In Christ (15)
I saw the other day in an Italian grotto a little fern, which grew where its leaves continually glistened and danced in the spray of a fountain. It was always green, and neither summer's drought nor winter's cold affected it. So let us for ever abide under the sweet influence of Jesus' love.
Charles Spurgeon
Lectures to my Students He that will not be rich in Christ, must be poor and condemned still in the first Adam.
Why is this debate over faith in Jesus Christ important?... because it reveals the emphasis in Paul's thinking. In other words, if these texts say that one must believe in Jesus Christ for righteousness, such a theme is incredibly pervasive and forceful in Paul's letters. He reminds his readers again and again that they must put their faith in Jesus Christ to stand in the right before God, to be saved on the last day.131-132, Faith Alone by Thomas Schreiner Copyright ©2015 by Schreiner. Used by permission of HarperCollins Christian Publishing. www.harpercollinschristian.com
As compelling as this view is, I suggest that it over-states the Pauline and Protestant understanding of grace. Yes, Paul says we cannot be justified by our own works, and he contrasts justification by works with justification by faith in Christ (e.g., Gal. 2:16; Rom. 4:4–5). But he does, in fact, say in many places we are justified by our faith, and he never contrasts our faith with the work of Christ. Instead, Paul can say in the same breath that we are both "justified by [our] faith" (Rom. 5:1) and "justified by his blood" (Rom. 5:9).https://www.crossway.org/articles/faith-in-christ-vs-the-faithfulness-of-christ/
Grammatically, there are other places where the genitive refers to Christ as the object.
In Philippians 3:8, Jesus Christ is described as the object of knowledge. In 1 Thessalonians, he is described as the object of hope. In both these cases, it is clear from the context that Paul is not talking about Christ's knowledge or Christ's hope. There is no grammatical reason why the same can't be true of pistis christou.https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/trevin-wax/faith-in-christ-or-faithfulness-of-christ/
None of the early church fathers or early Greek readers give a subjective genitive reading of pistis christou. In fact, the discussion doesn't even come up.https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/trevin-wax/faith-in-christ-or-faithfulness-of-christ/
When we find our identity in Christ, we have the joy of parenting for the glory of God rather than the burden of parenting to try and prove our own worth own identity. https://pca.st/episode/3b783b5b-a000-4065-a6df-0edba9811b3d
The thing for us to do is to pray without ceasing; once having come into the presence of God, never to leave it; to abide in His presence and to live, steadily, unbrokenly, continuously, in the midst of whatever distractions or trials, with and in Him. God grant such a life to every one of us!
Obedience, therefore, is not something that may be conceived of artificially or abstractedly. It is obedience that enlisted all the resources of his perfect humanity, obedience that resided in his person, and obedience of which he is ever the perfect embodiment. It is obedience that finds its permanent efficacy and virtue in him. And we become the beneficiaries of it, indeed the partakers of it, by union with him.Redemption Accomplished and Applied, 19
In Christ is a favorite with Paul to signal the personal, local, and dynamic relation of the believer to ChristGalatians WBC, 152
New Testament Christians did not think of themselves as "Christians"! But if not, how did they think of themselves? Contrast these descriptors with the overwhelmingly dominant way the New Testament describes believers. It is that we are "in Christ." The expression, in one form or another, occurs well over one hundred times in Paul's thirteen letters.The Whole Christ: Legalism, Antinomianism, and Gospel Assurance Why the Marrow Controversy Still Matters (p. 45). Crossway
Indeed, to seek a definite list of meanings would be to miss the inclusive sense that Paul usually seems to have in mind. "In Christ" is Paul's way of saying that believers are now "located" in a new "place" - the kingdom of God's Son (v. 13) - that carries with it a total reorientation of one's existenceMoo, D. J. (2008). The letters to the Colossians and to Philemon (p. 77). Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Pub. Co.
"in Christ" is to belong to him as the originator and ruler of the new age of redemption that his death and resurrection inaugurated (in contrast to being "in Adam"
Moo, D. J. (2008). The letters to the Colossians and to Philemon (p. 77). Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Pub. Co.
If we do not abide in prayer, we will abide in temptation. Let this be one aspect of our daily intercession: 'God, preserve my soul, and keep my heart and all its ways so that I will not be entangled.' When this is true in our lives, a passing temptation will not overcome us. We will remain free while others lie in bondage.
The branch of the vine does not worry, and toil, and rush here to seek for sunshine, and there to find rain. No; it rests in union and communion with the vine; and at the right time, and in the right way, is the right fruit found on it. Let us so abide in the Lord Jesus. China's millions, Volume 1, Issue 1 (Page 41)
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