If Anyone is In Christ

[Christsfreeservant]

“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:17-21 NASB1995)​

It is a wonderful thing to be “in Christ.” There is no better life than this to have put our trust in Jesus Christ to be our Lord (Owner-Master) and our Savior (deliverer from our bondage to sin). Our beautiful Savior, our wonderful Lord set us free from our slavery to sin, by God-gifted and God-persuaded faith in him, and now he empowers us to live holy and godly lives, for his praise, in walks of obedience to his commands, in holy living. All of this is by the grace of God, as we cooperate fully with his work of grace.

For God’s grace, which is bringing us salvation, is training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we wait for Jesus’ return. For Christ “gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.” “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (See Titus 2:11-14; Ephesians 2:8-10)

For by God-gifted faith in Jesus Christ, which is not of our own doing, we are crucified with Christ in death to sin and raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin but as slaves to righteousness in walks of obedience to God’s commands. We are no longer to permit sin to reign in our mortal bodies to make us obey its desires. For if sin is what we obey, it results in death. But if obedience to God is what we obey, it results in sanctification, and its end is eternal life with God (see Romans 6:1-23).

For, to be reconciled to God, by his grace, means that we change, i.e. we exchange our old lives of living in sin and for self for our new lives in Christ Jesus to be lived for his glory and for his purposes, in walks of surrender to his will, in obedience to his commands. In other words, by the grace of God, in the power of God at work within us, we turn from darkness (sin) to light (Jesus Christ, righteousness), and we turn from the control of Satan over our lives to now giving control of our lives over to God (see Acts 26:18).

For Jesus Christ, in his death on that cross, took our sins upon himself, and he became sin for us. So when he died our sins died with him in order that, by God-persuaded faith in the Lord Jesus, we will now die to sin and be raised with him to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin, but as slaves to God and as servants of righteousness in holy living. For if sin is what we practice, and not obedience to God, according to the Scriptures, we will not inherit eternal life with God even if we say we believe.

And this is why Paul used the term “IF” anyone is in Christ, because not everyone is in Christ who makes a claim to be in Christ. For we are not “in Christ” by lip service only. And this is why he begged the Corinthians to be reconciled to God, i.e. to have that change of heart and mind, by God-gifted faith in Jesus Christ, which results in that change of behavior via death to sin and living to God and to his righteousness, in the power of God at work within us who are of genuine biblical faith in the Lord Jesus. Faith is change.

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]

Fit for Service

An Original Work / October 5, 2011
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Holy Spirit, come within us.
Cleanse our hearts,
and from sin free us.
Make us holy vessels fit
for service to the King.
Fill us with Your love and power.
Anoint us within this hour
To be living witnesses
For Jesus Christ, our King.
Our praise to Him bring.

Father God, our heart’s desire,
Come and speak to us in power.
Revive our hearts to obey You;
Live for You always.
May we love and serve You only,
Walking with You;
Not a phony.
May we always tell the truth,
And show integrity.
Your true servants be.

Jesus, Savior, sanctify us.
Purify our hearts within us;
Be transformed into Your likeness,
Holy unto You.
May we always listen to You
Speaking Your words
Now within us.
May we heed Your counsel to us;
Follow You today.
Do all that You say.

If Anyone is In Christ
An Original Work / January 1, 2026
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love