What does it mean to be in Christ?

In seeking the light of Scripture as to what the expression, "in Christ," conveys, it is important to bear in mind that the starting-point of Christianity was Christ as man taking a new place on high consequent on the work of redemption having been accomplished. "In Christ" sets forth this place as that of everyone who believes God as to the value of the work on the ground of which Christ has taken His place on high. By that work He has won the title in righteousness to set every believer in His place, in life, righteousness, and perfect acceptance before God. In Christ is found the new character of the Christian's life as possessed in Him. It is life such as it never existed before, in a risen Man, past every question of sin, death, the judgment of God, and the power of Satan. Then again it expresses the righteousness in which the believer stands: "He who knew no sin became sin for us, that we might become God's righteousness in him." (2 Cor. 5:21) Nor is it otherwise with our acceptance; for "to the praise of the glory of his grace he hath made us accepted in the beloved." (Eph. 1:6) And in one all-inclusive statement (Col. 2:9) we are in Him — "complete in him" — who also as the exalted Man on high is above all principality and power. Further, we learn from the Lord, in John 14:20, that it was to be the characteristic portion of the believer, when the Spirit was come, to know that Christ was in the Father, and we in Him, and He in us. But there are two ways in which this new and wonderful position of the Christian is presented to us in the Bible.

If you are in Christ, Christ is in you; and our place is a settled one. Christ is before God for us, and we are before the world for Christ. What is laid on us is not responsibility before God as a child of Adam, but as a child of God. I am not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, and the life of Jesus is to be manifested in our mortal bodies. There is our responsibility, and it is an individual thing. You will see the individual put always first in scripture, because the individual must be put right before there can be any church. The epistle to the Romans deals with the individual, so also does the first chapter to the Ephesians, till we come to the last verses. We always have truth brought out for the individual before corporate blessing is unfolded or responsibility is enforced. We are saved by Christ individually and owned as brethren.

Looking at the Epistle to the Romans first, we shall see that the believer is in that epistle viewed both as "in Christ" and "Christ in him," in chapter 8. In verse 1 the application of the truth of the believer's being "in Christ" is connected with the intelligent consciousness that he no longer belongs to, or stands in, the order to which condemnation attached, and in which acceptance was impossible. But now he belongs to that which, having Christ risen as its head, he stands, and necessarily so, emancipated from all association with Adam's headship and its consequences for God.

A true Christian has not only the Spirit of Christ by which Christ is in him, but he is also in Christ Jesus, and “There is there now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1). There are different aspects of “in Christ,” but here it is our standing before God as having believed the Gospel of our salvation. Of this, the Apostle Paul says of himself, that I may “be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith” (Phil.3:8-9).

The believer, therefore, is not in the flesh, but in the Spirit — he is in Christ; he has died out of his old Adam standing in the death of Jesus, and has been quickened, raised up, and seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. He has been brought out, and brought in. Hence scripture speaks of us as "accepted in the Beloved," "complete in him," "preserved in Christ Jesus," and "sanctified in Christ Jesus." We are a new creation in Him who is Head of all principality and power, are always before God in Christ, in all His acceptability and nearness, and loved by the Father as He loves the Son. This is where redemption has brought us, where divine perfect love has set us, so that we may have boldness in the day of judgment, because as He is, so are we in this world. We have died unto sin, died with Christ, and are alive unto God in Him. Having received remission of sins, we are united to Christ by the Holy Ghost, joined to the Lord — one spirit. This is a man in Christ. "We were in the flesh," but having died with Christ, and risen with Him, we have eternal life in Him, and are united to Him by the Spirit.

Thus we have peace, justification, access to the Father, joy in God. It is not enough to know we are saved from eternal destruction, that is a great thing to know, but not all the knowledge of the fulness of God's gift of grace. It may be all right on your part, but not so much to God's credit. It may be a kind action to take a little child out of a ditch into which it had fallen, but it would be more than that to adopt it into the family, and even make it your heir. Can you speak lightly of Him who picks us up in our fallen condition; gives us life, and becomes our Righteousness? Not tacking on His righteousness to us, which would be defying man — but He Himself, is, in God's sight, "The Lord our Righteousness." St. Paul says in 1 Cor. 1:30, "He is made unto us of God, Wisdom, Righteousness, Sanctification, and Redemption!" The Righteousness of God established in Him — so also in us. An eagle in the air would not see us seated in this building; it would see the roof but not those inside. So God does not see us, I mean judicially, who are in Christ — but He sees Him — and us only as we are complete in Him, never apart from Him. If any man be in Christ, the Apostle says, he is a new creature. Complete in Him. Wonderful thought! Will you not let God put you where He would have you? "Cease your doing, all was done, Long, long ago."

This great truth is doctrinally unfolded in 2 Cor. 5, where we read, "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." (ver. 17) The apostle does not say, "If any man be in Christ he is pardoned — his sins are forgiven — his debts paid." All this is divinely true; but the statement just quoted goes very much farther. It declares that a man in Christ is a new creation altogether. It is not the old nature pardoned, but completely set aside, with all its belongings, and a new creation introduced in which there is not a single shred of the old. "All things are become new; and all things are of God."

The first mention of new creation in the New Testament is in 2 Corinthians 5:17, where we find that every one "in Christ" is brought into it. It is "new creation" in this verse rather than "a new creature," and the language of Paul here appears to be very vigorous and emphatic. He omits the verb altogether, and exclaims, "So that, if anyone in Christ — new creation!" as one who exults in this glorious fact. Nothing short of this is involved in our being in Christ Jesus.

The blessed position of the believer in Christ is abundantly taught in scripture. And faith asks nothing more than the plain word of God. Our own frames and feelings would only mislead us on this all important subject; and doubts and fears would only be to doubt the work of redemption, on which the truth of our oneness with Christ Is based. Being one with Him as risen from the dead and exalted on high, we are partakers with Him of the same life and privileges before God. It is plainly stated, for example, that Christ is our life. "When Christ, who is our life, shall appear." If, then, the question be raised as to whether we have eternal life, the believer may reply by asking the question, "Has Christ eternal life? for the word of God affirms that Christ is our life." Again, as to our oneness in righteousness. We are "made the righteousness of God in him." As to acceptance, we are "accepted in the beloved." As to position, we "sit together in heavenly places in Christ." Observe the form of the expression. "In Christ - in him." And mark especially the fulness of the following verses. "But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption." (1 Cor. 1: 30) "And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power." (Col. 2: 10) "In him," observe, who is above "all principality and power," even above the angels that never sinned.

Let me now ask you to turn to a scripture, which undoubtedly greatly elucidates the truth contained in this passage. It is in the epistle to the Romans, where you have detailed the way in which man is brought to God, in righteousness. There we read, "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 8:1). Why no condemnation? Because the condemnation, due to the believer, has already been borne by Christ. It does not say, There is no condemnation for those whose sins are forgiven. It is careful to say this of "them which are in Christ Jesus." And where is Christ Jesus? On the other side of death, on the other side of condemnation, of the cross, and of the grave! Condemnation must reach Him before it can reach those who are in Him. Notice, it is with a victorious, triumphant Saviour we have to do. Then we read, "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, has made me free from the law of sin and death." You have in this chapter the Spirit of God presented in two ways. Up to verse 11 the Holy Ghost, in the believer, is the Spirit of life, of liberty, of moral power in Christ. Thereafter — that is from verse 12 to verse 27 — it is the energy of the Holy Ghost, personally indwelling the Christian, and, as a Divine person, acting in him. It is the life of the Lord Jesus Christ, which is our life. As the apostle Paul elsewhere says, "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me" (Gal. 2:20). Again, "When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory" (Col. 2:4). What is the Christian's life? Christ. And where is Christ? He is in acceptance, and in favour. And where is the Christian? In the same acceptance, and in the same favour and relationship, because He says, "My Father and your Father, my God and your God." The point is this, Christ has taken this new place, as the risen Man, before God, and now He can bring those into that place, who belong to Him. And those who belong to Him are those who believe in Him. If you believe in Him, you belong to Him.