From the Word of God we learn that not only does Jesus Christ live in us, but we too have been immersed in Him. What does it mean to be in Him, to be immersed in Him, to be able to draw on certain rights and privileges that belong to us through abiding in Him? Let’s start with who God made us to be the moment we are born again of water and the Holy Spirit?
A new creation
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” – 2 Cor 5:17
The Bible tells us that at the moment of our spiritual birth we became New Creations! There are two words in Greek that are translated in the Bible as “new”:
- The first word, neos, refers to something that has been made, even though many others like it already exist.
- The second, kainos (which is the word used in the verse above), means “something that has been created that is entirely different from anything else that already exists.”
This means that in Christ, we are entirely newly formed creations. Just as God once created a new heaven and a new earth — making them out of nothing — so it is with us. He did not clean up our old self; He created us entirely new! Our old nature died, and we became partakers of God’s spiritual nature. When we are in Christ, we become “partakers of the divine nature” – 2 Pet 1:4. From now on, God Himself, through His Holy Spirit, dwells within us. We are in Christ, and He is in us. How can we describe these two natures of man?
The two natures of man
- The old nature is fleshly. It is not able to measure up to God’s standards. The old nature is dead — it does not understand spiritual things and cannot produce good fruit on its own. It is dead “in trespasses and sins” – Eph 2:1
It can become alive only in a supernatural way, which happens when we come to Christ, and He comes to dwell in us. Christ then gives us a completely new, holy nature and an uncorrupted life.
NICODEMUS – is an example of a religious person, familiar with the Scriptures and spiritual rites, and yet not born again. The Lord Jesus told him that he must be born again of the Spirit! (John 3:1-21)
PETER and the other apostles – also, after Jesus’ death, went fishing, forgetting what had happened, lacking the understanding that only came to them once they were filled with the Holy Spirit. (John 21:1-16)
Our old, fleshly life is unable to grasp spiritual matters. We remain spiritually dead because of sin. Only when we experience the moment of spiritual birth do we get raised up “to walk in newness of life” – Rom 6:4
- The new nature is spiritual and bound up with our close relationship with our God and Father. Through the preaching of the gospel, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in us — when, in humility, we turn away from our old life and accept His plan of salvation in Jesus Christ. Not by our fleshly works, but by grace through faith in what Jesus accomplished for us. In Christ we are reborn and renewed.
Treasure in a jar of clay
“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.” – 2 Cor 4:7
“…that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.” – Eph 3:19
“…striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.” – Col 1:29
“Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours; Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; And ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.” – 1 Cor 3:21-23
Being in Christ, we are:
- Equipped with 9 gifts and 9 fruits of the Holy Spirit
- Free from sin – Rom 6:5-6
- Reborn in Him – Eph 2:5
- Created in His image – Rom 8:29
- Free from condemnation and from dwelling in the flesh,
- Called to live by the Spirit – Rom 8:1
- Joined together with other believers to be part of the body of Christ – Rom 12:5
- Possessors of a new heart – Ezek 11:19
- Blessed in Christ “with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places” – Eph 1:3
- and much more…
Sometimes we may wonder why we so often fail to live this way, even when we have given our life to Christ and have assurance of salvation?
Obstacles along the way
Our old nature is constantly trying to fight against our Spiritual one, yet our task is to step into our new identity — just as Israel, coming out of Egypt, had the task of entering the Promised Land! Victory has been secured for us by God — we only need to manifest it in our lives!
“That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” – Eph 4:22-32
“For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another. This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.” – Gal 5:13-18
Evil and sin are still present, but now, as believers, we should view them from a different perspective, and they should no longer have control over our life the way they once did. In Christ we can experience victory over sin, which was not possible before, because the old nature was incapable of it.
What we should pay close attention to is feeding our new spiritual nature with spiritual food, through relationship (prayer, spending time, meditation…) with our loving Father, and also through coming to know Him in the Word of God. The place where we can grow the most is a properly awakened, spiritually alive church, one that will care for us and equip us.
What do we have in Christ?
Here are some of the passages that speak of the riches we now have in Jesus Christ:
- “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” – Rom 3:24
- “Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” – Rom 6:11
- “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” – Rom 6:23
- “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” – Rom 8:1-2
- “Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” – Rom 8:39
- “So we, being many, are one body in Christ” – Rom 12:5
- “I have therefore whereof I may glory through Jesus Christ in those things which pertain to God.” – Rom 15:17
- “I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge” – 1 Cor 1:4-5
- “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption” – 1 Cor 1:30
- “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” – 1 Cor 15:22
- “Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God” – 2 Cor 1:21
- “Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place” – 2 Cor 2:14
- “But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.” – 2 Cor 3:14
- “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” – 2 Cor 5:17
- “To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.” – 2 Cor 5:19
- “That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” – Gal 3:14
- “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” – Gal 3:26-29
- “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ” – Eph 1:3
- “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them” – Eph 2:4-10
- “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” – Phil 4:7
- “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me, in Christ.” – Phil 4:13
- “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” – Phil 4:19
- “And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.” – 1 Tim 1:14
- “Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus” – 2 Tim 1:13
- “But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.” – 1 Pet 5:10
- “Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus” – 2 Tim 2:1
- “For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” – 1 Cor 2:2
The Bible speaks about 82 times about who we are “in Christ”! We ought to become aware of who God has made us to be, and what our position now is. We are in Jesus Christ, and at the same time Jesus Christ dwells in us through the Holy Spirit — we are seated in the heavenly places in Jesus Christ! Our thinking should be Christ-centered! Apart from Christ we cannot receive anything! We cannot separate “grace” from Christ. It’s not thanks to “grace” that I am SAVED, but thanks to the PERSON of Jesus Christ!
All the passages to study:
- In Christ: Rom 3:23; 8:1,2,39; 12:5; 1 Cor 1:2,30; 15:19,22; 2 Cor 1:21; 2:14,17; 3:14; 5:17,19; Gal 1:22; 2:4; 3:26,28; Eph 1:3,10,18,20; 2:13; 3:6,11; Phil 2:1; 3:14; Col 1:18; 1 Tim 1:14; 2 Tim 1:1,9,13; 2:1,10
- In Whom: Eph 1:7,11,13; 2:21,22; 3:12; Col 2:3,11
- In Him: 2 Cor 1:20; 5:21; Eph 1:4,10; Phil 3:9; Col 1:19; 2:6,7,9,10; 1 John 1:5; 2:5,6,27; 3:3,24; 4:13,15,16
