WHAT IT MEANS TO BE IN CHRIST

1 Cor. 1:30

Morning Meditation 5/9/16

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

I heard someone say recently that “in Christ” did not have to do with location but identification. I have a lot of respect for the one I heard say it. I am not debating the issue. I understand that anyone who is “in Christ” is identified with him. How could it be otherwise? But if it didn’t bother me a little, I wouldn’t have meditated on the subject long enough to write this meditation.

Let’s look at our present text. The words “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus” place us “in Christ”. The words “of him” identify the One who puts us there. It is God’s choice. It is out of (ek) him that this took place. He is the Creator God and it took an act of creation for this to take place. God is the source of our new life in Christ. The words “are ye” (esti) is a second person plural from the to be verb (the to be verb expresses existence not action) and is a present indicative. This simply means that all of those in Corinth are being included in this statement. It is present tense which means that being “in Christ” is not a goal to attain but a present experience in which to rejoice.

The word “in” (en) is “a primary preposition denoting (fixed) position (in place, time or state), and (by implication) instrumentality (medially or constructively). –Strong. Robertson in Word Pictures comments: “In the sphere of Christ Jesus the choice was made.” The word “Christ’ is the sphere in which salvation takes place. So it is “in Christ Jesus.” So to say that “in Christ Jesus” just means “identification” comes short of what God intended to say and teach when he inspired the writers of the Bible to use the prepositional phrase “in Christ.”

What I am saying has to do with location as well as identification. But I can be identified with a storm cellar and not be in it. This may not be a good illustration but a tornado will not say as it comes my way, “I can’t blow him away because he is identified with that storm shelter!” Don’t take the chance! Better make sure you are inside.

But being inside, speaking from a literal standpoint, is a difficult concept. I understand that. But that would not be the first time God gave me trouble with concepts. To be honest with you, being “in Adam” in the Garden of Eden gives me a headache. Just as being in Christ when he died on the cross when I wasn’t even born does. However, I just lay aside my puny little brain and glorify God that I serve a God that is so infinitely intelligent that when I get on the outskirts of what he is saying I have to fall on my face and trust him to make me understand what he wants to and hold back what he wants to. Hallelujah! Someone hold my mules!

Now let me tell you what it means to me to be in Christ. It means that we share his righteousness: 1 John 4:17 “Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.” This verse is telling us that we can have boldness in the day of judgment. It is because “as he is, so are we in this world.” The verb “is” (esti) is a third person singular of the to be verb (it is what we are not what we are doing) and is a present indicative. “Is” refers to his “being” right now (present tense) in his glorified state on the right hand of the Father. The words “so are we” (esmen) is a first person plural of the to be verb (what we are not what we are doing) and is present tense. This means by verbal inspiration that we share his perfect righteousness right now on this earth and because of this we do not have to fear the judgment.

In Christ we share his security. Col. 3:3: “For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.” Here comes the tornado. I’m in the storm shelter. It can’t find me to blow me away!!!! That is security. Satan and sin, two thousand years ago, found Jesus and struck him. Not for any sins of his own, but for mine. He did not hide. He could have. He could have called twelve legions of angels to his aid against those who had crucifixion on their minds. But he didn’t. He let sin find him. Though he never committed one single sin, he did identify with me as a sinner and stood in my place and suffered my judgment. He spent three days and nights in the grave and then when it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, he came walking out of that tomb with the keys of death and hell hanging on his side (Rev. 1:18) and said, “I am alive for evermore, Amen.” Forty days later he defied gravity and started ascending as he stood in the presence of his disciples on the Mount of Olives (Acts 1:9-10). A cloud of glory received him out of their sight. He was received into heaven with a hallelujah chorus and took his seat on the right hand of God. And John said, “as he is, so are we in this world.” Well, glory to God, amen, hallelujah. That is security and a lot more.

In Christ we share his victory. Christ is the victorious one. It is in him we have victory. The overcomer is Jesus and we simply share in his triumph. First John 5:4 says, “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.” The words “For whatsoever is born of God” identifies the overcomers. The words “even our faith” explain the means of the victory. Do you believe that Jesus is the Christ (1 John 5:1)? Then you are an overcomer. You already have the victory. We as believers are working from victory not toward victory. Victory is not my goal. Victory is my possession. I am not going to overcome the world, I have already overcome the world. John says in 1 John 5:11: “And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.” The words “hath given” is an aorist active indicative verb. This means that eternal life has already been given at a point of time in the past as a once-for-all gift. The aorist tense is a point of time divorced from time and perpetuated forever. Hallelujah!

In Christ we share his possessions. Ephesians 1:3 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:” The words “hath blessed” is the translation of an aorist active participle. This means they have already been given and are there for the claiming. The place of the blessing is “in Christ..” So you don’t have to “go in Christ” to get these spiritual blessings, you are already there, i.e., you are already where the blessing are. The amount of the blessing is “all spiritual blessings in heavenly places.” How wealthy we are in Christ! Faith takes the spiritual blessing that are ours in Christ and brings them into the seen world of time and space. When we get those blessings, we know where they came from. But don’t expect the world around you to know. They will find another explanation.

I have to confess, I do not understand all that is involved in the term “in Christ.” But I believe God used that way of saying it to say something to us that could not be said better another way. So, rejoice with me that we as believers are “in Christ” a being “in Christ” we have in the present tense of our lives all that I have pointed out in this meditation and much more.

May the Lord bless each of you.

In Christ

Bro. White