What it means to be in Christ (Part 3)

If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature, old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

                                  2 Corinthians 5:17

So now we've touched on the identity God gave to us when we came into Christ. Let's now discover what we have and what we can do in Christ.

What you have (inheritance): Romans 8:17 states clearly that we are joint-heirs with Christ. In other words, we also own that which Jesus owns. This is big! The question then comes: What does Jesus own? Psalm 24:1 is one of the many answers from the Bible to that question. It says the earth is the Lord's and the fulness thereof. In other words, the whole earth, together with everything that is in it belong to the Lord Jesus. Now, God says you are a joint-heir with Him. This means that you also have the same ownership in what Jesus owns. Glory to God! No wonder the Apostle Paul could say that all things are yours (1 Corinthians 3:21)! In Christ, you have so many things including forgiveness for all of your sins (Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:14). You have peace with God (Romans 5:1). You have all things that pertain to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:4). You have the Holy Spirit who has shed abroad the love of God in your heart, made you alive to God, and put inside of you fruit that can be developed and matured (Romans 5:5; Galatians 5:22; Ephesians 1:13). Hallelujah! Most importantly, the biggest thing you received when you came into Christ is eternal life. This life is the very life of God that makes Him God. This life is that which is superior to the devil- it's the divine life which is not subject to the works of darkness. It is this eternal life that we have received that makes us who we are. In truth, all the things mentioned above are by-products of eternal life. Eternal life is the sack that contains all these goodies! The Bible says, 'Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life. I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life.' (1 John 5:12-13).

   

The final thing we'll talk about in this concluding part is what you can do. I always get excited at the thought of this- that I can do something; I am not incapable. I have the ability of God in me.

What you can do (ability and authority): Jesus said you shall receive power after the Holy Spirit has come upon you (Acts 1:8). When you come into Christ, the Holy Spirit indwells you; He comes to make your body His Temple (1 Corinthians 3:16). You become a powerhouse for God! God gives you this ability not just so you can feel good about it but so you can serve with it in His kingdom and show forth His mighty deeds in your sphere of contact. Remember this: the Gospel can not be preached without the power of the Holy Spirit at work. It is the Holy Spirit that brings about regeneration in a man; man has nothing to do with it. It is important for you to develop this consciousness that you are full of power and the ability of God. He indwells you and makes you a champion. John said the greater One lives in you (1 John 4:4).   

Now, examine what Jesus said in Luke 10:19: 'Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you.' My goodness! Jesus said He has given us authority over all the ability of the devil. Where does fear come in? You must not fear anything- your confidence should be in the authority that Jesus has delegated to you. Refuse to fear. The next time any force of darkness comes against you, give 'em a taste of the power that's resident within you! You say, 'In the Name of Jesus, devil I rebuke you- get out!' And they will leave immediately. Exercise your God-given authority today! What else can you do? So many things- you can heal the sick (Mark 16:17), you can cast out devils (Mark 16:17), you can alter the situations in your life to align with God's will (Mark 11:23), you can love other people the way God loves them (John 13:35), you can be a blessing to those in need (Genesis 12:2), you can even preach the Gospel fearlessly and unashamedly (2 Timothy 1:7). In truth, you can do ALL things through Christ which strengthens you (Philippians 4:13). Glory to God! There is no limit to the possibilities available to you to effect a change in your world! 

You've been blessed by the Word, your faith has been kindled- now run with what you have seen and heard. God bless you!