benefits_in

The Benefits of Being in Him, by Randall D. Kittle

“Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens.” — Ephesians 1:3

Do you and I, as believers in Christ, really understand just how great the salvation is that we’ve been given. According to Ephesians, those in Christ have been blessed “with every spiritual blessing.” When we chose to set all our hope and trust in Jesus Christ and surrender our lives to Him, we received more than just forgiveness. In Him, we became a new creation. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things have come” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

This passage goes on to assure us that this new creation we’ve become is not only forgiven, it is also righteous. We now possess the very righteousness of Jesus! “God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Our righteousness is not based on our attitude or actions. We don’t lose it with every little falter or failure along life’s journey. That’s because the very righteousness of Jesus Christ — the spotless, sinless Lamb of God — has been imparted to us because we are now “in Him.” We give God our broken, sinful lives, and He gives us a new life … a new life that has erased the past and stands justified and righteous before God. No wonder this spiritual transaction is called “the great exchange!”

Because we who are in Christ now can stand justified before Him — there is no condemnation for us. “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death” (Romans 8:1-2). Believers “in Him” face no condemnation because the salvation of Christ has silenced the accusations of the enemy. Like a corrupt lawyer, the enemy may try to point out our shortcomings, but our lives aren’t measured by legalism any longer. Because we are living our lives in relationship with Christ, we have been set free from “the law of sin and of death” and we now walk “in the new way of the Spirit” (Romans 7:6).

But there’s even more! God didn’t just set us free from the cursing of the enemy, He has brought us into His blessings! “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law… that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:13-14). Because we are in Him we have become the sons and daughters of God, becoming heirs of Abraham’s promise, which is the promise to be blessed by God and be used by God to be a blessing to others. This is what is affirmed to us in Galatians 3:26-28, “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ like a garment. There is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, heirs according to the promise.”

Let us not forget all His benefits. Let us not neglect so great a salvation. Instead, may we begin to declare the greatness of the salvation God has freely given us in Christ. The good news you and I have tasted is too good to keep to ourselves. We need to declare to others the goodness, faithfulness, and inexhaustible love of our God. Let us never stop proclaiming His wondrous deeds, for they are more than can be told.