“In Christ”

One thing Paul and the other apostles did as a general rule when writing their letters to churches and individuals is identify themselves right up front as “In Christ”.

• Romans 1:1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus…
• 1 Corinthians 1:1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus…
• Ephesians 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus…
• James 1:1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus…
• 1 Peter 1:1 Peter an apostle of Jesus Christ…

The apostles apparently deemed it very important to let their readers know who they were identified with first and foremost and that was with Jesus. We do that all the time with the brands we wear, the cars we drive and the sports teams we root for. On Facebook I see the logos of the Bears, Steelers, Packers, etc. on peoples profile pictures. Other profile pictures have a husband, wife, child, grandchild or special event in the box because that’s who that person wants to be identified with!

Who are you identified with first and foremost? Dodgers, Cubs, Grizzlies, Cats… or BMW, Mercedes, Honda, GMC… Maybe it’s Foursquare, Assembly of God, Baptist, Luthern or Evangelical… Mmmm. As Christians it should be our goal to be identified with Christ above all else! The question is, how do we do that? Do we wear T-shirts that have pithy Christian sayings on them? Do we carry signs that have Bible verses on them. Do we continually quote Bible verses to people?  How about putting a really spiffy fish on our car?I’m thinking NO!

Being “In Christ” is about “…faith expressing itself through love” (Gal 5:6). It’s about conducting ourselves in such a way, in the day to day of our lives, that people who don’t know Jesus want what we have. If you are sincerely loving people want that. If you are authentically joyful in all circumstances people want that. If you have peace through the storms in your life people want that too! One of our overarching goals as Christians is to stand out, to be different, not in a wacky way but in a way that reflects Christ! In a way that reflects who we are “In Christ.”

Being “In Christ” is about knowing who you are “In Christ”. According to scripture we are Justified, Sanctified, Vindicated, Liberated, Joyful, Complete, Gracious, Hopeful, Strengthened, and Triumphant to name a few things we are as a result of being “In Christ”. Do you believe this? If you do, these things should give you confidence in who you are so that you will exude them in who you are. I don’t know about you, but it gives me great assurance to know that no matter what happens I’m triumphant all the way into eternity!

Being “In Christ” is about embracing your New Identity in Him (2 Cor 5:17 & Romans 12:2). It’s about not looking at the past but looking towards the future in what God has for you. It’s about focusing on God’s will and getting rid of our self-centered thoughts and focusing our thoughts on others just like Christ does. When we are doing this the natural response to it is asking the question of those we are called to minister to on a daily basis, “What can I do for you?” When asked sincerely that is a question that eventually opens the door to the Kingdom of God for many people who don’t know Him as Savior and Lord.

Finally, being “In Christ” is about knowing what you believe about Christ! As Christians we need to have a personal theology that is Biblical, Concise and Always makes sense. The world throws much of its belief system at us day in and day out through all kinds of media sources and even water cooler conversations. We need to know what we believe and why we believe so as not to get caught up in those belief systems. It’s very easy to mix in the philosophies of the world with Christianity if we don’t have a firm Biblically based foundation. Read Scripture daily, journal and talk about it with other Christians on a regular basis. When we do this we will continue to keep a Godly perceptive of who we are “In Christ”

Take a moment to stop and ask yourself; who do I identify with first and foremost?