LISTEN: What Does it Mean to Be in Christ? Part 1 (Onward Christian Soldiers #72 with Daniel Whyte III)

2 Corinthians 5:17: Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

In our last lesson series we learned that there are now two families in the world—the family of Adam and the family of Christ. God sees us as being IN ADAM if we are in Adam’s family. If we are in Christ’s family, He sees us as being IN CHRIST.

To be in Adam is to share in all that Adam was and did. By nature we were all in Adam—separated from God and slaves of sin and Satan. But when we were born again, God put us in Christ. We could not do this ourselves, but God did it for us.

The most precious phrase in the whole Bible is the little phrase, “In Christ.” This phrase or its equivalent is used over 130 times in the New Testament! Here are some verses that tell us of our new position in Christ:

1 Corinthians 1:30 says, “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.”

Ephesians 1:3-4 says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love.“

Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”

2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if any man be IN CHRIST, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

1 John 5:20 says, “And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.”

Colossians 1:14 says, “IN WHOM we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins.”

Romans 8:1 says, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”

1 Corinthians 1:2 says, “Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours.”

Did you notice the words “in Christ,” “in Him,” and “in whom”? As you read the New Testament, you will find these words used many times.

To be in Christ is to share in all that Christ is and all that He did. The Bible says that God has “blessed us with all spiritual blessings IN CHRIST.” We are going to consider some of the blessings that are ours because we are in Christ.

1. We are forgiven. Because we are in Christ, God has forgiven us of every sin. The Bible says, “IN WHOM we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins.”

2. We are justified. What does it mean to be justified? It means to be declared righteous. How are we justified before God? We are justified IN CHRIST. The Lord Jesus was perfectly righteous, and now God sees us righteous in Him. He took our sins that we might have His righteousness. The Bible says, “For He [God] has made Him [Christ] to be sin for us, Who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God IN HIM.”

3. We are made near to God. As sinners we were separated from God and afraid to come into His presence. But now, in Christ Jesus, we can come boldly into God’s presence because the blood of Jesus Christ has cleansed us from all sin. The Bible says, “But now IN CHRIST JESUS you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”

4. We are accepted by God. Before we were saved, we were enemies of God. Now we are accepted by Him as His own dear children. Why are we accepted by God? Because we are IN CHRIST! The Bible says, “To the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted IN THE BELOVED [in Christ].”

5. We are made holy. God has a new name for believers. He calls believers “saints in Christ Jesus.” The word “saint” means “holy one.” In God’s sight, every believer is a saint in Christ. In ourselves we are not holy, but God sees us in Christ. When we stand before God, we stand in the holiness of Christ. We are “holy IN CHRIST.”

6. We are sealed. We are God’s children and our destination is Heaven. God has put us in Christ and has sealed us with the Holy Spirit. The Bible says, “…IN WHOM also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.”

7. We are complete. Everything we need to live the Christian life is ours in Christ. We are complete in Him. The Bible says, “For in Him dwells all the fulness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete IN HIM….”

We have considered only a few of the verses that tell us what it means to be in Christ. As God’s children, we are no longer in Adam. We are now IN CHRIST and you learn more about what that means as you walk with Him.

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If you do not know Jesus Christ as your Saviour, John 3:16 states, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

The Bible also says in Romans 10:9 and 13: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved…. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

If you believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead, and you want to trust Him for your salvation today, please pray with me this simple prayer: Holy Father God, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. I am sorry for my sins, and I want to turn from my sins. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I now believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. I trust Him as my Savior and follow Him as Lord from this day forward. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today. Amen.

If you just trusted Jesus Christ as your Saviour, and you prayed that prayer and meant it from your heart, I declare to you that based upon the Word of God, you are now saved from Hell and you are on your way to Heaven. Welcome to the family of God! I want to congratulate you on doing the most important thing in life and that is receiving Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. For more information to help you grow in your newfound faith in Christ, go to Gospel Light Society.com and read “What To Do After You Enter Through the Door”. Jesus Christ said in John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”

Until next time, May the Lord Bless You!

Daniel Whyte III has spoken in meetings across the United States and in over twenty-five foreign countries. He is the author of over forty books. He is also the president of Gospel Light Society International, a worldwide evangelistic ministry that reaches thousands with the Gospel each week, as well as president of Torch Ministries International, a Christian literature ministry which publishes a monthly magazine called The Torch Leader. He is heard by thousands each week on his radio broadcasts/podcasts, which include: The Prayer Motivator Devotional, The Prayer Motivator Minute, as well as Gospel Light Minute X, the Gospel Light Minute, the Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message, the Prophet Daniel’s Report, the Second Coming Watch Update and the Soul-Winning Motivator, among others. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology from Bethany Divinity College, a Bachelor’s degree in Religion from Texas Wesleyan University, a Master’s degree in Religion, a Master of Divinity degree, and a Master of Theology degree from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary. He has been married to the former Meriqua Althea Dixon, of Christiana, Jamaica for over twenty-seven years. God has blessed their union with seven children. Find out more at www.danielwhyte3.com. Follow Daniel Whyte III on Twitter @prophetdaniel3 or on Facebook.