In Christ

In Christ

We should never forget that all of us were sinners because we all were in Adam. Every one born of Adam inherited the nature of Adam. It took no effort when sinners for us to lose our temper, tell a lie, and so forth, since the life, nature and behavior of Adam flowed in us. Now the way of salvation for us was not in God making us good but in His saving us out of Adam and putting us in Christ. So that now, all which is of Christ flows into us. The Bible shows us that as soon as we are in Adam we sin, and that only as we are in Christ do we practice righteousness. May I remind ourselves that lurking in the secret place of many of our hearts lies an error: the thought of expecting God to change us. But God does not and never will do anything in us; instead, He will put us in Christ.

Our pattern of thought is that since the root of sin is in us, we must ask God—after we are saved—to eradicate our root of sin just as we ask a dentist to extract a painful tooth from our mouth. Perhaps some people will even tell you and me that we must pray and ask God to eradicate our root of sin. They may perhaps also inform us that after a long time of prayer they themselves have succeeded in this and have thus attained holiness.

But let me hasten to tell you that if you expect God to do such a thing to you as the eradication of the root of sin, you will be disappointed, for God would never do it. What the Bible shows us is that all the works of God have been accomplished in Christ. From the day on which Christ died, every spiritual thing has been accomplished in Him. God can do no more. So that if you ask God to do something like this in you, He cannot do it. You can only receive what He has already done in Christ.

All is in Christ. Do you expect in your prayer to see some special light or hear some special voice saying to you that your particular sin is now being eradicated? Or do you look for a distinctive sensation to fill you with joy? You may deem these things to be good; in actuality, though, this shows your evil heart of unbelief. For all that God does He does in Christ—not in you. So that it is now no longer what God will do in you but what God has done in Christ. And by believing the latter, you will have it. You shall only possess it by appropriating it in Christ.

Often when sick you think you will be well if only God would touch you with His little finger. But God has already healed you in Christ; He can do no more in you. If you believe and appropriate it in Christ, you shall indeed be sound and healthy. Are you thinking of victory? The victory of Christ alone is your triumph. Do you want to overcome the world? Again, it is Christ who has overcome the world. Or do you expect God to do something for you some day? Let me say once again, no, since God has already done everything for you in Christ. Hence victory is not a present-day affair, because Christ has already triumphed. May God grant us such a revelation that we may see what we already have in Christ. If we do not believe, we will receive nothing; but if we do believe, we have everything. In Christ are victory, justification, sanctification, forgiveness, and every other spiritual blessing. God can do no more for us. If we be in Christ, all which is Christ’s is ours. It is not drawing out of Christ something to nourish us, but entering into Christ so as to allow what is already in Him to flow in us.

When we are baptized, we are baptized into Christ—not our merely being baptized in water but being baptized into Christ. According to the last clause in Romans 6.3 ("were baptized into his death"), the water of baptism spoken of in that verse points to death. But according to the first clause of the same verse ("were baptized into Christ Jesus"), the water also refers to Christ. Frequently we look to God for a cup of water. No, God wants us to enter into Christ. If we are clear on this point, we shall know that it is not a matter of we ourselves, nor our asking God to do something in us; it is instead Christ, and all things are in Him.