WHAT WE HAVE IN CHRIST

Rom. 3:24

Morning Meditation 2/10/2013

"Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:"

I want us to look today at what we have in Christ. So few Christians realize what they have in Christ. It is depressing to look constantly at our present state in this world. There is no way that we can love the world and love Christ at the same time. We are under orders not to love this world.

The apostle John by inspiration of God said of this world: 1 John 2:15-17, "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever."

As we focus on Christ and what we have in Him, our minds are at least temporarily removed from thinking of this world.

WE HAVE REDEMPTION IN CHRIST JESUS

Our text speaks of our redemption in Christ Jesus. We have been redeemed. The word redeemed can only be used of a person who is in bondage to another. In our case we were in bondage to sin. Sin is an awful foe. It is a hard taskmaster. It effects the direction of our life. It sets boundaries and refuses to let us cross them. Isaiah describes the unsaved in Isaiah 57:20, "But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt."

God did not make man to be in bondage to sin. So man cannot ultimately be happy in the state of sin.

There is good news. Jesus came into the world and died for the sinner. By His death on the cross, those who are in bondage to sin are invited to receive Christ as Saviour. This is called in our text "our redemption in Christ Jesus." This redemption means that Christ by His shed blood paid the price for our redemption. We are no longer slaves to sin. Paul brings this out in Colossians 1:14, "In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:" Have you been set free through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus?

Peter identifies the price of our redemption in 1 Peter 1:18-20, "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you."

What do we have in Christ?

WE HAVE JUSTIFICATION IN CHRIST

Our text says, "Being justified freely by his grace."

The word "justified" translates "dikaioo" and means, "to declare, pronounce, one to be just, righteous." This verb is a present passive participle. This means that the ones to whom Paul is speaking were in present possession of righteousness. The passive voice means that they did not become righteous by their own works. They were declared righteous by the Lord.

Who has the power to justify someone who is still a sinner? God is the one. Genesis 15:6, "And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness." Does God do the same for us as He did for Abraham? Paul tells us in Romans 4:5, "But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness."

We cannot be righteous by our own good works but we can be declared righteous if we exercise our FAITH in Jesus Christ. Romans 5:1, "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:" Justification is by faith in Jesus Christ. When we by faith receive Jesus as our Saviour, God counts this faith as righteousness.

WE HAVE THE NEW BIRTH IN CHRIST JESUS

Jesus told Nicodemus, "Ye must be born again." Nicodemus was a master in Israel and didn't have a clue as to what Jesus was talking about. When Jesus was telling Nicodemus what one must do to be saved He said in John 3:14-16, "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 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."

Hearing the word is necessary for the New Birth to take place. 1 Peter 1:23, "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever."

Paul defines the New Birth more closely in Ephesians 1:13-14, "In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the Gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory." Let's notice the following in these verses:

1. It is "in Christ" where this takes place. Paul says, "In whom" referring to Christ.

2. It is trusting in Christ that is the key from our side. We believe in Christ and He saves us because of it.

3. The New Birth takes place "after that ye heard the word of truth. . ."

4. The particular word of truth is carefully defined by Paul: "the gospel of your salvation." The gospel is the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. It is this plus nothing and minus nothing. Some try to include baptism in the gospel. Paul cleared that up in 1 Corinthians 1:17, "For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect." If baptism is a part of the definition of the gospel, then Paul did not preach the true gospel. If he left baptism out of the gospel he preached, and if baptism in a part of the gospel, then one could not be saved until someone else came along and finished the message. The truth of the matter is that Paul preached the whole gospel and thousands were saved and baptized as a means to profess their faith publicly.

5. The New Birth is guaranteed by the presence of the Holy Spirit in the believer. Paul said, "in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise.

6. The New Birth is eternal. You cannot be born and unborn, born and unborn. Verse 14 says, "Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory." When we were saved it was not just for this life. We are saved, made citizens of heaven, and await the Second Coming of Christ. When He comes we will receive a new body, one that will never die or need repair!!! But it does not happen at the point of salvation. It happens when He comes again. 1 Corinthians 15:51-54, "Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory."

7. We have God's guarantee that there will be a bodily redemption and that guarantee is stated in the words of verse 14, "Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory." Spurgeon has such a good comment on this next truth, I will quote him:

WE HAVE GLORIFICATION IN CHRIST

C. H. Spurgeon has a great comment on this. He says, "Whom He justified, them He also glorified." --Romans 8:30

"Here is a precious truth for thee, believer. Thou mayest be poor, or in suffering, or unknown, but for thine encouragement take a review of thy "calling" and the consequences that flow from it, and especially that blessed result here spoken of. As surely as thou art God's child today, so surely shall all thy trials soon be at an end, and thou shalt be rich to all the intents of bliss. Wait awhile, and that weary head shall wear the crown of glory, and that hand of labor shall grasp the palm-branch of victory. Lament not thy troubles, but rather rejoice that ere long thou wilt be where "there shall be neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain." The chariots of fire are at thy door, and a moment will suffice to bear thee to the glorified. The everlasting song is almost on thy lip. The portals of heaven stand open for thee. Think not that thou canst fail of entering into rest. If He hath called thee, nothing can divide thee from His love. Distress cannot sever the bond; the fire of persecution cannot burn the link; the hammer of hell cannot break the chain. Thou art secure; that voice which called thee at first, shall call thee yet again from earth to heaven, from death's dark gloom to immortality's unuttered splendors. Rest assured, the heart of Him who has justified thee beats with infinite love towards thee. Thou shalt soon be with the glorified, where thy portion is; thou art only waiting here to be made meet for the inheritance, and that done, the wings of angels shall waft thee far away, to the mount of peace, and joy, and blessedness, where,

"Far from a world of grief and sin,

With God eternally shut in,"

thou shalt rest for ever and ever."

May the Lord bless these words to our hearts.

In Christ

Bro. White