At the moment of faith in Christ, God transfers the believer into the body of Christ, the Church. A spiritual transference occurs and a new identity is secured. From that instant, the believer is in Christ (ἐν Χριστῷ). Paul writes, “But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus” (1 Cor. 1:30). The phrase “by His doing” translates ἐξ αὐτοῦ (ex autou) which denotes source, identifying God as the causal agent. The believer does not place himself into Christ; God does. This is positional truth. It is judicial and actual, not experiential or emotional. The declaration that a believer is in Christ is judicial because it is God’s legal act of transferring him from Adamic condemnation into a new standing of righteousness and life in Christ (1 Cor. 1:30; Rom. 8:1). The preposition ἐν (en) is locative, pointing to placement within a new sphere. The believer is transferred from Adamic headship into Christic headship: “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive” (1 Cor. 15:22).
Tag: In Christ
My Christian Identity and Calling
To be in Christ means a spiritual transference has occurred. This transference happened at the moment I trusted Christ as my Savior (John 3:16; Acts 4:12; Eph 2:8-9). At that moment, I was no longer in Adam, but in Christ. Scripture states, for “as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name” (John 1:12). And Paul wrote, “for you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus” (Gal 3:26). This also means I was transferred from Satan’s “domain of darkness” into “the kingdom of His beloved Son” (Col 1:13), and now my “citizenship is in heaven” (Phil 3:20). And I became an adopted member of God’s royal family, a member “of God’s household” (Eph 2:19), spiritually related to “the King of kings and Lord of lords” (Rev 19:16).
Seven Kinds of Death in Scripture
Throughout Scripture, death means separation, and at times it means inability to produce. It does not mean cessation or annihilation of life. Death is first mentioned in Genesis where God promised Adam he would die if he disobeyed God and ate the forbidden fruit (Gen. 2:16-17). When Adam ate the forbidden fruit, he … Continue reading Seven Kinds of Death in Scripture
Restoring Fellowship with God
God’s grace compels me to pursue righteousness and good works (Tit 2:11-14). But since I still have a sinful nature and live in a fallen world with temptation all around, I occasionally fall into sin. When I sin, I agree with God that I have done wrong and I confess it to Him seeking His forgiveness. When I sin against others and wrongly hurt them, I confess my sin to them and ask for their forgiveness. Because my sin hurts others (and their sin hurts me), there is a need for love, patience, humility, and ongoing forgiveness among the saints.