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So tonight's what we're going to do is we're going to take a look at a very small phrase a very simple phrase found throughout scripture in many places. Paul alone has used it 86 times in his own writing.
All the other biblical writers in one way or another am I going in and out do I need to move this at all? Am I okay? I'm okay sound guy says I'm good so all of the other Writers biblical writers in the New Testament have taught on the subject in their writings and or use the same phrase and.
The phrase that we're going to look at today consists of only two words. Two simple words in most cases and you might be thinking, huh? My child has always memorized that one. That was how is it Jesus wept?
Well that wasn't used 86 times by Paul. But a good guess if that's the one you were thinking about at first. And I also taught a Sunday school on us on a topic on another phrase I love that's a two-word phrase and that is but God and this one.
Almost tops that for me in some ways that we're going to talk about today. But but God is still I think my favorite. So the two words that we're going to discuss are often very simple words or words that as we're reading scripture.
We may be going through the message and now we go we just kind of pass by it. We just ignore it or or we don't even see it. It's easy to miss sometimes and yet it's so profound as we go through the study tonight.
It'll be a briefer message. But as we go through the message, you'll you'll see just how important this phrase is and How it impacts not only our lives, but but our doctrines our beliefs and just about everything else related to Christianity.
So hopefully I've built it up a little bit now you're all going what is it? What is this phrase? And I'm glad you're asking open your Bibles if you would to the book of Ephesians book of Ephesians Chapter 1.
Ephesians chapter 1 and verse 1. So as you turn there and you start reading I'll read it here. It says Paul an Apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God to the Saints who are in Ephesus and Are and are faithful in Christ Jesus.
Did you catch the words? Did you catch the two words? In in Ephesus. No, not in Ephesus. No, no, no. Not at all. It actually is three words in this Sentence here, but it's the word is in Christ and here we see in Christ Jesus and Oftentimes you might be just reading and as you're reading your scripture and you're just going along and you say In Jesus Christ or in Christ Jesus or in him and you move on.
But it's one of these things that as you dig in and you study you'll see just again how much of an impact this little phrase in Jesus. Impacts everything in our lives and our theology. It's amazing. It really is.
And as I said here again, we have it in various ways. We have in Christ. We have in him in Jesus Christ. Etc. But we're gonna be looking at the phrase in Christ in general. So, what does it mean? What does in Christ mean?
It just seems kind of obscure somewhat nebulous of a of a thought or a process. What does it mean? And even if you understand what it means should it really change my thinking that much? Again in is such a small word.
I should just be able to move on and not even have to really focus much on it. But tonight tonight what I want to do is I want to give you four different points four different periods four different Relationships that the believer has when we study this word in Christ.
There'll be four. If you weren't clear on that if you like to take notes, there will be four. But before we get into it, you know, I know for those who have been in my cult studies Sunday school classes, you'll know definitions are key.
So I want to lay out some quick definitions and you sit there and you say but Scott there's only two words in and Christ. I still want to define at least the word in which sounds silly. But in English, I want to define what it is because there's some some great definitions.
That really allow us to kind of see as we start to unfold we'll see Just the impact that this word really has in English. So the word in for all you grammar fanatics out there, you probably know. I'm not one of those I grew up on schoolhouse rock, but I still know what this is.
This is a preposition preposition and For those of you who also grew up on schoolhouse rock and still don't know what a preposition is. Let me give you a quick definition of a preposition it is a word governing and usually preceding a noun or a pronoun and Expressing a relationship to another word or element in the clause.
So we're talking about the word in here. So what does it in actually mean? I mean we you know again, it's such a small word. We oftentimes just can pass it by as a reading, right? We often will drop these does and ins and outs and some of these smaller words and we'll just Proceed yet the word in has some some definite meaning and it was put in our English translations for a reason.
So let me give you two definitions. And and again as we start to unwrap this as we peel back and look at this in a little more detail. You'll understand why it's so important that they use this word in first definition of the word in is this Expressing the situation of something that is or appears to be enclosed or surrounded by something else.
A Cat goes in a box cat goes in a bag. Something else it is Surrounded by and what you'll see is as we talk about this in Christ, you'll see that the believer is surrounded By what Christ Jesus has done.
The second definition here is it's expressing a period of time a period of time during which an event takes place or a situation remains the case and You'll see as we look down The corridors here of time a little bit as we get a little further into this study that it's important to see that in is Again a key word here.
So although the word is small and Again, minuscule in a way and oftentimes passed by in our English language tonight I pray that when we're done with this study, you'll be saying what a great word I want to find it elsewhere in the scriptures.
Why would Paul have used at 86 different times if it if it wasn't an important thing for us to understand or grasp what in? Christ means. Now I'm not going to spend any time really Defining Christ. I think all of us here have an understanding of who Jesus Christ is and the importance of this person.
I'd be happy for anyone who is unsure to discuss it in more details with them or seek out anyone here within the local body. And I'm sure they could assist you with who Jesus Christ is. But time limits me in that area.
So I don't want to dig into the finite side of Jesus Christ volumes have been written on it and my notes here would do It no justice. But we are talking of Jesus Christ the Son of God. And I'll be providing over the time as we go through this study I'll be providing some additional references during this message.
So go ahead jot those down and you'll see you'll start to get a picture of who Jesus Christ Really is in the pages of Scripture if you don't already know him and Again happy to discuss with it with anyone who would like to discuss it in more details.
It's interesting though to this word in Christ. These two simple words this this simple phrase again I keep saying it but it is such a simple phrase is referred to by theologians as the union With Christ it is a doctrine called the union with Christ.
And that's really what we're going to dig into here in our short message that we have tonight. It is what is the union of Christ? What does it mean being in Christ? This one this one doctrine alone has been debated by theologians over time throughout history in various ways.
As to what does this all mean and I hope tonight by what I'm able to share with you that you yourself get a better Understanding of what this is all about and who and what this in Christ means. It's a glorious phrase in Scripture.
One author said this understood to be the the union of Christ is understood to be a Comprehensive category that runs through the entire doctrine of salvation. And I'd have to agree with the study of this of this person here.
It's not just a simple phrase it encompasses all of what this doctrine is. I want to take just a moment and read two quotes from John Murray Regarding the union with Christ and he says this the union with Christ is a very inclusive subject.
It embraces the wide span of salvation from the ultimate source In eternal election of God to its final fruition to the glorification of the elect. He's saying that this word in Christ if we look at it in Scripture We see it from the beginning of time and we will see it at glory with Christ Jesus.
Murray also wrote this a little longer quote, but it's well worth it. Listen, it says this the union with Christ has its source in the election of God The Father before the foundation of the world and has its fruition in the glorification of the Son of God.
The perspective of God's people is Not narrow it is broad and it is long. It is not confined to space and time. It has the expanse of eternity. Its orbit has two foci. One the electing loving of God the Father in his counsels of eternity the other glorification with Christ in the manifestation of his glory.
The former has no beginning the later has no end. What does the believer entertain? Why does the believer entertain the thoughts of God's determined counsel with such joy Murray says? He continues to say why can he have patience in the perplexities and adversities of this present age?
Why can't he have confident assurance with reference to the future and rejoice in hope of the glory of God? It's because he cannot think past present or future apart from the union of Christ In Christ and tonight I I hope I Pray that I will be able to show you the progression of what this in Christ means.
John Calvin said this about the doctrine itself. He said that The union of Christ it is to be the basis for both justification and sanctification. Those are two huge terms. Justification sanctification he's saying that it is wrapped in those two words in Christ encompass that and more.
It's amazing. You can hopefully begin to see how involved these two simple words are and again Paul uses these words 86 plus times throughout just his epistles in Christ in Christ in him. So let me take the remaining time to really do kind of a just a jet tour.
I want to just take a quick tour and what we're gonna look at is in these four Periods of time as I talked about we're gonna look at four Somewhat relationships that the believer has again. This is relating to the believer.
Only the believer can be in Christ if you're here today, and you aren't a believer I would ask that you would beg God to open your heart and your minds to what is being said and You yourself can become a believer in Jesus Christ, and you then can be said to be in Christ.
It's said that this doctrine really refers to just a variety of relationships that the believer has With Christ Jesus and because this doctrine spans the the beginning of Scripture and concludes at one's Glorification we could even say it ultimately concludes at the end of the book of Revelation that we finished last week reading through the conclusion of time or the conclusion of this earth as we know it today and as it continues on into the future in Christ doesn't go away.
So let me give you a quick outline of the message. Quick outline again if you're no taker the four points the four areas that we want to just briefly cover. And it's going to be based on again time. We're looking at it from a relationship based on time.
And I didn't know how to say it so I the first one is the past past past past. Because I have another one called the past. So the past past just for your taking notes sake is that is prior to time that was before creation.
That's the Genesis is the past past. It's unmeasurable it is God in eternity past. Is what the past past will be talking about is? Then we have the past and that is history. How has the history seen in Christ and how has Jesus Christ ministry here on earth?
Affected you and me and everyone else that is a believer. The third one you might be able to guess is the present. The present so how what does it mean to me today? What is it? How does it affect my life today?
And lastly is the future the past past the past the present and the future and. For those real alliteration Baptists out there if you want to spell it with a pH for future you can and it would be p-h-u-t-h-e-r.
If you want to have peas for everything. But that's okay, we're not alliteration is here. So as I said, we're gonna start with the past past the past past. So what I'm gonna ask you to do is look down a couple verses you still have your Bibles open, right?
Still have your Bibles open still open. Yeah, good good. Show me excellent. Other people are still now going. Oh, man, I was checking my mail now. I got to go back into my Bible app. All right. Look down a couple verses to verse 4 verse 4 a Great verse here and you'll see it is in him.
It says this. Even as he this is God chose us in him. This him is Christ Jesus before the foundation of the world. That we should be holy and blameless before him chose us before the foundation of the world before time existed.
God chose those who believe and. Again, we could dig into the the nuances of election and we can go into all these areas. That's not where I'm at here. What I'm looking for here is these two simple words in him in Christ in Jesus.
Even as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and blameless. Before him that is prior to any existence of time. Ephesians 1 4 tells us that God chose us in Christ.
It was his right. Let your eyes move down a little bit further just a little bit further. Go on down to verse 11 and 12 of Ephesians chapter 1 11 and 12. Another great verse here and it says in him in Christ in Jesus in him.
We have obtained an inheritance having been predestined According to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will. So that we who were the first to hope in Christ Might be to the praise of his glory.
Why did God select some at the beginning of time? What was the reasoning was it because we were so great God just had to love us. That he just wanted to embrace us and we he knew we would be so good and and and loving.
That he just wanted to know. That's not it at all. If you look at verse 12, there's a reason God chose people to believe and Their reason is right here. It's it's to give Christ glory. Glory to praise Christ for what he has done for you and I and this is only one example that the believer has of Past past as to where we are today, but prior to creation.
People are said to be in Christ believers were in Christ. So let's move from there. Let's move from the union of Christ in the in the past past the election phase Christ and and God and the Holy Spirit and the whole process of election and let's move from there and let's now move into The past and this is where it gets real.
Interesting not that the past past wasn't interesting. It's just this is where it can blow your mind and I could spend Hours, I know everyone's looking at the dessert back there, but I could spend hours talking about this section and I think pastor Mike said it's probably better for your health to have me continue to Preach than to go and eat whatever the cake is or candy or whatever is gonna be out there.
I think there's plenty of salad left back there too if you're interested. So let's look at the past. Let's look at Christ ministry. Let's look at what Christ has done on behalf of the believer. With your Bible still open just turn with me quick.
If you would to 1st Corinthians chapter 1. 1st Corinthians chapter 1 a lot of ones and ones in tonight but 1st Corinthians chapter 1 and This this one verse encompasses so much of what Christ has done on Your behalf if you were a believer here today.
So much is just encompassed here and This if you look at the near the bottom of the chapter 1st Corinthians chapter 1 the bottom of the chapter where you'll see verses 30 and 31 Says this and because of him and Because of him you are in Christ Jesus Who became to us wisdom from God righteousness and sanctification and redemption?
So that as it is written Let the one who boasts Boast in the Lord. It is all about being in Christ. All about Christ and it's because we are in Christ that we have these things we gain Righteousness we gain sanctification and we gain redemption.
As pastor Mike's been going through the Redeemer in the book of Bo and Ruth with Bo as being the Redeemer here. We have Jesus Christ as the Great Redeemer the Great Redeemer. So what does this mean? What does this verse really mean to us as we read through it?
How does it affect my life as a Christian? What Christ did and I I gained these three attributes here. Righteousness sanctification and redemption. What does that mean? It's fairly simple. It's fairly simple when when Jesus came to this world and He perfectly obeyed God the Father everything he did and again, I I always laugh because I think of you know, everything he did was perfect.
I mean, how do you how do you compete with a brother like that? But everything he did was perfect and That perfection. For those who are in Christ for those who have put their faith and trust and are said to be in Christ that Perfection that Christ had on earth Is given to us.
It's as if God were to look at you now because of what Christ did in the past and say you Scott are Perfect in keeping the laws that I have laid out. Shouldn't that rock your world shouldn't you if you're in Christ be able to run and say Just crush you and say that is amazing.
Those two words are just an amazing thing. But by one man's obedience one man's obedience as we see in Scripture in Romans 519. Many will be made righteous. Christ is the source of our righteousness. We see that in this in this verse Corinthian 1st Corinthians 130 and also in Philippians 3 9.
So not only do we gain his righteousness. What do you think could be better than gaining Christ's righteousness that alien righteousness? It's not anything I do. It's not a work of me. There's nothing I could do myself.
What is better than that? Do you think not only do we get Christ's righteousness, but what do you think the opposite is? What's the opposite we gain the opposite. Our sin our past our present and our future sins are now assigned to Christ at the cross as Christ suffered and bled on the cross and died for the believers.
Those sins were cast upon him and God now can look at the believer who is in Christ and say you are righteous. Because of what Christ has done. Again, don't get me wrong. It's not about our own works.
It's not about us doing anything. We can't do anything. It was done in the past. It's done. It's done. Another aspect when Christ died when he suffered and he died. God sees that we at that time suffered and died positionally as a Christian.
You were dead in Christ. Galatians 2 20. One has died for all therefore all have died 2nd Corinthians 5 14. Also Romans 6 4 through 5 and in multiple other verses talk about the believer who's died alongside with Christ essentially His death is credited to us.
And when Christ returned to heaven when Christ fulfilled His death and burial and his resurrection when he returned to heaven the the blessings that are in heaven. Remain there for the believer and we saw that in the book of Revelation.
That we as believers when we go to heaven, there are so many blessings that we receive. Nothing that we've earned it was all done through Christ Jesus. Excuse me. So we have the past past. We have the past and now we have today.
Today how does Christ Jesus in? Christ Impact our lives today. We've gained all these other things from the past. What more could we ask? What more could we ever desire? And I got just a couple bullet points here if you're a believer here today and you are in Christ as Paul says.
There are four things That you have. You have died and been raised with Christ. We talked about that briefly in just the last section. You have new life in Christ. You are a new creature. You were remade you were born again.
You have new life in Christ. All of your actions can now be done in Christ for the glory of Jesus Christ. In the past before being saved actions were selfish. Here now we have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit which allows us to perform actions that are done in the name of Christ and All Christians together are one body.
It is the church not only the local body the local church that we have here. But the greater church capital C. We are a member of the church universal. So here we see the past past we see the past we see the present the four things that we've gained in the present.
Of being in Christ. So let me look briefly at the at the last one. Last one and that is the future the future. What does it mean? For one's future hope and glory, what does it mean to you? What does it mean to me?
Around being in Christ for the future. I just have a couple quotes here. I have a couple verses I want to read and It's really as I talked briefly. It's it's that all of the blessings all the things that we've gained all the rewards everything else will be in heaven.
For our future hope of glory it is awaiting your glorification. Once you've died and gone to heaven and you now glorified. That is what the future hope is here. And let me just read three different verses.
I'll give you the quotes for those who either want to write them down. But you don't have to look them up if you don't want to right now if you want to that's fine. First one is first Peter one three through five and it says this.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. According to his great mercy. He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance that is in in imperishable Undefiled and unfading.
This is the inheritance that we gain. This is our future. This is our glory that we get for being in Christ and not only there he keeps going. Not only is it imperishable. Not only is it undefiled it is unfading.
It is kept in heaven for you. It is kept in heaven for me. It's kept in heaven for all those who are in Christ. And it goes on to say who by God's power. Not by yours not by mine not by anybody else's but by God's power are being guarded through faith.
For a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. We could close right there, but I got a couple more. Then the last of our next verse here is Colossians 3 3 through 4 and it says this. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
When Christ who is your life appears then you also will appear with him in glory. The last verse Says this blessed be the God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Who has blessed us in Christ with every?
Spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. It's all about Christ. It's all about being in Christ. It's all about believing and being a believer in Christ. Throughout the pages again God how can you not want to worship this this God that has done all this for you and for me?
What are some takeaways? What are some takeaways. Quickly just gonna give you some bullets. So what right? Here's the what does it mean to me all this that you've said here it is in Christ. If you are a believer, I am free from any condemnation.
Satan has no means of condemnation. The demons have no means of condemnation. No one can condemn you because you are in Christ. Christ has paid the cost. If you are in Christ you have been kept you have kept all the righteous requirements of the law.
If you are in Christ It's already fulfilled. Christ has done it on your behalf in Christ. You are obligated to be led by the Spirit now that you're a believer the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in your lives allows us to now be Here on earth and just be able to be illuminated with the Word of God in Christ.
You are a child of God a co-heir with Christ. A co-heir with Christ. Not an adopted heir a co-heir. You are part of the family In Christ. You will be redeemed from this cursed creation. We see in the pages of Scripture that even creation cries out for just Christ to make it anew and Yet we are redeemed from this cursed creation of sin and death by being in Christ in Christ.
I'm certain of eternal glorification if you're here today and you are in Christ if you are a believer here today. Then you are guaranteed eternal glorification no matter what you say. No matter what you think pages of Scripture says you will go to heaven.
You can't lose your salvation. It's clear. If you could do it then Christ didn't do the work for you lastly in Christ. You should fear nothing either in this world or outside of this world. There's nothing to fear if you're in Christ.
What is there to fear? Nothing. We have little Trials and tribulations and we have times in our lives. But there's nothing to fear. We know Christ has done it. It's again. Nothing we could do. It's not a work of us.
It's a work of what Jesus Christ has done for us. And I hope that as we now looked at this that you when you're reading your Bible. And you come across these little words in Christ. You don't just pass by those words, but you really think about it.
What does that mean? What's in Christ mean? Why is that important to me? Because it means Everything. It means everything. As to what Christ has done on your behalf. Let's pray. Lord we want to thank you.
Just for a time Lord that we could reflect on what sometimes seems like a very minute a very small Phrase in the pages of Scripture. Lord as we see it is such a Magnificent time it is something that Lord we see the work of you in the past.
Before the foundations of the world we see your work while your ministry was here on earth. Lord. We see the continued work while we are in this present age. And Lord we see even in the pages of Scripture What the future is for those who have put their faith and trust in you.
Lord we thank you for this opportunity now that we can come and we can study your word and we can understand your word. Lord I pray that you would be with us as we go into a time of communion now. Lord may it be just a blessing as we celebrate Your death and your resurrection and we can now sit back and say but for Christ.
Are you in Christ Lord? We just pray that you would be with those today who don't know if they're in Christ. Lord we pray also for those who are in Christ. But those who are striving to do things to appease you.
But Lord we see from the pages of Scripture that is not. What pleases you it is bringing glory to Jesus Christ? And we thank you now for this opportunity in your holy and precious name. Amen.