Ephesians 1:3 declares that all spiritual blessings are found in Christ. To be in the proper location in regard to Christ is of supreme importance. What the religious world needs to continue to hear from us is the truth of how to get into Christ. There are many people that may engage in religious activities, but have never been baptized into Christ (Romans 6:3-4; Galatians 3:26-27). Because they are not in Christ, they are not in His body of saved people, the church (Ephesians 1:22-23; Colossians 1:18). They are outside of all the spiritual blessings that are found in the location of Christ; therefore, if they do not change their location, they will be lost, even if they have done many religiously oriented activities (Matthew 7:21-23).
Tantamount to the importance of location in regard to Christ is one’s character in regard to Christ. Unfortunately, we have all met people who have been baptized into Christ, in the proper location, but who have not developed the proper Christ-like disposition. Jesus said, “Abide in me, and I in you” (John 15:4). This gives both location – “Abide in me,” and disposition – “I in you.” Perhaps we have a problem with our concept of the church in that we only think of it in terms of location. We tend to think of it only in terms of a static realm in which we are placed. Though it is true that when we are baptized into Christ, we are translated into the realm of the kingdom of light, the church (Colossians 1:13), we should get more out of the concept of “in Christ” than merely location. The church as the body of Christ embodies His love (Ephesians 4:15-16). That requires more than the right location; it requires the right motivation.
To be in Christ means to live in Him day by day. We must be partakers of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). We must have the mind of Christ in us, exhibiting humility and service as He did (Philippians 2:5-8). We ought to trust fully in the operation of God when we are baptized that God fully puts off the sins of our flesh (Colossians 2:11-12). But we cannot have the concept that our duty is done at this point. If we are to please God, we cannot live today on the spiritual capital of yesterday. As Paul did, we must “press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14). We are in Christ, but we must endeavor to make sure we put Christ in us by putting His word into practice in our lives and letting it mold our hearts (Colossians 3:16).
–Mark Day
Leave a Reply