IN CHRIST

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” II Corinthians 5:17-21

Note carefully it says, “if any man be in Christ.” When we accept Jesus as our Savior and confess Him as our Lord, we become a branch of the vine. “I am the vine and ye are the branches…” John 15:5. We become ONE WITH JESUS the instant we believe. At the moment you believed you became a possessor of the Father’s nature. You became as much a child of God as Jesus was in His earth walk. You belong to the Family. You may need to develop in the things of God, and you may need to grow in the knowledge of the Word so you can take advantage of your privileges as a son and an heir of God and a joint-heir with Christ, but you are still a child of God the moment you received Jesus as Lord.

Until you recognize that you are a new creature in Christ, the very son or daughter of God, you will never enjoy the rightful place God has provided for you. If you don’t know your standing in Heaven that Jesus has provided for you, you will never see God as Father. The world may see God as God, but when you see Him as Father you will come into His Presence with confidence instead of fear.

Study of the Word of God will build the image of Jesus within us. In other words, the more we feed on the Word, the more effect it will have on what we think, what we do and what we confess. We will take on the character of Jesus. Those around us will see something of Christ in us. Paul speaks about this very thing in Romans 12:1-2. “I beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed (don’t copy the world) to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” Notice Paul says, YOU do something about your bodies. It is our responsibility to renew our minds, in other words, reprogram our minds, and get the junk out, the Word in. We will begin to think and act like Jesus. Do you realize that your body gets instructions from your mind, and performs accordingly? That is why it so important that the mind sends the right messages to the body. When you get your mind washed with the Word of God, you won’t have any problems with your body. Old habits, old thoughts, old actions will be a thing of the past. It was only your spirit that was reborn, you body and mind didn’t get redeemed. That is why we need to transform our outward man into the image of Christ, and the more time we spend in the things of God the faster the transformation.

The instant a person accepts Jesus as their Lord, they are made New Creatures in Christ, or new creations. They are also made the righteousness of God in Him. Righteousness is not holiness. Holiness is your conduct…Righteousness is what you are. The translation for (Righteousness) actually means, “to be in right-standing”. We who are washed in the Blood of the Lamb are in right-standing with God. There is no fear in His presence because He sees us through the Blood of Jesus, He sees us In Jesus, we are One with Jesus, His Body. You and I are a part or a member of God’s Family and we have a right to everything that has been given to us through Jesus death and resurrection. We have been given a standing invitation to the Throne Room and we can enter in and present our petitions in prayer, we can fellowship with our Father, praise Him or just sit as His feet.

What ever you have need of, spiritually, physically, financially, or socially has been provided paid for by the Blood of Jesus. The sad thing I see in the Body of Christ is that many fail to receive because they are not conscious of their birthright or what it means to be God’s child

When we realize we are IN CHRIST, that He is the Head, we are the Body, what He is…we are, and that we are seated with Him in heavenly places, we will take our rightful place in the Family and live the victorious life Jesus provided.

“And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2:6

“But he that is joined unto the Lord, is one spirit.” I Corinthians 6:17

“Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ?...” I Corinthians 6:15

The enemy doesn’t want you to know who you are in Christ, and he will do his best to keep you from receiving any of the blessings Jesus provided. He will tell you how unworthy you are, or how you always fail to measure up. He will keep you for your Bible time, your prayer time by telling you “wait and do it later”, and later usually never comes. You have to be more determine to study, than Satan is in stealing your study time.

Take the time to find out what God says about you and agree with him. Every scripture you find that tells you how much God loves you, what belongs to you, or who you are in Christ, agree with it. You may not feel as though these things are true, but feelings have nothing to do with it. You are what God says you are, you have what God says you have, you and Christ are One, and all you have to do is agree with what God said, and He said: “You are made righteous through your union with Him”. The problem with the Church is they are aware of what they have been born out of, but they have no conception of what they have been born into.

“Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet (fit) to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light; who hath delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of His Dear Son.” Colossians 1:12-13

Notice it says, we are already in the kingdom, and we have an inheritance. What did we inherit and how do we enjoy it? Your blessings cover everything that pertains to life and godliness. II Peter 1:3. The secret is you can’t enjoy something you have no knowledge of, therefore, it is imperative that you take the time to search the scriptures and find out what belongs to you as a child of God.

As you study the Word, and spend time in prayer you will become more conscious of your right-standing before the Father, and you will enter His courts boldly with praise and thanksgiving on your lips. There will be a feeling of belonging, a place of welcome because it is your very own Father who sits on the Throne. Oh what a standing we have. Let us live in His Love and Grace that others might desire to enter in.