IN CHRIST
IN CHRIST
This is how the first Christians were referred to. It has a very unique and profound meaning, actually.
Paul was writing to members of the first Church, that was made up of several churches in several towns around Asia Minor. This one was in the city of Corinth.
Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.
For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.
Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.
Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body.
And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?
But in fact, God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.
If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!”
On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.
If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 1 Cor. 12:12-27
This is a very powerful message that sadly, has been ignored by today’s so-called ‘Christians.’ I have lived in four countries, and attended churches in them all. In fact, I have been in leadership positions of two of those country’s churches, for decades. I have NEVER seen this teaching adhered to. Most churches are a mess of power-hungry attendants wanting to be the prominent player in the congregation. All attendants are not this way, but there are almost always several members who meet this description. Those who make up the diverse, economical, racial, and social standing of the pew-warmers in these churches really show very little or no concern for the well-being of the others. The ‘whole’ certainly does not work as one, as Paul describes such a ‘body.’
In fact, I have known members of churches who desperately desire the support of other members in their church, but they don’t even want to admit that to their fellow pew-warmers. They continue to do and say the things that others do and say so they are ‘accepted’ as one of them. I have been in the attendance of others who openly gossip and even slander other members of their particular church, or ‘fellowship.’ I simply have never been involved in any church or ‘fellowship’ who work as one, without all that evil going on.
One example comes to mind immediately. After I heard a woman trash a man who was not present at the cell meeting, I went to her home the next day to explain to her that she was not displaying love for that man by what she was saying about him. Wow!! She went right off the deep end with her accusation about me not loving her, but coming to her as if I was better than her, and accusing her of what I am, etc. After that, she kept asking the ladies of her ‘lady’s cell group’ to pray for Maureen, [my wife] because she had such a terrible husband! It was many years later that we accidentally ran into her at another town. She invited us to her place for a meal that evening. We were a little wary of what to expect of course, but we accepted the invite. At her place, she asked for my forgiveness for going off at me that day, and explained to me that she had learned since, that I was correct in what I did, and she was grateful for my visit all those years ago.
However, that is another concern, apart from the need to know what being ‘in Christ’ means. The term ‘in Christ’ has absolutely nothing to do with our understanding of who Jesus is, or what part He plays in our lives. The common theme of church doctrine today is all centered on Jesus or ‘the cross.’ This gospel came into being after the civil war when very few real Christians were left, if any at all. Satan saw an incredible opportunity to create a new gospel which would guarantee millions of permanent guests in his fiery pit, if it worked. I am VERY sad to say, it worked in amazing ways. His gospel centers entirely on Jesus. One only needs to visit X on any day to see how many poor deluded sinners fawn all over Jesus, assuring us all that Jesus is the ONLY way to heaven, and He is their very life, and the only thing that will change the world and on and on they go. If you ‘have Jesus,’ you have everything!! It’s truly very frightening to read all those posts. At the same time, they all unashamedly admit to being sinners!!
If you sin you are slaves to sin and cannot remain in my family…Jesus. Jn. 8:34
Jesus taught us very clearly that we must remain ‘in Him.’ If we step outside of Him, we will burn, along with all those other branches that did not produce fruit.
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.
He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit, he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.
You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.
Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. Jn. 15:1-6
So, the true meaning of being ‘in Christ’ is that all true Christians are part of the ‘Body of Christ,’ which is only true for those who have obeyed the gospel of Christ. There are several commands He gave us that I have NEVER heard taught from any preacher or evangelist in all my 80 years of life.
Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matt. 5:49
Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Matt. 10:28
I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. Lk. 13:3
In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples. Lk. 14:33
I have heard far too many times from pulpits, that we are not perfect, & never will be. I have been told by pastors that ‘God is love,’ so we ought not ever fear Him. I have heard from preachers that we must repent every night, of our sins. I have rarely heard teaching, either right or wrong, on giving up all we own. And yet this is all the gospel of Jesus Christ.
There is no particular teaching on the event of repentance in the bible, but we can find clear indications of what it means, if we have an open mind.
if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 2 Chron . 7:14
“Son of man, say to the Israelites, ‘This is what you are saying: “Our offenses and sins weigh us down, and we are wasting away because of them. How then can we live?” ’
Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, people of Israel?’
“Therefore, son of man, say to your people, ‘If someone who is righteous disobeys, that person’s former righteousness will count for nothing. And if someone who is wicked repents, that person’s former wickedness will not bring condemnation. The righteous person who sins will not be allowed to live even though they were formerly righteous.’
If I tell a righteous person that they will surely live, but then they trust in their righteousness and do evil, none of the righteous things that person has done will be remembered; they will die for the evil they have done.
And if I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die,’ but they then turn away from their sin and do what is just and right—
if they give back what they took in pledge for a loan, return what they have stolen, follow the decrees that give life, and do no evil—that person will surely live; they will not die.
None of the sins that person has committed will be remembered against them. They have done what is just and right; they will surely live.
“Yet your people say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ But it is their way that is not just.
If a righteous person turns from their righteousness and does evil, they will die for it.
And if a wicked person turns away from their wickedness and does what is just and right, they will live by doing so.
Yet you Israelites say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ But I will judge each of you according to your own ways.” Ezek. 33:10-20
In both of those passages, God makes it abundantly clear that we must ‘turn from our wicked/evil ways, so that we may live. I have heard Franklin & Billy Graham talk about ‘turning from our sin,’ but both of them have unashamedly admitted to being sinners. So, one is left rather confused as to what they mean by ‘turning from our sins.’ Paul taught us clearly that there must not be even a hint of sin in our lives as Christians. He was trained by Jesus on how to teach His gospel.
Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children
and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people.
Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.
For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient.
Therefore, do not be partners with them.
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light. Eph. 5:1-4
Those who profess to being Christians today all love to quote verses from the New Testament letters as to how they live. Of course it’s all a fantasy, because they come nowhere near close to how those early Christians lived.
Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right. Acts 10:34-35
We only have to look at how the saints of old repented, to see what a dramatic event that was, and imagine that they would never do anything to cause them to ever have to go through that again. James referred to repentance under the New Covenant, in his letter.
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom.
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. Js. 4:7-10
Those who call themselves Christians on X often post one of the first two verses in that, and leave out the rest. That whole passage is about repentance. It is a very emotionally draining event. That event was enough to enable me to never sin again, because I never want to repeat it. Actually, God does tell us that repentance is a one-time event in any sinner’s life and cannot be repeated.
It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age and who have fallen away, to be brought back to repentance. To their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace. Heb. 6:4-6
God did not leave us confused as to what ‘living in Christ’ looks like. Apart from the teaching of Jesus in John fifteen, he wrote a letter that describes very clearly what it is to be ‘in Christ.’ The KJV still has this passage correct, but all modern versions have words added by the men who compiled those versions. Here it is from the NIV, minus those added words.
Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.
But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin.
No one who lives in him sins. No one who sins has either seen him or known him.
Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.
The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.
No one who is born of God will sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot sin because they have been born of God.
This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.1 Jn. 3:4-10
Jesus told us that the only way to heaven is to do God’s will. Obviously, sinning is NOT doing God’s will. So, sinners CANNOT be Christians.
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and, in your name, perform many miracles?’
Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ Matt. 7:21-23
It appears that God was looking forward, to the time when Satan would introduce his substitute gospel, when He told Jesus to make this statement.
Other writers of the bible confirmed that as well.
The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever. 1 Jn. 2:17
You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. Heb. 10:36
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