I want to remind you in two weeks we're going to have a church dinner together, November 9th.

Paul closes this epistle, my love be with you all. in Christ Jesus. Now, if that was spoken to someone with no understanding of the gospel, they would see that as a religious phrase of some kind, tacked on to make it sound better. That statement would not connect with an unbeliever. But this phrase, in Christ Jesus, is the very heart and the very soul of the gospel. In Christ Jesus.

The ark that Noah built. Was everybody in the ark? No. Was anybody in the ark lost? No. What did it mean to be in the ark? The house with the blood over the door. Was everybody in those houses? No. There were some people that were killed. The death of the firstborn, they weren't in the house. Everybody was not in the house, but everybody that was in the house with the blood over the door, they were safe and they were secure. When Abraham walked upon this earth and paid tithes to Melchizedek, was everybody in his loins? No. But Levi was. And the scripture says Levi actually paid tithes when Abraham paid tithes. He wasn't born. He wasn't conceived. The great grandson of Abraham, no one knew him. No one knew of him. Yet the Bible says when Abraham paid those tithes, that Levi paid those tithes too. It doesn't say it was credited to his account. It doesn't say it was imputed to him. It said he paid those tithes. And if I'm in Christ, whatever Christ has done, I have done. Wherever he is, I am."

Now this is the very heart and the very soul of the gospel message in Christ. Now look at the way Paul opened this epistle in 1 Corinthians 1. Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ, through the will of God in Sosthenes, our brother, unto the church of God, which is a Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus. Now, if I'm in Christ Jesus, I am sanctified in Christ Jesus. Now, the word sanctification, means to take something common and ordinary and set it apart for holy purposes. I'm common and ordinary, but in Christ, I'm sanctified. I'm declared by God to be holy. I love it when David says in the Psalms, I'm holy. That's a hard to say, isn't it? But in Christ, I am holy because I'm sanctified in Christ Jesus.

Verse 29 of the same chapter, that no flesh is glory in his presence, but of him, of God, are you in Christ Jesus. Now, somebody says, how can I get in Christ Jesus? The only way I can be in Christ Jesus is if God has put me in Christ Jesus. Of Him are you in Christ Jesus. And if you're in Christ now, you've always been in Christ. That's so hard to grasp, but I have always had personality before God in Christ Jesus. He knew me in Christ Jesus. And there's never been a time in eternity past when I was not in Christ Jesus. Now that boggles my mind. It boggles your mind. pretty much a short circuit in our brains thinking about that. But I've always been in Christ. There's never been a time when I was not in Christ. Of Him are you in Christ Jesus.

Now, look what it says next. Who of God, God can do this. This is God's work. Who of God is made unto us. Wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, holiness, and redemption. Now this is who we are in Christ Jesus. God has made him unto us. Wisdom. God would count me, the infinite God of glory, would count everybody in Christ wise. That's incredible. He's made into me righteousness. God sees me as I am in Christ, righteous. He's made into me sanctification, holiness. Now that's not something you can grow in. That's not something you can progressively become more holy. You either are holy or you're not. In Christ Jesus, I am holy. He's made unto me full deliverance.

Verse 31, that according as it's written, he that glorieth. Now to glory means to rejoice. It means to boast. It means to have confidence in. Here's what's written. He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. Now that's where my confidence is in the Lord. That's why Paul said, oh, that I may win Christ and be found in him. Now, when the father spoke from heaven at the baptism of his son, he said, this is my beloved son. I wish I could say that the way I ought to. Oh, how the father delights in his son, how he has always delighted in his son. This is my beloved son. In whom? Not with him. With whom he is well pleased, but that's not what the Lord says. In whom I am well pleased. And then on the map of transfiguration, Peter made that foolish request. Let's make three tabernacles. One for you, one for Moses, one for Elijah. All of a sudden, a bright cloud overshadowed them. Can you imagine? They were scared to death. They hit the dirt. And a voice came from that cloud. This is my beloved Son in whom I'm well pleased. Hear ye Him.

Now listen to me. If you're in Christ, God is well pleased with you completely. That's the blessedness of being in the Lord Jesus Christ. When James and John wanted to sit on his right hand and on his left in his kingdom, would you turn with me for a moment to Matthew chapter 20? This was read in the study this morning. Verse 20, then came to him the mother of Zebedee's children with their sons, worshiping him and desiring a certain thing of him. And he said unto her, what wilt thou? She said unto him, grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on my right hand and the other on my left in thy kingdom.

But Jesus answered and said, you know not what you ask. Are you able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of? And he's talking about Gethsemane's garden. He's talking about the cross. Are you able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of and to be baptized with the baptism that I'm baptized with? And you'll remember Luke chapter 12, he called it the baptism of fire. He was talking about the wrath of God completely submerging him.

And he says to these two men who wanted this recognition of sitting on his right hand and on his left, I don't know if it came from their mother, or I don't know if it came from them and they told their mother to do it. But here they were seeking this and look at this answer they give. They say unto him, we're anxious. We're up to the task. We can do it.

Now, I would think the Lord would have rebuked them harshly for such a ridiculous answer. Yeah, we're up to it. We can drink that cup. We can handle that baptism. That's a blasphemous thing for them to say, but look at the way the Lord responds. And he saith unto them, you shall drink, and look at this word, indeed. You will. This is real. You shall drink indeed of my cup and be baptized with the baptism that I'm baptized with. It's really gonna happen.

How? There in him. When he drank of that cup, I drank of that cup. When he was baptized under the wrath of God, I was baptized under the wrath of God. When he was raised from the dead, I was raised from the dead. As he's seated together in the heavenlies, I'm seated in him. When James and John made this foolish request, not knowing what they were saying, what does the Lord say? Yes, you are going to do that.

Now I want you to think about this. When Jesus Christ drank of that cup, you did. You personally, in him. When the wrath of God came down upon him, it came down upon you. Indeed, not figuratively, not in some way of imputation in him, you experienced it all. That's the only way that can be understood.

I think of what the Lord said in John chapter 16, verse 33. He said, these things have I spoken unto you. And this is right before he said, arise, let us go hence. And he gave his last prayer and would soon be arrested. And put to death, he said, these things have I spoken unto you that in me, you might have peace. In the world, you're going to have nothing but trouble, but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world.

Now in me, all my peace is that I'm in him and everything God requires of me. He looks through his son, Paul, and I'm in him, accepted in the beloved. All of God's favor, all God has for the sinner is in Christ Jesus. There's one mediator between God and men, the man, Christ Jesus.

Now that's why when we ask in his name, we pray. And we are aware of the shallowness of our prayers. We're aware of repeating a formula almost, and we're so ashamed of ourselves when we do it. And we ask, we pray, we try to pray, we long to pray. When we pray in his name, we're saying, Lord, The only way this prayer can be heard is if he presents it. And I'm accepted in him and heard in him utterly for his sake. That's what it means to pray in his name.

I know that this prayer is no good. Do you ever feel, why? I had a good prayer this time. I was on fire. No, no. The only way we pray is in His name. Lord, hear this prayer only as He presents it, only for His sake.

Now I'm gonna give you, I'm not gonna ask you to turn to these so I get to the ones in Ephesians. I want you to do that, but let me just give you some scriptures with regard to in Christ. Romans 3.24, being justified freely freely, by His grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. There is a full and complete redemption that is in Christ Jesus. That means my debts are paid. My sin is blotted out in this redeeming work that is in Christ Jesus.

Romans 8, 1. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus. There's nothing to condemn me for. If I'm in Christ Jesus, I have no sin to be condemned for. No condemnation. Never has been. never will be in him. There's therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus. You know, we're all, we're all so judgmental, finding fault, critical. The Lord Jesus doesn't have anything to find fault with in us. That's why there's no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus.

In Romans chapter eight, verse 39, Paul said, nothing shall separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus. Now that's the security of this love. His love to me, I would, You know, I've heard people use the term unconditional love. I hate that term. There's no such thing as unconditional love. God loves me unconditionally. No, he doesn't. He loves you if you're in Christ. All of God's love is in Christ Jesus, our Lord. And that's why he continues to love someone who says, I don't understand how God can love me. Well, in Christ Jesus, our Lord, I can understand. I love the hymn, I stand amazed in the presence of Jesus the Nazarene and wonder how he could love me. But I know how he can love me, because his love is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans chapter 12, verse five, so we being many are one body in Christ and members one of another. The bond that exists between believers is members of the body of Christ. The Lord actually said, in as much as you've done it to the least of these, my brethren, you've done it to me. And in as much as you did it not to the least of these, my brethren, you've done it not to me.

In Romans chapter 16, verse two, when Paul was commending Phoebe, he said, receive her in the Lord, as becometh saints. This is to affect everything about us, the way we think. Receive her in the Lord as becometh saints.

In 1 Corinthians 7, verse 39, when Paul was giving instructions in a situation where you could be married again, he makes this statement, only in the Lord. If you're going to be married again, It must be only in the Lord. Now, if you're put in a position where your spouse dies or something happens, horrible happens, and you're free to marry again, it must be only in the Lord. That's our standing.

And then in 1 Corinthians chapter 15, verse 22, Paul said, in Adam, all die. Now, Everybody that was in the loins of Adam, you know, that covers everybody but Christ. In Adam, all died. That's why I'm born into this world, dead in sins, because in Adam, all died. Even so, in the precise same manner that all in Adam die, even so in Christ, shall all be made alive. Life before God, living before God.

2 Corinthians 1.20 says all of the promises of God in him. And they're all in him. There's no promise separated from him. All the promises of God. And there's so many in the scripture. All the promises of God in him are yea and amen unto the glory of God by us.

Second Corinthians chapter two, verse... Well, I'm getting ahead of myself. Second Corinthians, yeah. Second Corinthians chapter two, verse 14. Listen to this. Now thanks be unto God, which always causes us to triumph in Christ. You know, when I hear somebody say, well, I'm leading a defeated Christian life, I'm just defeated. Not if you're in Christ, you're not. God causes you to always, under every circumstance, no matter what it is, We're more than conquerors through him that loved us. Now, thanks be unto God who always causes us to triumph in Christ.

2 Corinthians 5, verse 17, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature, a new creation. Old things have passed away. Now, I realize people say, well, since I've become a Christian, I don't have the desire for sin I used to have. Nobody believes that. Yeah, you do. But what that is saying is this old standing before God's law is gone, your history, you got a new history. It's all become new. Your history is absolute perfect obedience. That old standing is passed away. That old past is passed away. Behold, all things have become new. I have a perfect history. It's the history of the life of Jesus Christ is my life before God. That is new.

2 Corinthians 5 21. For he hath made him sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. In him. You take away the in him and don't understand it. But in him, every believer has made the very righteousness of God. Just as truly as he was made sin, every believer has made the very righteousness of God in him.

Now, I love this in 2 Corinthians 12, verse two, when Paul spoke of his experience of being brought up into the third heavens. Now, you think about that. He said, whether it was in the body or out of the body, I can't tell, God knoweth. such a one caught up into the third heavens. He was talking about this experience of being caught into the third heavens. That's the heavens where the birds fly, the heavens where the planets and the universe is, and the third heaven is where God is. I don't know if it's in the universe, but Paul said, I was caught up in it.

But I love the way he says this. He was afraid to use his own name. He was embarrassed to think of himself being connected with it. And listen to the way he says this. He said, I knew a man in Christ. What humility he speaks with. He wouldn't say, yeah, God brought me up into the third heavens, no. He didn't want to be viewed in any way except in him. He says, I knew a man in Christ. brought up into the third heavens, brought up into paradise. And I heard unspeakable words, which are not lawful for a man to utter.

The Lord taught him the gospel, but he wouldn't even use his own name when he talked about being brought up into the third heavens because he knew what he was and he knew what he was in Christ. And that's the only way I can be brought up into the third heavens and hear these unspeakable words is as I am in Christ.

In Galatians chapter two, verse four, Paul spoke of the liberty we have in Christ Jesus. The liberty. Now, liberty is freedom. Stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled in that yoke of bondage, talking about the law. Liberty, freedom.

Now, there's two things, there's only two ways I really understand liberty. I do not owe anything. Now, if you're free of debt, financially speaking, that feels liberating. But what is that in comparison to being completely accepted in Christ, not owing anything, nothing missing, nothing lacking? I have everything in Christ Jesus. I'm free. I'm free, I don't owe anything. All God requires I have, I'm free.

And you're free when you get to do what you want to. And I love the statement, trust Christ and do what you want to. I know people say, well, that could almost imply that as long as you're in Christ, that means you can go ahead and sin all you want to, no consequences. It doesn't mean any such thing. It means that if you trust Christ, what you want to do is follow him. That's what you want to do. Trust Christ and do what you want to. That's what freedom. You don't owe anything, nothing to pay. Trust Christ and do what you want to.

Like Bartimaeus, when the Lord said, what wilt thou that I should do unto thee? He said, he said, go that. He said that I might receive my side. He said, go thy way. What did Bartimaeus do? He followed Jesus in

Now I want you to look at these with me, Ephesians chapter one, because there's so many of them. I'm gonna make very little comment, but I want us to see how powerfully this phrase in Christ is used in Ephesians chapter one.

Verse three. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us. Not who will bless us, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings. Not one left out in heavenly places in Christ. All spiritual blessing. There's nothing you lack. You have it all in Christ.

According as he hath chosen us in him. Now this was not, I'm going to pick this, I'm going to save this one, I'm going to damn that one. I'm going to, no, not at all. This choosing was in Christ Jesus. I have never been viewed separately from Christ. The reason for election is in Christ. It's not just some kind of arbitrary choice of God. It's in Christ.

according as he has chosen us in him, before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him, in love having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us acceptable. In the Beloved. That's where my acceptance is. In the Beloved.

Go on reading. In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His grace, when he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure, which he hath purposed in himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of times, he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth, even in him, in whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose in Him who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will, that we should be to the praise of His glory who first trusted in Christ.

Who's the first person to trust Him? God. He entrusted the salvation of His people to His Son. This is not talking about people who first trusted Him in time. They believed Christ before I did. No, God the Father trusted His Son to save me.

In whom you also trusted, after that you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also after that you believed, you were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance into the redemption of the purchased possession into the praise of his glory.

Look in verse 4 of chapter 2, but God, who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ by grace, ye are saved. and have raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. As Christ is seated in heaven, all of the elect are seated right there with him, present tense, because you can't be separated from Christ.

Ephesians chapter three, verse 12. In whom? We have what? Boldness. Bold shall I stand in that great day for who ought to my charge can lay fully absolved from these I am from sin's tremendous curse and shame. And this boldness we have is as John said in first John chapter four, verse 17, where we can have boldness on the day of judgment because as he is. So are we in this world right now. The boldness we have in whom we have boldness and access with confidence. I've got access into the very presence of the throne room of God with confidence through him. by the faith of Him. Philippians 2, 1 says, if there be any consolation, comfort in Christ Jesus, is there? Oh, this is the only place there is comfort in Christ Jesus.

Paul said in Philippians chapter three, verse three, we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus. We glory in Christ Jesus. We boast in Christ Jesus. We have such confidence in Christ Jesus.

How can you tell if you have this kind of confidence in Christ Jesus? You have no confidence in the flesh. If you have any confidence in the flesh, you don't glory in Christ. This is the evidence. You have no confidence in the flesh. You glory in Christ Jesus.

Rejoice in the Lord always, Paul said to the Philippians once again in chapter four. Again, I say rejoice.

Colossians 119, it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell. All the fullness of the Godhead, in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. and all the fullness of salvation in Him, all fullness dwells. That pleased the Father for that to happen. It pleased me and you for that to be too, if we're believers. We're pleased by that, that all fullness dwells in the body of the Lord Jesus Christ, all the fullness of salvation. Colossians 2.3 says, in whom are hid all the treasures, in whom are hid. all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Colossians 2, 9 and 10, in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and listen to this, and you are, anybody know the rest of the verse? Complete.

Now, in my own experience, I always feel so inadequate, so lacking, so fill in the blank. God's Word tells me that in Christ I am complete. I'm so saved. I'm so complete that you can't add anything to me. I can't become any more saved. I can't become any more accepted in Christ Jesus.

He said to the Colossians, in whom you are also circumcised, in whom you also are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands and putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ. When Christ was on the cross, that was his circumcision. And that's what happened to my sins. They were put off.

First Thessalonians 1.1, the church of God. Paul's writing to the church of God, which is in God, the Father, and in the Lord, Jesus Christ, what safety and security in God, the Father, in the Lord, Jesus Christ.

He said to those who are in this blessed place, thanks, or he said in every gift, in everything, give thanks. For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." You know, there's a will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Isn't that thrilling? It's hard to, if you didn't say that in the Bible, we wouldn't believe it, but there is with regard to every individual believer. There's a will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

So whatever's happening to you, give thanks, It's the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. I don't care what it is. If it's the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning me, it's all good. So in everything, give thanks. 1 Timothy 1.14, Paul speaks of the faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. Faith is in Christ Jesus. My confidence is in Christ Jesus. Love is in Christ Jesus. When I see I'm in Him, you know what I do? I love Him. I'm so thankful, faith and love, which is in Christ Jesus.

And we read in 1 Timothy 3, 13, we read great boldness in the faith, which is in Christ Jesus.

2 Timothy 1, 9, He saved us. He called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began. Everything you have in Christ was given to you before the world began. 1 Peter 2.24, or I'm sorry, 2 Timothy 2.1, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. Be weak in yourself, but be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. Second Timothy 3 12 says all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. You see, if you are in Christ Jesus, you make that the issue. That is the issue around. I'm safe. The only way somebody can be saved is if they're in Christ. It's not something you do. It's not something you intend. You're all your salvation is in Christ. And that being the issue, that's where persecution will most certainly come from.

1 Peter 2, verse 24, who bear our sins in his own body. Just think about that. Who bear our sins in his own body on the tree.

1 Peter 5, 14, peace with all. you that are in Christ Jesus.

I'd like you to turn here. First John chapter three. First John chapter three. Verse four. Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law. For sin is the transgression of the law. And you know that he was manifested to take away our sins. And in him, what? Is no sin. That means if I'm in him, I have no sin. Sin.

Verse six, whosoever abideth in him sinneth not. Now, what does it mean to abide in him? It means all of God's favor is in him. And I don't want to be anywhere else. I don't want to step outside of him. If I said God's favor is only in this room, outside of this room, there's nothing but wrath, but all you could ever hope for, desire, is in this room, you know what you'd want to do? You'd want to abide in this room. And you wouldn't want to go anywhere else. That's what it means to abide in Christ.

I only want to be found in Him. I don't want God to see me in any other way but in Him. And if I'm in Him, Scripture says, I sin not. Somebody says, well, that means you don't practice sin. That's not what that means. It's not even what it says. It says you don't sin. You sin not. In Him, you don't sin.

1 John chapter 5, verse 18, we know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not, but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself. And the wicked one touches him not. There's nothing for him to work with. And we know that we are of God and the whole world lieth in wickedness. And we know that the Son of God has come and have given us an understanding that we may know him that's true. and that we're in Him that's true. This is the true God, and this is eternal life. To know Him that's true, to be in Him that's true.

And I know you're familiar with Revelation chapter 14, verse 13, blessed are the dead that die in the Lord. You die in the Lord, it's all good.

Now I want to close by reading an article that Brother Frank Tate wrote, and I called him to tell him how much I appreciated it. I think that he expressed in this article what I, in my heart, what's there. Listen to this.

The desire of my heart and soul is that when God sees me, all he sees is Christ. I don't even want the father to see Christ and then me in Christ. When God looks at me, I only want him to see Christ. I don't want him to see my weak faith. I don't want him to see my weak stumbling walk. I do not want him to see My service in God's kingdom, I only want to be seen in Christ because that is the only way God can accept me. My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Let's pray. Lord,