In Christ: Introduction
In Christ • Sermon • Submitted
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Introduction
Introduction
Greetings…
Today we being a new series of lessons with the title of the theme being “In Christ.”
It should be of no surprise that those two little words are found some ninety-one times together in the New Testament.
This makes sense considering the entire bible is about how to “get into Christ” from the Old Testament preparing for the Messiah to the New Testament describing how and why one should be in Christ.
Over the next several weeks we are going to be exploring the different reasons why one should gravitate and cherish being “in Christ.”
However, today I want us to establish what being “in Christ” means.
So with that in mind let’s examine our lesson for today.
Being “in Christ” means…
God Placed Us There
God Placed Us There
Man Can’t Do This.
Man Can’t Do This.
I’ve always been amazed at the amount of creeds and man made doctrines that try and suggest they are the “gate keepers” to getting into Christ.
By that I mean it seems that man has had this infatuation with salvation being done by any man-made means possible.
Man teaches you can get into Christ by simply reciting a prayer man made up called the sinners prayer.
Man teaches you can get into Christ simply by believing Jesus is the son of God.
Man teaches God’s love is so powerful that everyone will go to heaven no matter if they want to or not, thus all are “in Christ” in a proverbial sense.
It’s sad how many people listen to their denominational preachers and hear “if you just listen to me and my words” I’ll get you into Christ.
Think about how many times you have studied the gospel with someone and they said, “I’ll have to go talk with my preacher about that.”
2 Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the heart.
These men “put a veil” around the gospel” keeping those they preach to from the glory of Christ.
3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
The reality is “man isn’t the author of salvation” because…
God Is The Author.
God Is The Author.
Our Creator is the “author of our salvation” not his creation, mankind.
9 And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him,
Not only is God the author of our eternal salvation but he did so through a means that man’s wisdom can’t comprehend.
27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption,
Summary
Summary
So, it isn’t in or through any man that we are placed into Christ.
It is only God who can place us “into Christ.”
So how exactly do we “get into” Christ?
Through…
Obeying The Gospel
Obeying The Gospel
The Good News.
The Good News.
The gospel is the good news of Jesus Christ and his kingdom.
14 For we are not overextending ourselves, as though we did not reach you. For we were the first to come all the way to you with the gospel of Christ.
24 For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.
What is the “good news” about Jesus and his kingdom?
The good news about Jesus is that he died (for our sins), was buried, and was resurrected on the third day.
1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
The good news about Jesus’ kingdom is that we can become citizens when we comply with the requirements for admission.
God requires we listen to God through His Word and develop faith in Christ.
17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
God requires we repent of our old man of sin and be willing to put him to death.
30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,
6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.
God requires we confess Jesus as our Lord and Savior allowing him to confess us to the Father.
32 “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.
God requires we immersed in a watery grave in the likeness of the death, burial, and resurrection for the remission of our sins.
3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
Once we fulfil these requirements, and our sins are washed away by the blood of Christ, we are then “added to the church of Christ” or “the church that belongs to Jesus” (Mt 16:18).
47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.
Now all of this is important and necessary to get into Christ but there is another important aspect worth mentioning.
Not only are we added to the church and thus made citizens of the kingdom of Christ but we are adopted as sons and daughters into the family of God.
3 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, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,
Summary
Summary
To get into Christ everyone must obey the gospel of Christ which means obey God’s plan of salvation which requires immersion in water for the forgiveness of sins.
There is no other way to obey the gospel or get into Christ without it.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Though man has been “inventive” throughout history we, as the created we must stay out of the salvation plan innovations and rather simply rely on the simple and yet powerful gospel found in the holy scriptures.
Don’t get caught up on your old sinful self but stay renewed by knowing you are a new creation, “if your are in Christ.”
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
Invitation
1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; 2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,
32 “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.
8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.