Our Identity In Christ

           Lesson 3 Review

1. Today is the third lesson of 6. We are studying the Doctrine of Positional Truth, with Keith Blades The truth about who God has made us to be “in Christ.” The moment we trusted Christ as our substitute Redeemer, and Savior, the operation of God, the third person of the Godhead, The Holy Spirit, baptized us “into Christ.” We now have a 3-fold position in Christ. We are no longer “in Adam. The baptism of the Holy Spirit washed, and purified us, from the defilement of sin, and took us out of offensive Adam and put us “into Christ.” Justification has replaced condemnation, sanctification, has replaced abomination, and exaltation, has replaced alienation.  (Rom.6:1-4; 3:20-28; 4:8-21)

2.  Now we are no longer “in offensive Adam “we are now “in Christ,” we belong to the family of God, God is our father, we are joint heirs with Jesus Christ, we are “the temple of the Holy Ghost,” and we possess God’s ID, in Christ, which all means, you & I possess the DNA of God. Next Paul says we are to “put on Christ,” in other words walk, live, conduct yourself, like you know who you are “in Christ.” (1 Cor. 15:21-22; 6:19-20; Gal.3:26-28).

3.  Paul in 1 Cor. 6:9-11, had a problem with the Corinthian Saints, they were living inconsistent to who they were “in Christ.” They were “babes in Christ, carnal, & unspiritual.”  Paul in verses 9 and 10 lists identifying names of unrighteous folk. He called the names “monikers (identifiers) of unrighteousness” Fornicators, adulterers, effeminate, abuses of mankind, thieves, drunkards, etc.        (1 Cor. 3:1-3).

4.  And we to had a moniker (ID) of unrighteousness, a name, a handle, a specialty, a penchant (affection) for our favorite sin that we were infamous for (you know I’m right about it). Use me for an example, my handle, my ID, my moniker of unrighteousness, my street name, was “Coltrane” and I fit just about every moniker on Paul’s list. We all had a moniker of unrighteousness, when we were “in Adam!”

5. But the good news comes in verse 11. “And such were (past tense) some of you:” But Now, you are (present tense) washed by the Holy Spirit, But Now, you are sanctified, set apart unto holiness, But Now, you are justified declared righteous.  But Now, you and I understand and appreciate, that we have been forgiven ALL our SINS past, present, and future, in the name of our Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of God. We have a new ID now. A new moniker (if you will), We, have been “made the righteousness of God in Christ.”  (Now, that is a “praise the Lord” moment for me!) (Col. 2:13).

6. Paul corrected these Corinthian Saints by reminding them who they were “in Christ.” But because of their carnality, babes in Christ level of edification, he could not teach them the meat doctrine of their glorious exaltation position “in Christ,” why? Because it was part of “the Revelation of the Mystery.” This was MEAT, (superstructure doctrine), and Paul would not, and could not, feed meat to babes, they would choke, they could not comprehend it. (Now that’ is an important point for us to remember when dealing with “weaker brethren” in the Faith). As we go from milk to meat, from Romans to Philemon, from Ephesians to Colossians. (Eph. 16:25; Rom. 14).

7. Now, Concerning EXALTATION, Paul reminds us in Ephesians 2:1-3; who we used to be “in Adam,” we were in condemnation, in trespasses and sins, and we were a disgusting abomination before God, we were in alienation,

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8.BUT NOW, GOD Justified us, sanctified us, and now He has exalted us.” BUT GOD who is rich in mercy, even when we were dead in sins, has made us alive together with Christ.” BUT WAIT a minute, there’s more GOOD NEWS: “But God have raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” We inherited “exaltation in Christ,” we’ve been made the righteousness of God, and sanctification made us holy, and now we have been exalted, we have been made the glory of God in Christ.  (Philippians 2:5-11; Eph. 1:19-23; Eph. 2:4-10).

9. Again, there are 3 major Components of our identification in Christ. 1. Justification, 2. Sanctification,  3. Exaltation.

10.   Eph. 1:7; “whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins.” = Justification. (What can wash away my sins? nothing but the blood of Jesus).

 11.  Colossians 2:13; “And, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, has he quickened (made alive )together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses;” (We were forgiven ALL sins = Past, Present and Future). We do not have to ask for forgiveness again, not ever! Even when we sin as a believer, we have been forgiven ALL trespasses and sins. = Justification.

12.   Titus 2:13-14; “Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us (justification) from ALL iniquity (sins) and purify (sanctification) unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good work.”  (exaltation).

13.   Romans 3:20-26; The moment we trusted Christ as savior: “the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto ALL and upon All them that believe: for there is no difference:”

         Vss. 22-23; The “free gift of Salvation” is offered to all men, and upon all them that believe (imputation) “For there is no difference. For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God”.  

14.    Romans 5:6-21; Paul is speaking in past tense: “when we were without strength” (in Adam), In due time Christ died for the ungodly”.

           Vs. 8. “But God commended (demonstrated) his love toward us, in that, when we were(past tense) yet sinners (in Adam) Christ died for us.”  

           Vs. 10. “For if, when we were enemies (past tense, in Adam), we were reconciled to God by the death of his son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. ”We now possess atonement (at-one-ment) with God, no longer at odds, no longer enemies. We are now reconciled, meaning, “AT-ONE” with God.

We have received the atonement, (at-one-ment), meaning we are at permanent peace with our God.  Thank God “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.

           Vs. 20-21. The grace of God gave us all things. “But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.”     

                                   “AT – ONE -MENT”  =  WE ARE AT PEACE WITH GOD!