IN CHRIST

“In Christ”

Isaiah 1:18

INTRODUCTION:

A. Isaiah 1:18 – “‘Come now, and let us reason together,’ Says the LORD, ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.’”

B. Recipes:

1. Proper use of recipes.  Add what is call for . . . And leave out what is not called for.

2. Illustration:  Fellowship meal . . . Ask for a recipe.

3. Recipes can cease to be original.

4. Illustration:  My “making” oatmeal cookies.

C. Thesis:  The Bible is God’s recipe for man’s salvation.

D. Hear God’s Word:

1. 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9 – “Taking vengeance with flaming fire on those who don’t know God and on those who don’t obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 These will pay the penalty of everlasting destruction, away from the Lord’s presence and from His glorious strength. 

• Note:  This passage emphasizes the importance of the alien sinner coming to Christ

2. 2 Peter 2:20-22 -  “For if, having escaped the world’s impurity through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in these things and defeated, the last state is worse for them than the first. 21 For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than, after knowing it, to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them. 22 It has happened to them according to the true proverb: A dog returns to its own vomit.

• Note:  This passage emphasizes the importance of the unfaithful Christian returning to Christ.

3. To both of those ends, “Come now, and let us reason together . . .”

Joshua 3:9 – “Then Joshua told the Israelites, ‘Come closer and listen to the words of the Lord your God.’”

John 5: 39 – “You pore over the Scriptures because you think you have eternal life in them, yet they testify about Me.  40 And you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.”

2 Timothy 2:15 – “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who 

doesn’t need to be ashamed, correctly teaching the word of truth. 

2 Timothy 3:16-17 – “All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” 

Hebrews 11:6 – “Now without faith it is impossible to please God, for the one who draws near to Him must believe that He exists and rewards those who seek Him.”

Romans 10:17 – “So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the message about Christ.”

Ephesians 1:22-23 – “And He put everything under His feet and appointed Him as head over everything for the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of the One who fills all things in every way.”

Colossians 1:18 – “The Gentiles are co-heirs, members of the same body, and partners of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.” 

Colossians 1:24 – “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and I am completing in my flesh what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for His body, that is, the church.” 

Ephesians 3:6 – “The Gentiles are co-heirs, members of the same body, and partners of the promise IN CHRIST Jesus through the gospel.” 

1 Corinthians 12:18 – “But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased.”

• Acts 2:47 – “. . . And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

1 Timothy 2:7 – “. . . I am speaking the truth in Christ . . .”

Ephesians 4:4-6 – “ There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope at your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.”

Colossians 3:15 – “And let the peace of the  Messiah, to which you were also called in one body, control your hearts.  Be thankful.” 

2 Corinthians 5:19-20 – “That is, IN CHRIST, God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed the message of reconciliation to us. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ; certain that God is appealing through us, we plead on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God.” 

• John 10:9 – “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved and will come in and go out and find pasture.”

• John 14:6 – “Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

2 Corinthians 12:19 – “. . . “In the sight of God we are speaking IN CHRIST, and everything, dear friends, is for building you up.” 

In the New King James translation of the New Testament . . . . . . 

• “In Christ” – Appears 93 times in the New Testament . . . 46 times in the Book of Ephesians alone.

• “In Him” – Appears 41 times 

• “In the Beloved – Appears 1 time.

• A total of 135 times these three expressions are used in the New Testament

2 Corinthians 5:17 – “Therefore if anyone is IN CHRIST, there is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things.”

• Note:  A new life/existence is in Christ

Ephesians 1:3 – “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens, IN CHRIST.”

• Note:  Every spiritual blessing is in Christ

Romans 3:24 – “They are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is IN CHRIST JESUS.”

• Note:  Redemption is in Christ Jesus 

Ephesians 1:5-7 – “He predestined us to be adopted through Jesus Christ for Himself, according to His favor and will, 6 to the praise of His glorious grace that He favored us with IN THE BELOVED.  IN HIM we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.” 

• Note: Adoption into the family of God is in Christ

• Note:  Redemption is in Christ

• Note:  Forgiveness of sins is in Christ

Colossians 1:12-14 – “Giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the saints’ inheritance in the light. 13 He has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, 14 IN WHOM we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” 

• Acts 2:38 – “Repent,” Peter said to them, “and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus the  Messiah for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” 

• Acts 22:16 – “And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.”

Gentile’s condition before conversion to Christ:  Ephesians 2:12-13 – “At that time you were (1) without the  Messiah, (2) excluded from the citizenship of Israel, and (3) foreigners to the covenants of the promise, (4) with no hope and (5) without God in the world.   But now in Christ Jesus, you who were far away have been brought near by the blood of the  Messiah.”

Romans 13:14 – “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ . . .”

Question:  How Does one put on Christ in order to be IN CHRIST?

• Galatians 3:27 – “ For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”

• 1 Peter 3:20-21 – “who in the past were disobedient, when God patiently waited in the days of Noah while an ark was being prepared; in it, a few—that is, eight people —were saved through water. 21  Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the pledge of a good conscience toward God) through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”

• Romans 6:3-5 – “Or are you unaware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may  walk in a new way of life. 5 For if we have been joined with Him in the likeness of His death, we will certainly also be in the likeness of His resurrection 

• Colossians 1:12-14 – “Having been buried with Him in baptism, you were also raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. 13  And when you were dead in trespasses and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive with Him and forgave us all our trespasses. 14 He erased the certificate of debt, with its obligations, that was against us and opposed to us, and has taken it out of the way by nailing it to the cross.” 

What it Means to Be Lost!

1. LOST AND WITHOUT HOPE!  

• Ephesians 2:12 – “At that time you were (1) without the  Messiah, (2) excluded from the citizenship of Israel, and (3) foreigners to the covenants of the promise, (4) with no hope and (5) without God in the world.”

2. DOOMED TO A PRAYERLESS LIFE!  

   • John 9:31 – “Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him.”

   • Proverbs 15:29 – “The Lord is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous. 

3. WITHOUT SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS! 

• Ephesians 1:3 – “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens, IN CHRIST.”

4. WITHOUT REDEMPTION!

• Romans 3:24 – “ They are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” 

• Ephesians 1:7 – “IN HIM we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.”

5. WILL DIE TWO DEATHS!

• Physical Death:  (All People)  Hebrews 9:27 – “And just as it is appointed for people to die once—and after this, judgment.”

• Spiritual Death:  (Lost People)  Revelation 20:14 – “Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire 

6. WILL BE CAST INTO HELL! 

• Revelation 20:15 – “And anyone not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.” 

What is IN CHRIST?

• A new life/existence is in Christ  2  . . . . . . Corinthians 5:17

• Every spiritual blessing is in Christ  . . . . . . Ephesians 1:3

• Redemption is in Christ Jesus . . . . . . Romans 3:24 

• Adoption into the family of God is in Christ . . . . . Ephesians 1:5-7

• Forgiveness of sins is in Christ . . . . . Ephesians 1:5-7

What Jesus Left Behind

• He left His purse to Judas

• His body to Joseph of Arimathea

• His mother to John

• His clothes to the soldiers

• His peace to His disciples

• His supper to His followers

• Himself as an example as a servant

• His gospel to the world

• His presence always with God’s people

When we die we leave behind us all that we have and take with us all that we are!

Where death finds you . . . Eternity will keep you!

God’s Plan for Man’s Salvation

HEAR THE GOSPEL

BELIEVE THE GOSPEL

REPENT OF YOUR SINS

CONFESS JESUS CHRIST SON OF GOD

BE BURIED IN WATER (BAPTIZED)

LIVE FAITHFULLY

Acts 2:38

Mark 16:16

Remember a baby or young child has to believe in God, and Jesus the son of God.

Also has to be immersed in water by their own

will. Babies and young children can`t believe

much more than they are hungry for milk of

of their mothers. They have to be able to learn,

and know righty from wrong.

1 John 4:2

1 John 4:15