The IN CHRIST Doctrine

[H. Richard]

2 Cor 1:19-22
19 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us-- by me, Silvanus, and Timothy-- was not Yes and No, but in Him was Yes.
20 For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.
21 Now He who establishes us with you ""in Christ"" and has anointed us is God,
22 who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.
(NKJ)

I look at the words ""in Christ"" and think of them in reference to Noah and the flood.

Noah was told by God to build an Ark. It was built by human hands (Noah’s hands). The waters of God‘s wrath in the flood did not touch Noah and those with him. Noah, by his choice, obeyed God and went into the Ark he had built. --- The waters of the flood were the judgment of God on a sinful world full of sinful people. That does not mean that Noah was sinless. It means Noah believed what God told him.

Today there is another Ark. It is “”NOT”” built by human hands. It is built by the hands (will) of God. - Man can not go into the Ark that God has built by his own efforts (will). He must be placed in God’s Ark (Jesus) by God (the Holy Spirit). God places a person in the Ark (Jesus) He built when that person places their faith, trust and confidence in Jesus’ work on the cross to save him/her. -- This Ark that God has built carries those in it safely over the sins “THEY” commit in their flesh. Their sins can not touch them since they have been atoned (paid) for by the blood of Jesus on the cross.

Jesus Christ is OUR ARK, and just as those in Noah's Ark were kept from the waters of the flood, we who are placed ""in Christ,"" by God, and are kept from the judgment of the law. If we are not ""in Christ"" the law condemns us.

I believe what Paul said when he penned the words ""in Christ."" I also believe that we are placed ""in Christ"" by God. It is an operation of the Holy Spirit (God).

This is how I see it.

It is not that we no longer live and sin in the flesh, it is that since we are in Christ we are walking in the Spirit (faith in Jesus’ work on the cross) and have no confidence in our flesh. Walking in the Spirit is the same as walking (having confidence) in the work of Christ on the cross.

Eph 1:10
10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things ""in Christ,"" both which are in heaven and which are on earth-- ""in Him.""
(NKJ)

When we are placed “in Christ” we are holy and without blame because He loves us and covers our sins of the flesh with His blood shed on the cross.

Philippians 3:3
3 For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice ““in Christ“” Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh,
(NKJ)

Rom 16:7
7 Greet Andronicus and Junia, my countrymen and my fellow prisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were ""in Christ"" before me.
(NKJ)

1 Cor 1:28-31
28 and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are,
29 that no flesh should glory in His presence.
30 But of Him you are ""in Christ"" Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God-- and righteousness and sanctification and redemption--
31 that, as it is written, "He who glories, let him glory in the Lord."
(NKJ)

2 Cor 5:16-18
16 Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer.
17 Therefore, if anyone is ""in Christ,"" he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation,
(NKJ)

Gal 3:13-14 (NKJV)
13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"),
14 that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles ""in Christ"" Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
OUR ARK: (the “in Christ” doctrine) --- page of 4

The love mentioned is God’s love for us. It is our faith working through God’s love.

Eph 1:3-4
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,
4 just as He chose us ""in Him"" before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,
(NKJ)

Colossians 2:9-11
9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily;
10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.
(Not Legalism but Christ)
11 In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision “””made without hands,””” by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ,
NKJV

Verse 11 does not mean that WE put off the sins of the body. God does that when He puts us “”in Christ”.

 

[marks]

Walking in the Spirit is the same as walking (having confidence) in the work of Christ on the cross.

That is how we do it. Rely on Jesus' finished work on our behalf, and He will continue His ongoing work through us. We live dead to sin, and alive to God.

It is not that we no longer live and sin in the flesh,

Although remember, Paul wrote it is no longer I that sin, but the sin that lives in me.

When we are placed “in Christ” we are holy and without blame because He loves us and covers our sins of the flesh with His blood shed on the cross.

On this part, our sins are more than covered, atoned, they are removed, and forever gone. Not a part of the new me.

Verse 11 does not mean that WE put off the sins of the body. God does that when He puts us “”in Christ”.

Excellent point! Much love!

 

[justbyfaith]

Of course, Romans 8:1 defines the person who is in Christ as one who walks according to the Spirit rather than the flesh.

 

[Not me]

It is not that we no longer live and sin in the flesh, it is that since we are in Christ we are walking in the Spirit (faith in Jesus’ work on the cross) and have no confidence in our flesh. Walking in the Spirit is the same as walking (having confidence) in the work of Christ on the cross.

This is very correct as to what walking in the Spirit is;

“Walking in the Spirit is the same as walking (having confidence) in the work of Christ on the cross.”

I would like to give a little more scriptural evidence to this point;

In Galatians we read;

“Having begun in the Spirit”

So by this we see that whatever the Galatians did at first was “in the Spirit”...... So what was it the Galatians did at first?

They simply believed; had faith/believed in what Christ brought to them by His death and resurrection. And what was it that Christ brought to mankind through His death and resurrection?

The Divine Nature come to birth in the believing soul?

Or being born again. This is why Jesus so emphasized “you must be born again” as I sure you know these were/are not just idle words, these are the truth of the necessity of the new birth come to birth in the fallen soul. This is the “ark” built for fallen man as you so wonderfully brought forth built by the hand of God alone.

This “in Christ” is so all encompassing concerning the all we received from God when He gave Christ to mankind. Oh blessed be this great and awesome gift of “in Christ.”

Great post, and there’s no better place in all of creation than to be “in Christ”, by the faith of the heart we are here, by the faith of the heart does our growth “in Christ” proceed, that we might discover all the riches and glory, wisdom and grace hidden in the Beloved.

Blessings; fellow laborer(s) in Christ.

Much love in Christ, Not me

 

[bbyrd009]

ah, a completely confession-free salvation, how wonderful ignorance is huh? Now of course you wont be able to read much of the Bible, but at least you can sing "When We All Get to Heaven" with your friends and family right, who are not really your enemies at all like the Bible says?

 

[bbyrd009]

So, i guess maybe we should find these ppl in Scripture--bc they are in There--and maybe Quote some of the story of what happened to them, yeh?

 

[bbyrd009]

Or HR perhaps you might teach us when this individual would ever need to confess, being as how confession leads to salvation, since i'm sure no one in here wants to listen to me much huh

 

[bbyrd009]

"That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;" Eph 4:14

 

[bbyrd009]

1 Peter 4:17

“For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?”

 

[justbyfaith]

Walking in the Spirit...defined by Galatians 5:22-23.

Walking in the flesh...defined by Galatians 5:16-21.

Notice that it says that the Spirit and the flesh are contrary to one another.