The Goal is Whole: Who am I? W1: “In Christ”

FULL STUDY:

“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

The new creation exists in Christ. From here forwards, in the new creation, we need to settle that we are not who we were. We are new! And our newness has a clear identity. That identity is in Jesus – who HE is.

In the original creation, mankind was created in the image of God:

“God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” (Genesis 1:26-27).

Being created in God’s image meant mankind was created as a spirit race, because God is spirit (John 4:24).

Originally, this spirit identity was created with God’s life within, but this got forever changed through a transaction Adam and Eve underwent with Satan, where corruption and spiritual death entered the entire human race. Every one of us inherits this corrupted state. It is the inner spirit-nature we are born with. The Scriptures call this “death”.

“Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned.” (Romans 5:12).

To overcome this problem, the new creation is a replacement human race. The gospel is not about a repair or a fix, but rather a new creation! A new creation in life, not death. The new creation is in eternal life, abundant life.

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16).

“I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10)

New in Spirit

We need to be clear that the “new creation” is referring specifically to our “spirit” being. Some have tried to summarize who we are as humans in these terms:

“I am a spirit, I have a soul, and I live in a body.”

The soul is the mechanism that allows us to function and express personality. It includes our mind, will, and emotions. The body is our physical house. Our spirit is our inner substance, our identity.

Our opening Scripture today states that “old things passed away, new things have come”. We understand this to specifically mean our spirit being, not our whole person. We do not become perfect people instantly, but we do become a perfect spirit being instantly – recreated in Christ, who is perfect. It is in our spirit that we are created new.

In contrast, the soul is not recreated, and neither is the body. Corruption still remains, and our soul needs to be renewed – in aligning our will, renewing our minds, and producing spiritual fruit in the emotions.

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” (Romans 12:2)

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-2)

In Unit 3, we will look particularly at how we draw on the reality of our renewed inner being – our “spirit” – towards transforming our soul. This is what we call “True Holiness”.

The body is slowly perishing, and will only be recreated in the resurrection at the end of the age.

“Though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.” (2 Corinthians 4:16).

“So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body.” (1 Corinthians 15:42).

In the meantime, we can draw from the life-energy of our new creation spirit, and the indwelling Holy Spirit, towards health and healing:

“But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” (Romans 8:11)

In this Unit, we will concentrate on our new identity in our spirit being, because this is who we really are in Christ, and will be our eternal identity. It is also the resource of all that we can outwork in the new creation, and is also the place that God inhabits. This brand new spirit is the eternal source of all we are to become as the soul becomes renewed.

But here is an essential key for us to grasp. We do not have this new identity independently, in ourselves. It exists only IN CHRIST. Our identity is in Him! Union with Christ is the bedrock of all true Christian life.

Jesus models union

Jesus Himself modeled the new creation principle of union in His earthlife:

“Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works. 11 Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves.” (John 14:10-11).

Jesus was explaining His union with the Father, as Him in the Father, and the Father in Him. Similarly, we now have union with Jesus in the new creation – we in Jesus, and Jesus in us. Can you see the enormous potential in this? Not an independent potential, but an “in-union” potential.

So, let’s look briefly at some of the statements in the New Testament about who we are, and what we have become in Christ.

In Christ

The first two chapters of Ephesians give a tremendous introduction to our identity in Christ.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.” (Ephesians 1:3,)

Notice the past tense there, and the word “every”. Even though we are still walking the earth, Jesus is glorified in heaven, and in Him we have been given every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Him! That’s a complete life-changer! It’s our new identity!

Ephesians 1:4, “just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him.”

If we are in Him, we have been chosen to be holy and blameless. All who are in Him are holy and blameless, always. Not of ourselves, but because of union with Him. We have been made new in His nature! This is the basis of our confidence before Him. Now the Holy Spirit and the grace of God works within us to empower us to live out who we are.

“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us.” (Ephesians 1:7)

Don’t you love that word “lavish”? No thin spread of grace in this Jesus-life! The riches of His grace, lavished on us! Wow. And we have redemption (past tense), through His blood. Not through our behavior, our attitude, our serving or our performance, but through His blood! It never loses its power!

“In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will.” (Ephesians 1:11).

Inheritance is typically something we receive after the death of another person, and that is true here too. We have obtained an inheritance in Christ! This includes everything He earned through His triumphant 100% obedient mission to earth, the cross, the resurrection, ascension, and glorification. We read in Romans 8:17 that we are joint-heirs with Him!

“In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise.” (Ephesians 1:13)

We are sealed with the Holy Spirit! Nothing can remove us, or undo all He did for us and in us!

Perhaps the most powerful revelation of what we have become in Christ is in the realization that we are in Him NOW. Jesus died, was buried, and rose again, ascended to heaven and became glorified. That is where we are spiritually, and what we have become in Him.

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2:4-6).

This is truly amazing. Union with Christ, where He is now, is the basis of our new creation life. Jesus triumphed and we triumph in Him! Physically, we are still living here on the earth, but spiritually we are one with Him in His victory in heaven. All other powers are under our feet!

Together in Christ

Finally today, we need to grasp that the new creation is more than just an individual reality for us. It is more fully realized as we see we have become part of a whole new human race in Him, with a very specific purpose:

“So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.” (Ephesians 2:19-22).

What a wonderful purpose! We belong to Him, and are being built together into His dwelling place – His living temple! This is our identity together.

Never again should we see ourselves as inferior, or excluded, or without purpose. We are included, we are IN CHRIST. That is our identity in the new creation. This oneness is the basis of our unity, and our humility together. We know none of it is because of us, it is all by Him, through Him, and in Him. In this we can celebrate each other, and marvel at God’s abundant love, kindness, grace and wisdom. How glorious!