Are You In Christ Or Out Of Christ? 

I often ask people: “How are you doing?” Often, the response is, “I am blessed.” Good answer. We all are blessed. God blesses all people with an abundance of earthly blessings (Psa. 136: 25; Matt. 5: 45; Jas. 1: 17). But God blesses His children “with every spiritual blessing…IN CHRIST JESUS” (Eph. 1: 3). These spiritual blessings consist of being a “new creature” (2 Cor. 5: 17); “forgiveness of sins” (Col. 1: 14); “salvation” (2 Tim. 2: 10; and “eternal life” (1 Jn. 5: 11). To enjoy all of these spiritual blessings, a person must be where these spiritual blessings are found. Where is that, you ask? “IN CHRIST!”

Rom. 6:3-4 says: “Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized INTO CHRIST JESUS were baptized into His death? Therefore, we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” We read from Gal. 3: 26-27: “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized INTO CHRIST have put on Christ.” Therefore, one is either “in Christ” or “out of Christ.” If one is “without Christ” he is “without God,” and without “hope” (Eph. 2: 12). But to be “in Christ” is to be in the “church which is His body” (Eph. 2: 22-23; Acts 2: 47).

Allow me to illustrate: One is either in the church, which is the body of Christ (Col. 1: 18), or he is not. The only way for one to be “in Christ” and in the “body of Christ,” which is the church, is to be baptized (Rom. 6: 3-4; Gal. 3: 26-27; 1 Cor. 12: 13). One who is out of Christ has not done that which puts him into Christ, where all spiritual blessings are found, and he is not in the body of Christ, which is the church. He is lost because the church is composed of the saved, to which Christ adds one (Acts 2: 37-38, 41, 47). 

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All are invited to respond to the love, mercy, and grace of God which are extended by Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. All who respond obediently, accept the Lord’s terms of salvation, by believing and obeying Him. Included in the response of faith, is being baptized “into Jesus Christ” (Rom. 6: 3) where “redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins” is found (Eph. 1: 7; 2: 38). Are you IN CHRIST? Think on these things.

Dennis Abernathy