In Christ: Know It, Live It - 7 (What does it mean to be IN CHRIST?)

What does it mean to be "in Christ"? The Apostle uses that phrase around 15x in his Ephesians letter alone. It must be IMPORTANT!

To be "in Christ" means that by faith God has joined us to Christ in a real, organic, living union. It means that all that Christ is and that Christ has accomplished has become ours. What he has done is counted as done for us. The beautiful biblical picture of this is Jesus' allegory in John 15 of the Vine and the branches. HE is the Vine, the life giving source of all...WE are the branches, the dependent, life receiving extensions of His fruit-bearing. Apart from Him we can do nothing in the way of bearing fruit that has eternal character (John 15:5). All that God the Father has chosen from eternity to give to us comes to us IN CHRIST. It is always HIS MERIT, HIS WORTH that is counted ours that allows us to receive spiritual blessings.

A personal illustration of this:

• When I pastored in Texas years ago there was a man in our church who oversaw the finances for the sports program of a large, well-known university. He had many responsibilities in addition to his CPA-type work. But along with the responsibilities came some perks. And so, on a couple of occasions I accompanied him to sporting events: Division I basketball and football. One Saturday I went with my friend to a football game at the Houston Astrodome. We had no tickets...didn't need them. When we arrived at the Astrodome we did not go in the regular entrance...no...we went to a side door reserved for VIPs! We entered the door and proceeded down the hall to a special room...a room reserved for VIP guests to lounge and EAT FREE FOOD! I could get used to this really quickly! All around me were important looking people. Up and down the hallways walked young men at least 7 or 8' tall, weighing 400-500 lbs...well, actually they were college football players, and they LOOKED that way to me! No one asked me what I was doing there. No one asked me for an ID. They just treated me like I BELONGED there. Before long we went into the Dome where the game would be played. Where would our seats be? 50 yard line front row seats? Not today! We did not go into the stands. We walked right onto the field! We stood right on the sideline of the field, with the team, AS THE GAME WAS BEING PLAYED! Now, if you have never been to a major college football game and stood on the sideline of the field, you might not realize that IT IS A DANGEROUS place. 6'6"- 300 lb men running as fast as a small truck, chasing each other, trying to absolutely destroy the guy with the ball. Occasionally, the action would move towards our sideline position. When that happens, there is only one thing to do...RUN!
• Well, here's the point of all this: the VIP status that I enjoyed that fall Saturday in Houston was ALL BECAUSE OF WHO I WAS WITH. You might say I was IN my friend that day. We were like one (and you can be SURE I stayed close to him all the time!). I was treated like HE deserved to be treated. He had earned the position...I enjoyed the privilege.

And so it is with being "in Christ." The merit is His. The privileges are Ours...because we are united with Him by faith. And so is the Father's plan, that all His glorious riches will be ours in His Beloved (Ephesians 1:6 end).

Therefore, we MUST never forget the nature and reality of our union with Christ and we must give our all each day, moment by moment, to STAY CLOSE TO HIM, abiding in Him by faith, by immersion in His Word, by fellowship with other branches, by believing prayer, and by joyful, amazed worship.

Are YOU "in Christ"?

In Christ: Know It, Live It - 6 (Blessed, not Blasted!)

Ephesians begins with one long sentence in Greek, from verse 3 to verse 14. It is a pure burst of praise and blessing to God. When you look into the content of this blessing, you see why it is non-stop.

In chapter 1, v. 3, the Apostle Paul begins with this burst of blessing:

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places."

Note:

• There are 2 blessings here: Paul blesses GOD and God blesses US. Are they the same? No indeed! To bless God means to speak well of Him, to declare Him to be worthy of praise. Blessing God is recognizing and proclaiming His worthiness and greatness. However, when God blesses US, He does good to us, He benefits us, He gives us what we desperately need but do not deserve. Blessing God recognizes His eternal and infinite fullness. We can never benefit God by supplying a lack in Him. God blessing us is God supplying what we lack and need. God blessing us ALWAYS supplies a need in us. So...let us BLESS the BLESSING God for His gracious supply to us.
• Paul blesses God because He has blessed us. This is astounding. How so? God has BLESSED us when the Scriptures make it plain that God should have BLASTED us! We deserve judgment and wrath and eternal separation. Take a brief glance at 2:1-3 for our spiritual biography before Christ. I should live each day cringing at the expectation that the holy and almighty God has marked me out for wrath. But instead, I can live each day with the glorious expectation of BLESSING, favor, grace, intimacy, love. Amazing grace. What is your daily expectation from God?
• This blessing comes from God to us IN CHRIST. Tomorrow I'll share one of my favorite examples of how God's blessings come to us because we are IN CHRIST. For now, it is good to realize that the blessings are SECURE and eternal because they are in Christ. Why? Because His work was ABSOLUTELY COMPLETE (remember: "It is finished," the torn veil in the temple, and the RESURRECTION!). What security.

In Christ: Know It, Live It - 5 (Grace and Peace!?)

As the Apostle Paul does in most of his NT letters, he pronounces BLESSING on the Ephesian believers as a part of his greeting. "Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." 1:2

Note here:

• He wishes GRACE to them: Grace is God's undeserved favor. It is actually the OPPOSITE of what is deserved. But it is the ONLY way that God relates to us, His children. He NEVER relates to us in the way of works or deserving and merit. It is all of grace, from beginning to end, just like this letter begins with a desire for grace and ENDS with the same, "Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible" 6:24. There is nothing we need more in life, day by day and moment by moment, than grace. Grace flows down from the GREATER to the LESSER. We never become a source or fountain of grace in ourselves, even after receiving God's grace for decades.
• He also wishes PEACE to them (and us): Peace, according to Thayer's lexicon, is: "The tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ and so fearing nothing from God and content with its earthly lot, of whatsoever sort it is." I like that definition. Peace has to do with confidence that God is in control...for my good...and His glory...in all things...at all times...forever. Peace and contentment are also inseparable companions. If I am not content with my lot at any particular time, it can be traced back to a lack of confidence that God is in control, to the last detail. This letter ALSO begins with peace and ends with a blessing of peace, "Peace be to the brothers..." 6:23. Every day of our lives must begin and end with grace and peace if we are to live in Christ's supply.
• What is the source of this grace and peace? "...From God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." Note:

-Our Father loves to provide richly and lavishly for us. He provides because He is our Father and we can be confident of His provision because we are part of His family. I don't know about you, but I love the thought of having DEITY as my FAMILY! Wow!

-Equally the source of grace and peace is our Lord Jesus Christ (telling us of HIS deity, as well). He is supreme ruler of all. He is God, Man, Savior. He CAN provide - He is Lord. He WANTS to provide - He is the Christ, whose coming was to serve and not be served (Mark 10:45).

Now, because the grace and peace we desperately need each day comes to us FROM God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ...

• It is ASSURED. The Father and Son are omnipotent deity. There has never nor can be depletion of His supply of grace and peace.
• It is CONSTANT. No need for the Father or Son to take a refueling or recharging break. The supply is infinite and therefore never stops flowing.
• It comes to us via RELATIONSHIP. Because grace and peace comes to us from the Father and Son, we learn it comes THROUGH RELATIONSHIP. I.e. as we relate to them, as we walk in faith and obedience to them. If my relationship with the Father and Son is not right through sin or unbelief, the flow of grace and peace to my life will be hindered. This calls for REPENTANCE: confessing my sin, turning from it, asking for grace to overcome, and once again accepting His full forgiveness and trusting Him for a full, unhindered flow of grace and peace once again.

May God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give grace and peace to you as you walk with them in faith and obedience.

In Christ: Know It, Live It - 4 (Dual-Citizen Saints)

Paul's very purposeful greeting in the Ephesian letter yields some surprising riches for understanding and application. He is an apostle...he has the God-given authority to speak Christ's message for Christ. We are in the long line of authorized messengers for Christ, as well. Let us speak HIS message, the gospel of life, with authority and not apology.

We are SAINTS, holy ones set apart to belong to God in Christ. God calling us and considering us saints is rooted in Christ and is a statement of our STANDING before God. We are FULLY and COMPLETELY SAINTS before God in standing who are BECOMING SAINTLY in our character and daily WALK.

As we look further into this inspired greeting, note also:

• Paul addresses these as the "saints who are IN EPHESUS..." 1:1. That is, they live somewhere. They have been given saint status by God in Christ, and that status is a statement of their citizenship in HEAVEN. They are now first and foremost GOD's PEOPLE (see Philippians 3:20). But...they are not in heaven yet. For now they live in Ephesus. I live in St Cloud, MN. I am a citizen of the U.S., of Minnesota, and of my city. I have responsibilities and rights as a citizen. Ephesian citizens had rights as citizens of the Roman Empire. They had a right to trial. They could vote. They could make legal contracts...etc. As a U.S. citizen I also have a right to trial when accused of any crime. I can vote in our local, state, and national elections. On the other hand I have the responsibility to pay taxes and to obey the law. I am a citizen of HEAVEN and of EARTH. How do I live out this dual-citizenship? Here are a few thoughts:

-My HEAVENLY citizenship is to control and give direction to my EARTHLY citizenship. See Philippians 3:20. My heavenly mindedness is to cause me to increasingly live the life of heaven on earth. Citizens of Heaven will not withdraw from life in this world. They will wade into the here and now. They will show the character of Heaven's citizen: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, etc. as they interact with neighbors, vote, work at their job, and buy groceries. They will literally flavor earth with the scent of heaven.

-My EARTHLY citizenship should always be lived with an eye on heaven. Again, see Philippians 3:20. We live immersed into life here but we do it with one eye on the sky, so to speak. We live waiting...for our King...who will transform us into full, forever citizens of the new heaven and new earth.

-Living as a citizen of HEAVEN here on EARTH will yield REWARDS for eternity that cannot be lost in a downturn of the market. Nothing done because we are God's people will be without reward. Paul writes so clearly and helpfully in another place,

"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil." 2 Corinthians 5:10

If you have trusted the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, you are a citizen of Heaven and you are a citizen of earth. I am a SAINT in Saint Cloud, MN. I don't always SEE clearly how to live out this dual-citizenship. But I am helped by realizing that Jesus my King is ultimate Ruler (Jesus Rules!) and that His rule extends to every nook and cranny of earth. If I walk in submission and obedience to Him, I will be ok. I will flavor earth with the foreign but life-giving scent of Heaven, and I will be a model citizen in the original and true intent of the word.

In Christ: Know It, Live It - 3 (Authority to Speak, Saints in Standing)

Who would ever expect to hear someone say, "The greeting of your letter changed my life!"? The normal greeting of my letters, cards, or emails goes something like, "Dear Fred..." That's it. Fred remains unchanged by my eloquence. But in the first century, greetings were more meaningful and not only identified WHO the letter was written from and to, but often said something important about the recipient's identity as well as the writer's wishes for them or blessing on them.

Paul's greeting in Ephesians says,

"Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus; grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." Ephesus 1:1-2

Think about this greeting. Note that:

• Paul first identifies himself. He is "an apostle of Christ Jesus." In writing this he is making known his AUTHORITY to be writing this letter. An apostle, in the sense Paul was one, was someone personally commissioned by Christ, who had seen Christ, and was given authority to speak for Christ as His personal representative. As an apostle, Paul's message was CHRIST's message, not his own. But he DID have authority to speak in Jesus' name...and to write. SO DO WE. We are not apostles like Paul, but we ARE officially commissioned spokesman for the Lord Jesus Christ. Matthew 28:19-20 is Christ's authoritative commission for disciples to make worldwide disciples "to the end of the age." We have not reached that time parameter yet. The commission was therefore not only for the original 12, but for all the disciples who would follow, including you and me. Therefore, we have authority, permission from Christ to speak for Him. We do not need an invitation from the people in our lives to share the saving gospel with them. We have the right to do so because Jesus, who has ALL AUTHORITY in heaven and on earth has commanded us to do so. We must do so with sensitivity and genuine love, but the right to speak has been granted to us from Jesus. So...let's speak. Let's write. Let's email. Let's text message. It is a matter of obedience.
• Note also what Paul says about these believers: they are SAINTS. Where I live it seems every other town begins with "Saint." I live in Saint Cloud. Next to us is Saint Joseph. Down the road is Saint Anna, Saint Rosa, and Saint Wendell. Recently the newspaper announced that a Catholic priest who served lepers in Hawaii many years ago was about to take another step towards becoming a saint in the Catholic Church. Testimonies of miracles in answer to prayers addressed to him were the criterion for his advancement towards sainthood. But when Paul calls the believers in Ephesus "saints," is this what he meant? Surely NOT. SAINT means "holy ones," those SET APART from the world to belong exclusively to God. ALL BELIEVERS are SAINTS. Thus the plural here. Check out many other NT occurrences (e.g. Romans 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:2; Philippians 1:1; Colossians 1:2). Calling all believers saints reflects their STANDING before God. That is, through faith in Christ, they have been given a perfect standing of righteousness before God. Saints is not their WALK, but their STANDING. They are saints FIRST, then they become more and more SAINTLY day by day until Christ returns and makes them perfectly holy in standing and walk. Are you aware of your sainthood in Christ? Are you aware of your brothers and sister's sainthood in Christ? We need to be careful both how we VIEW one another and how we TREAT one another. GOD has called us saints.

We'll look more at this inspired greeting in our next blog. For now, perhaps we might work on taking our letters and cards and emails back in time and make our greetings more truth-saturated. Maybe my next email to Fred might just be used of the Spirit to grab his heart and point Him towards the Lord Jesus. "Saint Fred, how in the world are you?" And let's not spend the next 10 years waiting for our friends and family to INVITE us to share the gospel with them. Christ has already COMMANDED it!

In Christ - Know It, Live It - 2 (Knowing Comes Before Living)

The first three chapters of Ephesians focus on KNOWING what it means to be in Christ. The Apostle Paul begins the letter with a burst of PRAISE in 1:3-14 for the spiritual blessings believers have been blessed with in Christ. Then, in 1:15-23 he launches into PRAYER that these same believers will KNOW God as the God who blesses them with hope, as being His treasured inheritance, and as the God of immeasurably great power towards them. Chapter 2 then looks at WHO we were before Christ: spiritually dead Satan-followers facing God's wrath (who have been saved by the loving grace of God) 2:1-10, and aliens to God's people without hope and without God, (who have been brought into the family by the blood of Christ), 2:11-22. In Chapter 3, Paul begins to pray again, but is sidetracked by the wonder and an explanation of how he came to have the privilege of proclaiming the mystery of the gospel to Gentiles, 3:2-13. He finally returns to finish his prayer, one of the most lofty and amazing of all biblical prayers, that we will have power by the Holy Spirit to know the love of Christ that has made all these blessings possible, 3:1,14-21.

The second three chapters of Ephesians (4-6) are all about HOW we are to live out this blessed life in Christ which God the Father has called us to. This simple division of the letter, this doctrine and then duty, this wealth and then walk, this KNOW and then LIVE, teaches us several important lessons:

• Knowing DOES come before Living. To live in a manner that is appropriate to our calling in Christ, we must first KNOW what it means to be in Christ. If we try to live without instruction in who we are in Christ, we will simply live OUR WAY, and not God's. And...our living will NOT honor God or be in a "worthy manner" 4:1.
• But even knowing who we are in Christ does not automatically or intuitively lead us to living correctly, in a God-pleasing way. We must be INSTRUCTED by God in the practical living, as well. We need the WORD to instruct us in every area of our lives. And therefore, we need to give ourselves to study and meditation in the Word so we know how to walk out our spiritual wealth.

And so, in Chapters 4-6 Paul gives practical instruction in:

• How to live in UNITY in the Church, 4:1-16
• How to CHANGE from what we were to what God has called us to be. There is a biblical process of change given in 4:17-32.
• How to live in love and purity and wisdom so that we properly imitate our Father, 5:1-20
• How we live as God's people in our relationships: marriage, family, work, 5:21-6:9
• How we fight the spiritual battles that are part of belonging to Christ and the church, 6:10-20

But to live this way we need this specific, practical BIBLICAL INSTRUCTION. We are not on our own to determine the best way to live...God has laid down His commands and principles for life for us. Therefore, once again, let us give ourselves to the Word in every area of our lives, knowing that our Father, who by grace has saved us from wrath, in grace ALSO has given us instructions for saved living.

Ephesians is a wonderful example of this: Know It (1-3), Live It (4-6). May God be gracious to us in giving us hearts to be taught in both.

In Christ - Know It, Live It: 1 (Jesus Rules!)

The Apostle Paul's letter to the church in Ephesus was written from Rome while Paul was under the house arrest recorded by Luke in Acts 28. It was probably a circular letter, written perhaps to Ephesus primarily but also to the other churches in that area of Asia. Paul had spent as much as 3 years in Ephesus, more than any other local church. You will remember that Paul and his companions encountered severe trouble in Ephesus (Acts 19) as the silver smiths' trade was losing business in the most lucrative area of crafting idols of the goddess Artemis.

The temple of Artemis in Ephesus was one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world, along with the Colossus of Rhodes, the Great Pyramid of Giza, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Statue of Zeus at Olympia, the Mausoleum of Maussollos, and the Light House of Alexandria. It was 2x the size of the Parthenon in Athens.

Artemis (or Diana) was considered Queen over the heavenly powers as well as the gods of the underworld. It might well be proper to say that in Ephesus, "Artemis ruled." Perhaps a large portion of life for the citizen of Ephesus was determined by his relationship to Artemis.

Perhaps this also is a major reason that in this letter the Apostle Paul focuses on the ULTIMATE power and authority of the Lord Jesus Christ.

For example:

• God "raised him (Christ) from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And He put all things under his feet..." 1:20-22

For the believer, being IN CHRIST means to be vitally and really and spiritually connected to the ONE who RULES over all powers in all places at all times..."Jesus Rules!" Christianity is indeed a POWER RELIGION. The One who has "all authority in heaven and on earth" Matthew 28:18, has commissioned us to partner with Him in His eternal work of making disciples, and He has promised to be with us in personal authority and POWER to accomplish it.

Of whom, then, shall we be afraid? Shall we not get on with it? JESUS RULES!