NT Proof of what it means to be “in Christ”

[BCsenior]

Hope you like to read Scripture and strive to understand it.
Let’s start with this … Ecclesiastes 12:13 (NASB)
“The conclusion, when all has been heard, is:
fear God and keep His commandments,
because this applies to every person.”

Paul explains WHO are “in Christ”
Romans 8:1-11 (NKJV)
“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.
… For to be carnally minded is (spiritual) death,
but to be spiritually minded is (spiritual) life and peace.
… But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit,
if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you.
Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.
… But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you,
He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies
through His Spirit who dwells in you.”
Those who have the Holy Spirit dwelling within them are “in Christ”.
But, does the Holy Spirit remain in all BACs?

Do these BACs still have the indwelling Holy Spirit?
BACs who are disobedient because of unbelief (Hebrews 3:18-19, 4:3-7).
BACs who are involved in habitual/unrepentant sinning (many verses).
BACs who do not practice righteousness (1 John 2:29, 3:7-10)
BACs who practice lawlessness (Matthew 7:23, 1 John 3:4).
BACs who do not confess/repent of their sins (1 John 1:9, 2 Corinthians 7:8-10).
BACs who become estranged from Christ and fall from grace (Galatians 5:4).

Jesus explains WHO has the Holy Spirit dwelling within them
John 14:15-23 (NKJV)
“If you love Me, keep My commandments.
And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper,
that He may abide with you forever — the Spirit of truth
… you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.
I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.
… He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me.
And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father,
and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.
… If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him,
and We will come to him and make Our home with him.”
IF you keep Jesus’ commandments …
you will have the Holy Spirit dwelling within you forever.
(The “forever” is for those who continue to keep Jesus’ commandments.)

Jesus reveals WHO bears fruit and remains in Him, and WHO does NOT
John 15:2-6 (NKJV)
“Every branch in Me (i.e. BACs) that does NOT bear fruit He takes away;
… Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself,
unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
… He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit;
for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does NOT abide in Me,
he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them
and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.”
IF you abide in Jesus, and IF He abides in you, you will bear much fruit.
IF NOT, you will end up in hell along with Satan, his demons, and the unbelievers.

 

[childeye 2]

Hope you like to read Scripture and strive to understand it.

Romans 8:1-11 (NKJV)
“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.
… For to be carnally minded is (spiritual) death,
but to be spiritually minded is (spiritual) life and peace.
… But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit,
if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you.
Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.
… But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you,
He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies
through His Spirit who dwells in you.”
Those who have the Holy Spirit dwelling within them are “in Christ”.
But, does the Holy Spirit remain in all BACs?

Do these BACs still have the indwelling Holy Spirit?
BACs who are disobedient because of unbelief (Hebrews 3:18-19, 4:3-7).
BACs who are involved in habitual/unrepentant sinning (many verses).
BACs who do not practice righteousness (1 John 2:29, 3:7-10)
BACs who do practice lawlessness (Matthew 7:23, 1 John 3:4).
BACs who do not confess/repent of their sins (1 John 1:9, 2 Corinthians 7:8-10).
BACs who become estranged from Christ and fall from grace (Galatians 5:4).

Jesus explains WHO has the Holy Spirit dwelling within them
John 14:15-23 (NKJV)
“If you love Me, keep My commandments.
And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper,
that He may abide with you forever — the Spirit of truth
… you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.
I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.
… He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me.
And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father,
and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.
… If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him,
and We will come to him and make Our home with him.”
IF you keep Jesus’ commandments …
you will have the Holy Spirit dwelling within you forever.
(The “forever” is for those who continue to keep Jesus’ commandments.)

Jesus reveals WHO bears fruit and remains in Him, and WHO does NOT
John 15:2-6 (NKJV)
“Every branch in Me (i.e. BACs) that does NOT bear fruit He takes away;
… Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself,
unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
… He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit;
for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does NOT abide in Me,
he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them
and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.”
IF you abide in Jesus, and IF He abides in you, you will bear much fruit.
IF NOT, you will end up in hell along with the unbelievers.

When I read the scriptures above, I come to the conclusion, be good. But how to be good is more complicated.

 

[timothyu]

A modern day version might ask "Self serving or servant to all?".

 

[BCsenior]

Thanks for your input, brothers!
I just added something to the top of the OP.

 

[Carl Emerson]

How does the matter of a prodigal's return fit this thesis?

If you meet a brother or sister who have lost their way in the street, what hope can you extend.

Do we no longer care about those who go astray?

As you state it they are condemned and have no hope.

 

[BCsenior]

How does the matter of a prodigal's return fit this thesis?
If you meet a brother or sister who have lost their way in the street,
what hope can you extend.
Do we no longer care about those who go astray?
As you state it they are condemned and have no hope.

I have stated a trillion times that REPENTANCE solves everything!
Now, please, don't forget this again ... mucho gracias!

 

[Aldebaran]

I have stated a trillion times that REPENTANCE solves everything!
Now, please, don't forget this again ... mucho gracias!

But if they repent, then fall back into it again, did they really repent? If not, then did they really get re-saved? Better yet, if they fall back into the sin they "repented" of repeatedly, were they ever really saved in the first place?

 

[timothyu]

Repentance means willingness to change, not 'sorry'.

 

[childeye 2]

I have stated a trillion times that REPENTANCE solves everything!
Now, please, don't forget this again ... mucho gracias!

You can say it a trillion trillion times, it doesn't actually instill the Spirit of Christ who said we must carry our own cross to follow him.

 

[childeye 2]

Repentance means willingness to change, not 'sorry'.

Being sorry is a willingness to change since it implies regret. Before someone can be sorry and repent they have to actually care about how their actions affect others. Love is actually what enables a person to act responsibly.

 

[Carl Emerson]

OK thanks for that.

How then do you view Pauls encounter with Christ - He was 'undone' like Isaiah, and Jesus was asking him 'why do you kick against the pricks'. So Jesus intervention came first and repentance second.

To me this is typical of how He relates to His chosen - His enormous fear/love - our undoing - our humbling - our repentance. None of this is possible without Him acting first.

Being a prodigal myself my experience has been similar.

 

[BCsenior]

You can say it a trillion trillion times,
it doesn't actually instill the Spirit of Christ
who said we must carry our own cross to follow him.

HUH?

 

[childeye 2]

How does the matter of a prodigal's return fit this thesis?

I think it fits because it represents the view of the son that never left.

 

[timothyu]

Being sorry is a willingness to change since it implies regret. Before someone can be sorry and repent they have to actually care about how their actions affect others. Love is actually what enables a person to act responsibly.

Unfortunately most people take sorry as being 'my bad' as a one time occurrence. Change rarely enters their minds. Yet we are talking about reversing an entire way of life, reversing the world order (the only thing we have known and been taught since birth) to fit the counter-culture of the Kingdom.

 

[BCsenior]

BC: How does the matter of a prodigal's return fit this thesis?
If you meet a brother or sister who have lost their way in the street,
what hope can you extend. Do we no longer care about those who go astray?
As you state it they are condemned and have no hope.
CE:
How then do you view Pauls encounter with Christ - He was 'undone' like Isaiah, and Jesus was asking him 'why do you kick against the pricks'. So Jesus intervention came first and repentance second. To me this is typical of how He relates to His chosen - His enormous fear/love - our undoing - our humbling - our repentance. None of this is possible without Him acting first.

What does this have to do with your post above?
Please relate it to the OP.
Of course, God must act first and draw, etc.

 

[childeye 2]

Unfortunately most people take sorry as being 'my bad' as a one time occurrence. Change rarely enters their minds. Yet we are talking about reversing an entire way of life, reversing the world order (the only thing we have known and been taught since birth) to fit the counter-culture of the Kingdom.

Your thoughts make me think of this scripture:
2 Corinthians 4:4 King James Version (KJV)

4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

 

[childeye 2]

HUH?

I'm saying we can point to repentance and the commandments a trillion times, it still won't make a person righteous on the inside.
Galatians 2:21 King James Version (KJV)

21 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

 

[Carl Emerson]

I dont believe that those who fall away and return have to be born again a second time. In fact Hebrews 6 states that this is impossible.

You asked...

Do these BACs still have the indwelling Holy Spirit?
BACs who are disobedient because of unbelief (Hebrews 3:18-19, 4:3-7).
BACs who are involved in habitual/unrepentant sinning (many verses).
BACs who do not practice righteousness (1 John 2:29, 3:7-10)
BACs who practice lawlessness (Matthew 7:23, 1 John 3:4).
BACs who do not confess/repent of their sins (1 John 1:9, 2 Corinthians 7:8-10).
BACs who become estranged from Christ and fall from grace (Galatians 5:4).

I am saying yes...

I did pretty much all these things after being born again but His love for me covered them all and He spoke to me about returning to faith. This led to a second life changing encounter and seven years of journey back to being restored.

I conclude that BAC's are in a long elastic rope but it is still a rope with limits because He is faithful when we are faithless.

What does happen however, is much suffering that He did not intend, and a season in life devoid of the blessings of the kingdom, and loss of eternal rewards during the season of rebellion.

I will ever Praise His Holy name for a second chance.

 

[BCsenior]

I dont believe that those who fall away and return have to be born again a second time.
In fact Hebrews 6 states that this is impossible.

What do you think about the John 14 passage in the OP
re: who gets the Holy Spirit to remain in him?

 

[The Righterzpen]

Being sorry is a willingness to change since it implies regret. Before someone can be sorry and repent they have to actually care about how their actions affect others. Love is actually what enables a person to act responsibly.

Unfortunately most people take sorry as being 'my bad' as a one time occurrence. Change rarely enters their minds. Yet we are talking about reversing an entire way of life, reversing the world order (the only thing we have known and been taught since birth) to fit the counter-culture of the Kingdom.

Also, there are a lot of people who are sorry they got caught; but not actually sorry for what they did.

So I agree; unless it's backed up by a changed life. "Sorry" is meaningless.