Foundations Study - The Christ Centered Life Lesson 20 February 13, 2002
5. The Wealth of the
Believer's Position in Jesus Christ
A.
As to Christ's PERSON:
B. As to Christ's WORK:
Being in Christ by faith, we share in His
work past, present, and future:
(1) In Christ, believers are to God by His substitutionary death. Romans 5:10
(2) In Christ, believers have with God. Rom. 5:1
(3) In Christ, believers have
His imputed to them. 2 Cor. 5:21
(4)
In Christ, believers are justified, declared . Rom. 5:9
(5) In Christ, believers are by His blood. Eph. 1:7
(6) In Christ, believers have of sin. Eph. 1:7
(7) In Christ, the
demands of God's holiness have been satisfied;
God has been . Rom. 3:25 - 26; 1 John
2:2; 4:2
(8) In Christ, there is now no . Rom. 8:1
(9) In Christ, the penalty of
sin has been , that
is removed. Col. 2:14
(10) In Christ, believers
are no longer guilty or under the
condemnation of and its sentence of death. Rom. 7:4-6; Col. 2:14
(11) In Christ, believers are , made fit and sufficient to
be partakers in God's family and inheritance.
Eph. 1:5-6, Col. 1:12
C.
Ramifications of Christ’s death related to the Believer’s life.
(1) In Christ, believers have also died with Christ in His death and
burial. Rom. 6:3-4; Col. 2:12
(2) In Christ, the believer's relationship to Adam has been severed
and the dominion of the sinful nature, though still present, has been
broken. Romans 6:1-14
(3) In Christ, believers have been raised with Him for a walk in
newness of life. Rom. 6:4-5, 8-12; Col. 2:12
(4) In Christ, believers are seated with Him in the heavenlies at the
right hand of the Father (Eph. 2:6).
(5) In Christ, believers have an eternal access to God, we are made
nigh to God, translated into God's kingdom, and delivered from Satan's kingdom
and the power of darkness. Eph. 2:18;
3:12
(6) In Christ, believers have a perpetual and an effective High
Priest, an advocate and two intercessors, the Son at God's right hand, and the
Holy Spirit who dwells within. Rom.
8:26-27, 34; 1 John 2:1
(7) In Christ, believers have special significance and the basis of a
true self-concept [esteem] as the children of God.
Application:
Concerning
Obedience
After declaring the believers
identification with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection, the Apostle
says: "Even so consider
yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus"
(Rom. 6:11).
So
what has Paul emphasized:
* First we must know the
facts of our identification with Christ (vs. 1-10).
* Then we must count on
them as spiritual realities, by faith [believing them] (cf. vs. 11 with vs. 8).
* Third, knowing and believing in our new identification, we are
to choose to present ourselves to
God for obedience (vs. 12-18).
* This presentation
is ultimately carried out through walking by faith empowered by the Spirit who
dwells within each of us (Rom. 8:1-13; Gal. 5:16).
Conclusion
Since believers are complete
in Christ, there is nothing they can add to gain salvation, or to maintain
their salvation (Titus 3:5; Eph. 2:8-9; Rom. 8:32-39).
To trust in anything other
than God's full provision for us in Jesus Christ is to be faithless in our
position and futile in dealing with our condition in life.
There
are two strong implications here:
* Security: Believers are doubly safe with Christ in God
(cf. John. 10:28-29; Rom. 8:38-39).
* Provision: The believer's life is nourished and
supplied by hidden resources which the world cannot know nor provide.