In Christ

by Susan Sampson

Who am I in Christ?

Who am I in Christ?

The sentences are the same but the emphasis makes all the difference in the world!  So where is my emphasis?

Self or Christ?

What is my purpose for living?  Who is my focus?  What am I thinking about?

The world, the enemy, and my own flesh are constantly pointing me to me!  But the Lord in His Word continually exhorts us to look to Christ.  To lift our heads above our circumstances and see Jesus, see truth from a divine perspective.  This is why Paul’s letter to us is so vitally important.  So huge.  So life changing.  For Christians it is absolutely essential to know who we are in Christ.  What our identity is now.  In Galatians 2:20a Paul tells us, “I have been crucified with Christ.  It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.”  And in 2 Corinthians 5:17 he states, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.  The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” 

So again we must all ask ourselves, “Where is my emphasis?”  What is my focus?  What is the priority of my life?

• Feelings or truth?

• Circumstances or truth?

• Who I am in Christ or my to-do list?

• Living in the passions of my flesh as I did as an unbeliever (Eph. 2:3) or walking by the Spirit?

• Following the course of this world as I did as an unbeliever (Eph. 2:2) or the truth of God’s Word?

• Carrying out the desires of my body and mind as I did as an unbeliever (Eph. 2:3) or carrying out the truth of God’s Word?

To the Colossians and to us Paul instructs, “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.  Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.  For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God” (Col. 3:1-3).

This is so hard for me to do.  I am challenged to my core to reign in my brain and take my thoughts captive, making them obedient to Christ.  Every morning needing to and wanting to fight the fight of faith, fighting to believe the truth of God’s Word.  Praise God for the indescribable gift of the Holy Spirit!  The faith we have is a gift from the Lord given to us by His grace.  Let us therefore in view of God’s love, mercy, and grace make it our daily moment by moment priority to “lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely” and “run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb. 12:1-2).  

Let us humbly ask the Lord to search our hearts to show us our sins of unbelief and pride that we may confess them, repent of them and be forgiven and cleansed (1 Jn. 1:9).  We have to choose by faith to believe the glorious truth of the gospel – that Jesus has done it all!  He obeyed the law perfectly for us.  He took the condemnation we deserve for not obeying the law!  He bore the wrath of God in our place!  He died so we could live! “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor. 5:21).

I loved the quote Laurie referenced from C.J. Mahaney: “Only those who are truly aware of their sin can truly cherish His grace.”

Father, please give us your grace today to be able to believe what we’ve been given, receive it and walk in it and say to the world, the flesh, and the devil, “I don’t deserve it, but I am in Christ forever by the glorious grace of God!”  

May Christ alone be glorified and may we enjoy Him this day!  “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places” (Eph. 1:3).