Romans 8:1-2 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. (NIV) So what does it mean to be in Christ Jesus? The Sinner's prayer? Baptism? Picking up your Cross daily?
A very good question whose proper answer most fail at.
Many people believe that all that is needed to be saved and in Christ as part of the body is to simply believe in him but, scripture does not reveal it that way;
1 John 2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you,
that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. 3 And hereby we do know that we know him,
if we keep his commandments. 4
He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. 6
He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked......
29 If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.
Belief (as it is understood by our English translation) alone is not all that we must do to be part of the body of Christ.
The verses above were given to a people after Christ was risen. Sin still exists and sin is still the disobeying of Gods will and it will keep you from being part of his body if you persist in it.
The mosaic law given to the Jew's was intended as a tutor to children to help them understand God and see how they had strayed from being like him. When God gave us his Son he intended that we would listen to him and he as God's Son would;
Isaiah 42:
21.....he will magnify the law, and make
it honourable.
And Christ did exactly that he magnified the law... He took it from being some simplistic outward performance and showed us that no outward performance of God's will could be traded for eternal life. Christ showed us that his Fathers law must be in our very heart. He showed us that each of the old mosaic laws had a higher intent than simply outward performance when he said"
Matt 5:
27Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:
28But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
We are not under an old mosaic law of outward appearances, we are now under the new intent of law given by Christ which must exist in our heart.;
Isaiah 51:
7 Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart
is my law; fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings.
Christ states plainly who his people are;
Mark 3:
33 And he answered them, saying, Who is my mother, or my brethren?
34And he looked round about on them which sat about him, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!
35For
whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.
For those who may feel like arguing my point tell me, which of the original commandments given to the Jews would not be contained within the two commandments shown below that Christ stated;
Matthew 22:36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37 Jesus said unto him,
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it,
Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
