize a SUPER BRIGHT LIGHT like that of a lighthouse beacon, that destroys the darkness around it. Can you imagine us, having that same type of beacon within us. This is the hope of HIS Glory that will one day become reality that we might see it.
“To be Glorified in HIS Saints…and admired by all who believe!”
2 Thessalonians 1:10 when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed.
That DAY, JESUS CHRIST’s second coming will be a GLORIOUS day as HIS GLORY will be revealed from WITHIN HIS Followers, Believers in JESUS.
Think about it.
You IN JESUS means that JESUS is IN you. WHO is living IN you, being formed IN you, HIS Temple (home) IS you, and HE is our hope of glory, will be revealed from WITHIN you when all things are accomplished.
This GLORY to GOD, will be manifest in the people who choose to receive JESUS and allow HIM to grow in them and will be seen and admired by all who believe. GOD’s GLORY revealed IN you and me. Hallelujah!
Again, my prayer for you as I close.
BENEDICTION
Ephesians 3:14-21
14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— 19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
Be Blessed and Be a Blessing,
Bill
