Today, we are going to look at what it means to be in Christ.
When you are in something, that means you are surrounded by that thing at a 360-degree angle. For instance, if you are at home and a friend or relative calls and asks about your whereabouts, you are hopefully going to tell the truth—that you are at home.

Should they come to your house, the first thing they will see is your house—not you, but the thing that you are in—your house. This is how it is when someone is in Christ. When people encounter you, the nature of Christ should swallow you up in such a way that when they see you, they see Christ, and experience him. It could be in the simplest of ways- a warm smile, a pleasant greeting or a sincere compliment. When others are around you, Christ should be visible in you.

Galatians 3:27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
Now that you have received Christ into your heart and declared him Lord, you are now covered by him. You have put him on, like a new cloak or a robe. Your baptism represents the death of your old nature and the resurrection of your new nature in Christ.

Being in Christ happens when you confess your sins and declare Jesus as your Lord and savior, according to Romans 10:9 If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

So when you become saved, you are found in Christ.
Colossians 3:3 says that our old nature is dead. The problem is that the old nature keeps trying to resurrect. But we must crucify it each day and remind ourselves of who we are, now that we are in Christ. In Christ, you have a brand new identity, and you must always remind yourself of this truth.

You are a new creature; you are not who you used to be, what you used to do, or even what you feel like doing at times. You will, however, encounter an internal tug-of-war at times. This is because when you become a follower of Christ, you still have that nature of sin in you. This causes a struggle between the old and new natures.

Paul talks about this in Romans 7: He wants to do good but ends up doing what he does not want to. This happens to all of us; until the day Christ returns, there will be an internal struggle between the nature of the flesh and the nature of Christ within. You must feed whoever you want to grow and starve the other.
In order to choke out the flesh, you must crucify the nature of sin daily. Self-centeredness, revenge, greed, and instant gratification, to name a few.

By daily reading and applying the word of God and being in constant communication with Him through prayer, your new identity in Christ grows while slaying the nature of your flesh. Your daily devotion helps develop you spiritually and puts the flesh under control.
So what really takes place the moment you are found in Christ?

Something supernatural happens. You get rescued from the kingdom of darkness and become part of the kingdom of light. All your sins are forgiven, and the legal charges against you are canceled. Why? Because Jesus paid the fine for you. He hung on the cross, made a bridge between you and Father God, and paid the penalty for your sin-eternal death.

Now that you are in Christ, you are no longer under condemnation. So if you hear a voice that is accusing and putting you down, that’s not the voice of God. He convicts you; He never condemns; this is one way to recognize the voice of the Holy Spirit. As you mature as a believer, you will more accurately discern His voice.

When you are in Christ, you have an eternal covenant between you and your Heavenly Father because Jesus made this possible. Your heart has been circumcised by Christ, and now that covenant is reestablished between you and your Heavenly Father. This means you are in right relationship with Him. You never have to worry about the terms of the covenant as your Heavenly Father is completely committed to you. His dedication to you is found in His word that reassures His children that He will never leave or abandon them.

Another occurrence is that the old you is now buried, and you have been raised to a new life, which is found in Christ. As you focus on developing your new identity, you will find that your fleshly nature will slowly dwindle away.

I would like to share another important point with you. Now that you are in Christ, you are no longer in charge. When you accept Christ as your Lord, you agree to Him becoming your leader. So Christ becomes your head, and you become a part of his body. The body follows where the head leads. So as he leads, you should follow.

There is no need for concern about where he is taking you, as his directions and leadership are not oppressive; they are designed to liberate you and place you on the right course. He sends the Holy Spirit who helps to free us from our sinful tendencies and align us with what God would like to do in and through us. In God’s kingdom, He does not force you to do anything; His desire is for you to willingly obey. The more you submit to Him, the more freedom you will experience. It is a journey of learning to hear and obey your head, Christ Jesus.

Colossians 3:5 says to put away the old self and put on the new self. The process of sanctification will take place over time as you allow yourself to be cleansed by God. This will continue until the day Christ returns.

Let’s summarize! When you are in Christ, you are:
Reconciled back into right relationship with Father God.
You have accepted the sacrifice of Jesus.
You are free from the power and penalty of sin (past, present, and future).
Your eternity is secured.
You are empowered to live above sin.
Finally, now that you are in Christ, God sees you as righteous, for when He looks at you, He sees the sacrifice of His son, Jesus.

2 Corinthians 5:21 says that you are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. This is who you are, so embrace your true identity of being in Christ!

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