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The Christian's Position “In Christ”

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The Christian's Position “In Christ” The Christian’s Position “In Christ” Lesson 01 – Introduction & Background I. Purpose Within American Evangelicalism there is so much use of expressions regarding our being “in Christ” that is just an expression, but in fact has its origins in this Scriptural doctrine that is rich in meaning and purpose, and yet, I have observed over many years that this doctrine is rarely clearly taught to the saints. Consider: 1 Cor 1:26-31 For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; 27but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, 28and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, 29so that no man may boast before God. 30But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, 31so that, just as it is written, "LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD." Jer 9:23-24 My goal is to introduce this Scriptural teaching to you in significant depth such that you will become strengthened and encouraged with a clear understanding of who we are “in Christ” and what has been promised to us “In Christ”. II. Definition and Scriptural Statistics Definition: This being “In Christ” is known in theological terms as “Union with Christ”. From Wikipedia - “In its widest sense, the phrase “union with Christ” refers to the relationship between the believer and Jesus Christ. In this sense, John Murray says, union with Christ is "the central truth of the whole doctrine of salvation.” The expression "in Christ" (en Christo in Christ, en kyrioIn the Lord, en Christo IesouIn Christ Jesus, en autoIn Him etc.) occurs 216 times in the Pauline letters and 26 times in the Johannine literature. Hence, according to Albert Schweitzer, "This 'being-in-Christ' is the prime enigma of the Pauline teaching: once grasped it gives the clue to the whole." Given the large number of occurrences and the wide range of contexts, this phrase embodies a breadth of meaning. For example; Paul uses the phrase "en Christoin Christ" as a synonym for a Christian (Romans 16:7) and the phrase "en emoiin me" to describe the intimate identification of Christ with the believer. Gal 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; and 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 up for me. My own count on this expression using the PC Study Bible search found that the NASU: “In Christ” occurs 80X “In Jesus” occurs 3X “In Him” occurs 39X “In Me” occurs 15 X “In the Lord” occurs 39X For a Total of: 176X Page 1 of 5 Lesson #1 Introduction and Background The Christian’s Position “In Christ” I have purposely excluded where Scripture refers to “believing” or “having faith” “in Christ” in its various forms. The word “Christian” only occurs 5X in the whole of the New Testament. The word “saint” only occurs 60X in the New Testament. III. What Does It Mean to Be “In Christ” “Union with Christ” is the theological expression that captures all of these various ways of expressing being “in Christ”. This doctrine of “Union with Christ” is “- - - an inclusive term for the whole of salvation; the various other doctrines are simply subparts. While this term and concept are often neglected in favor of concentrating on other concepts such as regeneration, justification, and sanctification, it is instructive to note the large number of references to the oneness between Christ and the believer. The most basic references in this connection depict the believer and Christ as being “in” one another.” from Millard Erickson’s Christian Theology; 1983; p.948 Erickson lists three principal characteristics of this “Union with Christ” (p. 952). These are: 1. Judicial in Nature – “When the Father evaluates or judges us before the law, He does not look upon us alone. We are in His sight one with Christ. God always sees the believer in ‘union with Christ’ and He measures the two of them together. Thus, He does not say, ‘Jesus is righteous but that human is unrighteous.’ He sees the two as one and says in effect, “They are righteous.’ That the believer is righteous is not a fiction or a misrepresentation. It is the correct evaluation of a new legal entity, a corporation that has been formed as it were. The believer has been incorporated into Christ and Christ into the believer.” 2. Spiritual in Nature – “This has two meanings. 1. On the one hand, the union is effected by the Holy Spirit. There is a close relationship between Christ and the Spirit, closer than is often realized. This is apparent in 1 Cor 12:13 ‘For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body – Jews or Greeks, slaves or free – and all were made to drink of one Spirit.’ Note also the interchangeability of Christ and the Spirit in Romans 8:9-11 ‘But you are not in the flesh, you are in the Spirit, if the Spirit of God really dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Him. But if Christ is in you, although your bodies are dead because of sin, your spirits are alive because of righteousness. If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through His Spirit which dwells in you.’ John Murray says, ‘Christ dwells in us if His Spirit dwells in us, and He dwells in us by the Spirit.’ The Spirit is ‘the bond of this union.’” 2. “Not only is our union with Christ brought about by the Holy Spirit; it is a union of spirits. • It is not a union of persons in one essence, as in the Trinity. • It is not a union of natures in one person, as is the case with the incarnation of Jesus Christ. • It is not a physical bonding, as in the welding of two pieces of metal. Page 2 of 5 Lesson #1 Introduction and Background The Christian’s Position “In Christ” It is in some way a union of two spirits which does not extinguish either of them. It does not make the believer physically stronger or more intelligent. Rather, what the union produces is a new spiritual vitality within the human.” 3. Vital in Nature – “Our union with Christ is vital. His life actually flows into ours, renewing our inner nature (Rom 12:2; 2 Cor 4:16) and imparting spiritual strength. There is a literal truth in Jesus’ metaphor of the vine and the branches. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit if it does not receive life from the vine, so we cannot bear spiritual fruit if Christ’s life does not flow into us. (John 15:4) ” Wayne Grudem’s definition of this phrase, Union with Christ, from his Systematic Theology p. 841 is: “Union with Christ is a phrase used to summarize several different relationships between believers and Christ, through which Christians receive every benefit of salvation. These relationships include the fact that 1. We are in Christ, 2. Christ is in us, 3. We are like Christ, and 4. We are with Christ.” These four aspects of our relationship with Christ in redemption provide us with a lifetime of study and meditation and is the basis of our response to this salvation in our life. Without an understanding of this important doctrine: 1. We cannot understand the glorious hope that we have in Christ, 2. We cannot understand the nature and purpose of spiritual warfare, 3. We cannot understand why God allows us to suffer in this life, and 4. We cannot understand our security in this salvation of God. IV. Four False Ideas About Being “In Christ” The concept of “union with Christ” is difficult to comprehend. It is not directly defined in Scripture, but it is inferred by necessity due to the large number of detailed descriptions of it in the New Testament. One way to increase our understanding of this idea of being “in Christ” is to look at what it is not. There are four models that are inadequate to the whole of New Testament descriptions. They are: 1. Metaphysical – Union with Christ is metaphysical. This means that this union with Christ is extra-natural and not of this natural order. This is a pantheistic concept of the essence of being, namely that we do not exist apart from God, or in this case apart from Christ. We are all (mankind) naturally part of the divine essence. Correction: Scripture limits this union with Christ in application only to those who are born again and adopted into the family of God. 2. Mystical – Union with Christ is mystical. This means that this union with Christ is so deep and absorbing that the believer virtually loses his or her own individuality such that the human personality is obliterated. In Christ we lose our ability to be separate and apart from Christ. Correction: The believer remains an accountable being before Christ as his judge. The believer still sins, still falls short, and is admonished to be holy and righteous.
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