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Be in Christ???

WIP

Staff member
Moderator
While reading another thread, the phrase "be in Christ" got my attention this morning. What exactly does it mean to be in Christ? Is it something we can choose to do or is the result of other choices we make? Is it even something we have a part in at all?
 
What exactly does it mean to be in Christ?

And for them I sanctify myself, so that they themselves also may be sanctified in the truth. “And I do not ask on behalf of these only, but also on behalf of those who believe in me through their word,
John 17:19-20 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=John 17:19-20&version=LEB

Is it something we can choose to do or is the result of other choices we make?

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come. And all these things are from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ, and who has given us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
2 Corinthians 5:17-19 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=2 Corinthians 5:17-19&version=LEB

Is it even something we have a part in at all?

... entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
 
And for them I sanctify myself, so that they themselves also may be sanctified in the truth. “And I do not ask on behalf of these only, but also on behalf of those who believe in me through their word,
John 17:19-20 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=John 17:19-20&version=LEB



Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come. And all these things are from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ, and who has given us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
2 Corinthians 5:17-19 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=2 Corinthians 5:17-19&version=LEB



... entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.

While reading another thread, the phrase "be in Christ" got my attention this morning. What exactly does it mean to be in Christ? Is it something we can choose to do or is the result of other choices we make? Is it even something we have a part in at all?


Because we are joined to the Lord, and are one spirit with Him (in Him), we are exhorted to walk in purity.


Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.
All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods, but God will destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power.
Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not! Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For “the two,” He says, “shall become one flesh.” But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him. 1 Corinthians 6:9-17


  • But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.




JLB
 
God gives us free will will
James 1:21

“Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.”

receive means to embrace to give ear to to approve accept could even be used.. engrafted mean implanted a seed is own does it fall upon good ground .he stands at the door of our heart knocking do we let him in or ignore in hopes he goes away
 
IMO, when one initially receives the Holy Spirit,
of course, he/she is "in Christ".
However, one can abandon this standing
through habitual unrepentant sinning.
Romans 8:1 explains the situation quite clearly:
If you are walking according to the Spirit ...
you are "in Christ" and under NO condemnation.
I refuse to believe that anyone who is doing the red
is walking according to the Spirit.
 
Consequently, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Romans 8:1 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=Romans 8:1&version=LEB

Romans 8:1 doesn’t say anything about abandoning anything. Nor does it say anything about habitual unrepentant sinning.
Why is it that so many times when I see or hear someone reference Romans 8:1, they only quote the first part of the verse? There is a comma indicating there is more.

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
 
I don’t know why someone would. I quoted the whole verse. Including the period.
It does indicate there is a condition, "to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit."
 
who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
i agree with this .but this part is not part of the original writings it was added at some point in time.in some Bible it is written in italics..i checked my Thompson chain it has same type writing.. just sharing is all
 
It does indicate there is a condition, "to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit."

A conditional verse would have a condition statement (IF x THEN y).

On the otherhand, a consequence of those who are in Christ is that there is now no condemnation.

Consequently, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Romans 8:1 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=Romans 8:1&version=LEB

It’s required by the Law.
 
A conditional verse would have a condition statement (IF x THEN y).

On the otherhand, a consequence of those who are in Christ is that there is now no condemnation.

Consequently, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Romans 8:1 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=Romans 8:1&version=LEB

It’s required by the Law.
Who walk according to the Spirit and not according to the flesh. What happens when one denies or rejects and stops walking according to the Spirit, choosing to walk otherwise or according to the flesh?
 
What happens when one denies or rejects and stops walking according to the Spirit, choosing to walk otherwise or according to the flesh?

What verse in Romans 8 are you referring to that indicates someone walking according to the Spirit stops walking according to the Spirit and chooses to walk according to the flesh?

Paul tells us God has already condemned sin in the flesh and fulfilled the requirement of the law through us who live according to the Spirit.

For what was impossible for the law, in that it was weak through the flesh, God did. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and concerning sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the requirement of the law would be fulfilled in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
Romans 8:3-4 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=Romans 8:3-4&version=LEB

If you’d like for me to speculate, I suppose Paul would have to have been wrong and the requirement of the law wasn’t really fulfilled by a person living according to the Spirit.

But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, this person does not belong to him.
Romans 8:9 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=Romans 8:9&version=LEB

Here’s the conditionals⬆️

IF the Spirit of God lives you
THEN you are not in the flesh

I am unaware of how someone with the Spirit of God living in them can be living in the flesh and Paul also be correct.
 
But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you.
But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, this person does not belong to him.

IF the Spirit of God lives you, THEN you are not in the flesh
I am unaware of how someone with the Spirit of God living in them
can be living in the flesh and Paul also be correct.
Who was Paul, Peter, etc. writing to in their epistles?
Did these "believers" have the Holy Spirit, or not?
IMO ...
The epistles were written to BACs for many reasons,
perhaps the most important of which was to warn them
to not be a slave of sin any more, etc. --- because
the wages of sin is eternal death (for everyone)!
I.E. no one is getting into heaven ... who is living
in unrepented-of sin at the time of his/her death.
Perhaps, I should say ... who does not have the
correct and acceptable heart attitude of repentance!
(One does not have to be right up to date in their repentance.)
 
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Self explanatory

John 15:1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. 3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. 8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
 
While reading another thread, the phrase "be in Christ" got my attention this morning. What exactly does it mean to be in Christ? Is it something we can choose to do or is the result of other choices we make? Is it even something we have a part in at all?

To be in Christ and to be in the light, same thing, to be enlightened. You have the knowledge of God, the mind of Christ. So as God forms light so Christ (he is our light) is formed in us. Gal. 4:19 And so we are in Christ. Or we are in Christ who is in us.
John 12:36
While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.”

He is our refuge from the outside world of flesh and blood. He is our ark. In him we are saved from death and decay and the destruction which is going on outside the ark. And from the destruction which is yet to come, the Day of the Lord.
 
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John 15:
2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away

4 Abide in me, and I in you.
5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him,
the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered;
and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
 
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To be in Christ and He in us is to also be risen with Him as we seek those things from above as we are no longer of this world.

Colossians 3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
 
What verse in Romans 8 are you referring to that indicates someone walking according to the Spirit stops walking according to the Spirit and chooses to walk according to the flesh?

Paul tells us God has already condemned sin in the flesh and fulfilled the requirement of the law through us who live according to the Spirit.
paul wrote we reap what we sow sew to the flesh reap fleshly things -sew to the spirit reap spiritual things... so we can get in the flesh and we can quench the spirit
 
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