IN CHRIST JESUS - PART 1

THURSDAY 08 JUNE 2023

God raised Jesus and seated Him in heavenly realms - at His right hand. Friends, it is the power of His might that He used to raise Him from the dead. And there is nothing over Him or anyone superior to Him in heaven and on earth. As for the born again Christians, we are the full expression of the Father's heart, decision and will, raised up to life through the atoning sacrifice and resurrection of Christ, the Son of God.

Reference: Galatians 3:26 New International Version (NIV) "So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith."

The AMP translation reads: "For you [who are born-again have been reborn from above - spiritually transformed, renewed, sanctified and] are all children of God [set apart for His purpose with full rights and privileges] through faith in Christ Jesus."

To become a child of God is to be born of the Spirit, which implies being born again. In the gospel of John, Jesus said to Nicodemus, "Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again'" (John 3:5-7 NIV). Being born again is being in Christ, and it is the only criterion for entering the Kingdom of God.

"In Christ Jesus" is a powerful place to be. And if you belong to Christ, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. By "overcoming" the law of sin on the cross, Christ removed all "condemnation" from us (See Romans 8:1-2 NIV). Since the law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature, God did what the law could not do, by sending His own Son in a human body, just like the bodies we have. And in that body, God declared an end to sin's control over us by giving His Son as a sacrifice for our sins. His own Son came in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin. As a result, He became a sin offering, thereby condemning sin in the flesh.

To them which are now in Christ Jesus, God has given the power to become His rightful children (John 1:12 NIV). They are the born again Christians, purchased by the precious blood of the lamb. Moreover, what does it truly mean to be in Christ? It means to be found in Him - living, moving and having your spiritual being in Him (Acts 17:28 NIV). It is to have the Spirit of Christ, which is an assured expression of the same idea, bearing in mind that the Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children (Romans 8:16 NIV).

To that effect, Romans 8:9 reads, "You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ" (NIV). Stay tuned for part 2. Shalom!

Scripture Reading - John 1:7; Romans 8:14; John 3:18; Colossians 2:6.

Exuberant Declaration: I am a born again Christian, and by my faith in Christ Jesus, I experience the life of God on earth. Hallelujah!