Isaiah - Verse By Verse

Walking through Ephesians - Day 1

versebyverse | October 10, 2007 21:29

Thought:  To me, there is no one more important than Jesus Christ, and nothing more important than following Him very closely.

Question:  What does it mean to be "in Christ"?

Scripture:  Ephesians 1:1 (NIV):  "Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus:"

A letter, from a person grasped by God, to a group of persons also in the grip of God; like writing to like, brother to brother.  Paul is God's apostle by God's will, that is, not by Paul's will, not by any human's will.  God originated His work, His thrust, into Paul's heart Himself.  And out from that heart, God reaches to others who also have had God at work in their hearts--the Ephesian saints.  These saints are called, by Paul, "the faithful in Christ Jesus."  What a tribute!  Not faithful "to", but faithful "in."  The whole of successful Christian experience lies in how we can tuck ourselves into Christ, immersing in Him, letting Him overcome us, relinquishing self-effort and self-management.  To be faithful "to" Christ can encompass an entirely different, and hazardous, route, or way, of life.  It means I do not immerse in Him; I face Him as an attempting imitator.  It means I do not let Him overcome me; I retain my own will and identity.  It means I do not relinquish self-effort at all; I increase all my efforts and produce complicated self-managements to follow, or imitate, Christ.

To me, this is a perfect introduction to Ephesians:  the little word "in" placed before "Christ Jesus."  Paul will help us, throughout this book, to understand what it means to be "in Christ Jesus," as opposed to a way of self-energized imitation of Christ.  

Prayer:  "Lord, I ask that You help me discern what it means to be "in Christ."  I pray Your power would overcome me until I am more fully immersed into Jesus Christ than I ever have been before.  In Jesus' name, I pray.  Amen." 

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