What does being "in Christ" look like? By Matt Scott

This is the first entry I've been able to write in a while. The Lord has changed everything. My thought processes, writing and pretty much everything else. God is showing me many things now.For a while now I’ve had nothing to write, and that is OK. My writing will likely be coming from a different place within now. This is good, due to all the time spent recently in between semesters that I haven't been able to hear the Lord. He finds all kinds of ways to re-creat us. He makes all things new. Even burnt out Christians need that new revelation and experience.Even in such an amazing place like Christ for the Nations you can get dry and the Christian bubble can become the norm. Looks like my season of dry bones is coming to a close.

I've been in Ephesians the last few day but have stopped on chapter 4 to ponder and study. He had me stop on Ephesians 4:9-10.


9 (Now this, “He ascended”—what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)


He ascended "far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things". Wow! 

That He might fill all things. 

That is incredible. Louie Giglio's Indescribable video showed us towards the end, the spiral galaxy otherwise known as the darling of space. It's 300 million some light years from Earth. The farthest thing we can see with the Hubble telescope. We zoomed in to the middle of it's black hole core and found what's called the x structure. It's a cross in the middle of glowing blue light. Amazing! Even that far out that truly just goes to show that He truly is in and filling all things. He's also been showing me what it looks like to be in Him. 

In Him. 

We've heard this expression to death without really stopping to think about such a simple term. What does that look like? To be "in Jesus".


What I've found is that Jesus is simple. The Bible says His burden is light and His yoke is easy (Matthew 11:30). So easy in fact we've made it overly complicated and allowed the deceiver in with his confusion. God is not the author of confusion but of peace (1 Corinthians 14:33).


When the Bible says we are in Him it means exactly that. When God looks at us He does not see our sin, given we're in right relationship with Him and in repentance. He see's Jesus. He see's the blood that was poured out to cover all the sins of man. Those who are "in Christ"
are seen as such by the Father.


Imagine all the cells that are in our body working together to make sure that our body works and functions like it's supposed to. You can visualize all the millions of cells coming and going doing their job to ensure proper function of the body.


We also are like those cells coming together to help the whole body of Christ function. That is a whole other sermon entirely, but what I'mlooking at is the simplicity of God. 

He is in all things and we are in Him. There are such deep implications to that statement that I won't even speculate at this time.


We are literally in Him. Now here's the part that bakes the noodle a bit. If we are in Him, does God not even see us individually but as a literal part of Him? Does He look upon the earth and only see Christ and then the unsaved?  Sure He blesses us individually and knows us by name as well as all the hairs on our head but this is an interesting thought none the less.


He has named the billions of stars and galaxies and all of the heavens and yet they, I believe are all part of another, larger body. The Universe. One to which Christ holds together the same as He holds us together. He called us His most prized creation due to our unique nature, so obviously we are set apart in His magnificent creation and we're not to be compared as the pagans lump all existence together.


My thoughts here are more how to simplify our mental compartmentalization of how we actually view our existence as a Christian. When we truly believe the scriptures and take them literally, our reality and theology start to collide. Mine certainly has as of late, whilst becoming a product of CFNI to which I am so blessed to be a product of.


The more I know and learn, the more I find I know nothing and haven't even scratched the surface of any intellectual status. Nor does the retention of any of that knowledge equate to becoming more effective to the body or the Kingdom of God. What is effective is love and allowing yourself to love others rather than trying to help them alter their views or beliefs into ours via our extensive knowledge in which to argue and shut their theories down with. That just turns people off and sends them farther away from the true church. The true church is love, plain and simple. It's not evangelization, or how many souls can be won or how high up the ladder we can ascend or recognition we could receive or how many books we could sell or any of that. Those are all selfish pursuits with personal gain. Even the status quo with soul winning and evangelization. Good and absolutely essential though that is. Obviously people must be saved and need someone to lead them to Christ


But we must also demonstrate true care and love to people with no ulterior agenda. Not even with helping them come to Christ. When people experience true love then they want what we have. Then they come running and seeking due to the exertion of love.

After we have demonstrated the love of Christ then we can lead them to Him because the Holy Spirit will have prepared their hearts to receive Him.


Christ is love. If we are in Him and He is in all things and He is love then we must be love to others with no agenda. He does not chase after people when they choose to run the opposite way, though it breaks His heart. He simply loves and love covers a multitude of sins and conquers all. Love conquers all. Even evil and disbelief and doubt.


Matthew 6:33 states that if we seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness that all things shall be added to us besides.


All things.


Jesus also tells the disciples that the greatest commandment is love and that in love, the whole of the law is fulfilled.


Simple.


We make all the simple things so complex. Being in Christ is believing and obeying every word of the Bible and being love, one to another. We just need to be in Him and love others with no agenda. Not even the agenda of getting others saved. Love will achieve that on it's own and prepare the way for the salvation of others.