God Gives the Increase

“To the saints who are at Ephesus and who are faithful “in” Christ Jesus”:
Ephesians 1:1

After careful reflection of Ephesian chapter one, I noticed that the terms in Christ, in the beloved, in Him are used eleven times in twenty-three verses. Each time the Apostle Paul speaks of a different aspect of our salvation he emphases the fact that it is made possible as we are “in Christ.”

What is your identity, who do you believe yourself to be? The person who has repented of sin and placed their faith in the person and sacrificial work of Christ to save them from the wrath of God has been given a new identity – which identity is “in Christ.”

Our original parents (Adam and Eve) tried to mask their sinful identity with fig leaves as they sought to hide from God, which is the natural inclination of all sinful people because God has placed it within all of us to feel guilt when we break God’s law, which is written on our heart. This causes immense problems as we pretend to be something we are not. The first problem is the creation of false religions as men attempt to be religious while continuing to hide from the true God who will not accept men in their sinful condition.

In the upcoming Blogs we will consider the new identity the Christian is given “in Christ” and the practical effect this new identity is meant to have in their life.