LIFE IN CHRIST
‘In Christ.’
We are to believe that, if we have the faith to accept it, we are so completely united with Christ that God Himself sees us as one—‘accepted in the Beloved.’
I. Christ is in you as the life-blood is in the members.—He moves and directs you as the head guides the limbs. His mind and His spirit pervade you as a man’s moral and intellectual being pervades his spiritual being. And you—all your cares and all your sorrows—pass to Christ, just as the nerves go up and meet in the brain. And no less your joys, for they are His joys. What Christ did, it is as though you did it. What Christ suffered, it is as though you suffered it. You died in and with Him on the Cross. You descended with Him into hell. Death and hell are things of the past to you, and they can never be repeated to you. And your righteousness—poor, vile, wicked sinner as you are—your righteousness is as spotless before God as His own immaculate Son.
II. All words, all thoughts fail to reach the height of that great mystery—a ‘life in Christ.’ Therefore we are above angels, for they are with Christ; they are not ‘ in Christ.’ Therefore we are restored to more than we lost—for we are like God—in His image: not as Adam was, but because we are ‘in Christ.’ Therefore we are ‘sons of God,’ not as Adam was, but because we are in ‘ the Son.’ Therefore we shall not be ashamed in the judgment, because we present Christ as us, and us as Christ. And therefore we can stand in the holy presence of God, because found ‘in Christ,’ in grace, we shall be found ‘in Christ’ in glory. Oh, the safety of that ‘life in Christ’! How can they perish who are ‘in Christ’?
III. In that man who is ‘in Christ,’ there is an inner life, which is independent of all outward circumstances. It may be all changing about him; but that life does not change. It may be all sad and dark in the outer world; but that life cannot be touched. It is so secret; so secure! And its purity and its brightness shine out in the man’s walk of holiness and charity. And men will catch glimpses of the Christ that is in him. Do I say then there will be no painful feeling of sin, no infirmities, no distresses, no struggles, no falls to the ‘life in Christ’? Nay, many more than any other life. But what I say is this— the life is sure, for it is ‘ the life.’ It is the life of a Man, and it is the life of God.
—Rev. James Vaughan.
Illustrations
(1) ‘The tongue of an archangel would stammer in telling what Christ is, and what Christ has, for all who trust in Him. Forgiveness is “ in Christ”—“In Whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins” (Ephesians 1:7). Peace is “ in Christ”—“These things have I spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace” (John 16:33). Joy is “ in Christ”—“In Whom believing ye rejoice with joy unspeakable” (1 St. Peter 2 Corinthians 1:8). Safety is “ in Christ”—Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” (Romans 8:36). Victory is “ in Christ”—“Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 7:24-25).’
(2) ‘We have the twofold expression—of “Christ in us” and “we in Christ.” And we may take the “Christ in us” to be the one inward power of holiness which we have, and the “we in Christ” to be our clothing in the righteousness of Christ, which is our justification and our acceptance with God. If we make this distinction, we must be careful not to confound the “Christ in us” with the work of the indwelling of the Holy Ghost in us. Our sanctification is the office of the Holy Ghost. But there is a “Christ in us” besides, over and above, the work of the Holy Spirit in us.’