In Him

The second item we shall ‘take off the table’ is the phrase “In Him” , found throughout chapters 2 and 3. Let us first consider the Old Testament story of Noah’s ark (Gen 7). God sees the evil in the world and is determined to destroy all mankind except for one man who has found grace in His sight. Noah is instructed to build a large boat into which God will place all those whom He will deliver from the destruction of a great flood. Noah is obedient to obey this command, even though he had no comprehension of a flood and no support from either his family or his neighbours.

He must have seemed a strange sight to them all! After many years of work, the day comes when the vessel is completed, and God is ready to carry out His judgment. Noah, his wife, together with their sons and their wives, are instructed to enter into the ark, taking with them couples of every animal in their known world. Then, God closes the door, and the rains begin to fall.

Consider this: Moses’ salvation was dependent on his entering the ark. There was no deliverance if he stayed outside, admiring his work!

Using this story as a metaphor, neither is there salvation for any of mankind unless they enter into God’s provision of a way of escape – the man Christ Jesus. There comes a time when we must enter into Him by faith – saving faith – for judgment will surely come on all those who try to find another way to appease God. Jesus said, “ I am the way… there is no way to the Father except through me. ” (John 14:6) Now, when God looks upo n us, He sees us “in His Son”. We can greatly rejoice that He does not consider our sinful nature anymore , for ‘ the Son gets in His eyes’. Our guilt and shame have been wrapped up in Him. The Son of Man shed His precious life’s blood to cover our sins to produce the pearl of greatest price (Matt 13:46). It cost us nothing; it cost Him everything.

I understand that, in Bible days, pearls were very rare, and the finest would be used as a major adornment on the Roman emperor. So it is that the ‘pearl of greatest price’ is now being polished by the Holy Spirit to become an adornment for the King of kings when He returns to take His bride, His purchased possession to Himself.

Thus it is that in Ephesians 1 & 2 the apostle Paul tells us some of the great privileges we have simply because we are “in Him”. Ephesians 1:3 highlights that God has blessed us with every spirit ual blessing in heavenly places in Him. Such blessings are ‘in heavenly places’ , but sadly, many of us live outside that realm! They are ours only as we abide in Him. It is possible to be “in Christ” but not abiding in Him. So many of us move back and forth between living a life “in Christ” and living “in the world”. On several occasions, Jesus addressed his followers with the se words, “If you abide in me…” This is like having a vast sum deposited in our bank but we never take advantage of it, living as a pauper!

Let us consider some of these blessings: Ephesians 1:4: In Him we have been chosen so that we might be holy and blameless before Him.

This gives us access to God. We are not chosen because of any merits of our own, but our choosing is ‘in Him’. There is no salvation outside of Him. His purpose in having a people “in Christ” is that we might be a people set apart, different to the world around us and a witness to them.

Ephesians 1:5: In love, we have been predestined to become ‘sons’ – joint heirs with Jesus of the riches of the Father. He wants to make us like Himself so that we might be ‘to the praise o f His glory.’ In Jewish culture, there was quite a process to adopt a son, but having been adopted, that son had all the rights and privileges of the natural son. Even more so! The father could always disown his natural son, even have him put to death, but he could never disown or abandon the son he had adopted!

I love that word! I rejoice that, though a sinner, I am saved by grace; I am privileged to be His servant, glad to be in His service; but most of all blessings, I am thrilled to be His son with access to my Father! He is worthy of our lives.

Is what you live for worth Christ dying for? Secular humanism declares that man exists for the benefit of man; Christian humanism declares that God exists for the benefit of man; true Christianity declares that man exists for the benefit of God! (1 Cor 8:6) – that we might be ‘to the praise of His glory!”

“May the Lamb that was slain receive the reward of His suffering” – Moravian motto.

Ephesians 1:6: He has bestowed grace upon us – “in Him”, the beloved. GRACE - G od’s R iches A t C hrist’s E xpense!

Ephesians 1:7: In Him we have redemption – have been purchased back from slavery; forgiveness is complete and free. This is due to His grace lavished upon us.

Ephesians 1:9-10: The mystery – only known by revelation – that at the end of all administrations (dispensations), God will bring together all things in Christ – both in the heavens and on earth. All creation, angels and fallen angels, the redeemed and the non-redeemed, will be subject to Him.

Natural man cannot receive such a revelation – it is foolishness to him. (1 Cor 2:14) Ephesians 1:11: We have received an inheritance in Him. Not earned or as a reward! Ours simply because we are ‘in Him’ and God is pleased to bless us. Inheritance is a right resulting from a relationship. In this case, the right belongs to the children of God because their identification as children of God by faith in the eternal Son of God has been established and is in the heavenly records! The apostle said of us: “Men and women cannot imagine or even dream of all the things which God has prepared for those who love Him!” (Tozer). This is all done so that we might respond to ‘the praise of His glory. ’ Ephesians 1:13: In Him we have been ‘sealed’ with the Holy Spirit of Promise. I shall expand on this in Chapter 3.

Let me repeat: These riches are all ours “in Christ” – but we must appropriate them for ourselves!

These are theological truths, but, sadly, for many believers, they are not experiential truths. It is like having great riches in the bank but living like paupers because we do not draw on our wealth.

Jesu s said that “if we abide in Him…” showing that it is very possible not to be ‘abiding’ – enjoying the riches available to us.

Paul is so carried away with this thought that he cries out his wonderful prayer for us that we might know (experience) these riches now. This begins another anthem of praise waxing lyrical about the exalted glories of Jesus (v20-23) and our position in Him.

Identification with Christ (being ‘in Him’) is a major emphasis of Paul’s. We are reckone d to have died ‘in Him’ and have risen ‘in Him’ (Rom 6:11). That is accounted to us so that the Father now only considers us ‘in Him’. He does not see our sin, for the SON has got in His eyes!! We were identified with Adam as our “federal head” and became sinners through his sin of disobedience.

However, the second ‘Adam’ came to be the federal head of a new race of people – those He has redeemed through His shed blood and resurrection. (See Romans 5). This concept of identification is common to Jewish thought, contrary to our independence.

Chapter 1:20-23: God has exalted Jesus far above all principalities and powers – these are names of the recognised angelic beings, both good and evil. He is above them all and cannot be overcome by them. They were conquered on the cross 2000 years ago, when He made an open show of them.

Colossians 2:15.

Chapter 2:1-6: If I abide in Him , I am also seated above the principalities and powers. They cannot hurt me unless I allow my guard to slip, my shield to fall and the arrows of the evil one penetrate my feeble defense. We were dead as we walked according to the things of this world. But God, rich in mercy and love, has raised us up and seated us in heavenly places in Christ Jesus! Now!