(37) - "in Christ" - focus

The FOCUS of "in Christ" is CHRIST !

Paul wrote: 1Corinthians 8:6 "yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live."

Note the sharpening of the FOCUS - to Jesus as OUR focus.

Jesus is our covenant focus - HE is our representative and all we can hope for is wrapped up IN HIM. The verse indicates that ALL things came FROM God - and they all came through Jesus Christ. That is harmonious with how covenant process works. We could "hark back" to the concept "God was in Christ" - 2 Cor. 5:19. I remember how LONG it took me to even begin to see this principle. Now the force of it causes me to see some verses differently - like our chosen verse in 1 Cor. 8:6. One factoid I did NOT see for quite awhile was - God used this principle from BEFORE the beginning. "God chose US in Christ - before the foundation of the world" did not fit my Theology for quite some time. (Ephesians 1:4) It is hard for us to see anything from God's perspective - and in many cases we don't need to - but when God does share the concept - it certainly isn't crazy to receive it. Peter wrote (1 Peter 1:19-20) that God's plan includes the slaying of our Lamb - before the foundation of the world. Add to that the concept of being chosen "in Him" before the foundation of the world - and what do we have ? It was a design for all mankind - about how to be chosen in Him - a covenant representative concept. All Israel did to be chosen for victory IN David over Goliath was to be Israelites, as David had to be in the design of the battle. David made it plain that "the Battle is the Lord's AND - HE will deliver you (Goliath) into my hands" - so Victory was assured for those who identified with David as Israel. Being FEARFUL didn't disqualify one from Victory - but it should have for those who lined up in battle ! So - David was the only one who qualified to be in the Battle against Goliath but all those who identified themselves with Israel got in on the VICTORY ! The application to us is - WE don't have to be perfect in any way (in fact we cannot be - right ?) but if our identification with JESUS is evident, we get in on the Victory. HE is the only one qualified to BE in the Battle - but if our hopes are IN HIM - then they are in His qualifications and in His performance - and if HE wins, we experience victory because HE fights as US - we are IN HIM ! That's why Paul said "WE live through HIM" 1 Cor. 8:6.

If we see that - then the concept of "God was in Christ" becomes a full concept of HOW God did it all. That leaves only one more concept in this regard - salvation or victory was fought and won for all mankind - but as is mentioned so many times - it is to be RECEIVED by faith in what Jesus did to gain the victory. Sometimes that is written as "faith in His blood" other times "the obedience of faith" and "justified by faith". If we don't make the FOCUS of that concept Jesus Himself - we'll be tempted to focus on US - what we believe, how we say what we believe, how we receive what HE did - even how we think about His full identity and the mystery of Jesus as a double representative. Keep it very simple - Jesus is ALL - means if our focus is ON JESUS - we focus on what is ALL. AND - never take your focus off Jesus - as Paul taught us - "as we fasten our focus on Jesus - we are being continually changed from one degree of glory to another - ever increasing" (2 Cor. 3:18) and don't forget to add - "this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit." Maybe that's a good way to begin next time - how Jesus then dwells IN US - through His spirit, the Holy Spirit - more to come.