Today we’re going to continue with the our teaching on In Christ and In Him.
As we read through Paul’s writings, let’s stop each time we come across the phrases in Him or in Christ and say “he’s talking to me”. We will see what God has to say about us, who we really are. It’s our identity in Christ.
We’re not just an old sinner saved by grace; we were an old sinner and it was definitely the grace of God that brought us salvation but our new you is free from guilt – no longer a sinner but a saint. Do you sin? Yes, but that’s not who we are. As we begin to look at the new creature God has created and chosen us to be, we will become less aware of sin and more confident of the righteousness that we have in Christ Jesus.
“So now anyone who is in Christ Jesus is not judged guilty. 2 That is because in Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit that brings life made you free. It made you free from the law that brings sin and death. 3 The law was without power because it was made weak by our sinful selves. But God did what the law could not do: He sent his own Son to earth with the same human life that everyone else uses for sin. God sent him to be an offering to pay for sin. So God used a human life to destroy sin. 4 He did this so that we could be right just as the law said we must be. Now we don’t live following our sinful selves. We live following the Spirit.” Romans 8:1-4 ERV
This group of verses that I am going to use this morning have both “in Him” and “in Christ” in the text. I use these verses a lot but they are filled with such great meaning that they should be foundational truths in each of our lives.
“From this time on we don’t think of anyone as the world thinks of people. It is true that in the past we thought of Christ as the world thinks. But we don’t think that way now. 17 When anyone is in Christ, it is a whole new world. The old things are gone; suddenly, everything is new! 18 All this is from God. Through Christ, God made peace between himself and us. And God gave us the work of bringing people into peace with him. 19 I mean that God was in Christ, making peace between the world and himself. In Christ, God did not hold people guilty for their sins. And he gave us this message of peace to tell people. 20 So we have been sent to speak for Christ. It is like God is calling to people through us. We speak for Christ when we beg you to be at peace with God. 21 Christ had no sin, but God made him become sin so that in Christ we could be right with God.” II Corinthians 5:16-21 ERV
Verse 16 is very telling. Paul says we are not to think of people as the world sees them. He compares this to the way he looked at Christ. Originally Paul set out to destroy the Christians. He thought the message of Christ, being the Son of God, was heresy and he would arrest the Christians and have them imprisoned and killed. But once he met Christ on the road to Damascus, his life was completely changed! He knows what he’s talking about when he goes on in verse 17 and says that “IN CHRIST” it’s a whole new world – things are completely changed.
These verses say that God the Father was “in Christ”. God the Father placed Himself, all His character, all His power, all His love “in Christ” to bring peace to us. It goes on to say that God isn’t holding us guilty for our sin. We have been freed from sin and have been given the mandate to share the peace and freedom we have with the world.
The war is over – the war of Satan and sin to keep us separated from God; the guilt and condemnation that once kept man from having peace with God has been atoned for in Christ. This was the work Jesus was sent to do and His last words on the cross were “It is finished”! His purpose on earth was complete; the sinless, spotless Son of God died to give us new life!! I hope you’re shouting by now because this is GOOD NEWS!
And finally the last verse in this passage sums it all up. ” 21 Christ had no sin, but God made him become sin so that in Christ we could be right with God”.
The great exchange – our sin for His righteousness. When God looks at us He doesn’t see our sin, that has been covered over by the blood of Jesus and what He sees is that we are righteous, acceptable and dearly loved.
This is God’s message to us!