Our Identity in Christ

[Grandpa]

What does the bible say about our identity in Christ?

Colossians 2:13-15
[SUP]13 [/SUP]And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
[SUP]14 [/SUP]Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
[SUP]15 [/SUP]And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.


John 1:12-13
[SUP]12 [/SUP]But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
[SUP]13 [/SUP]Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.


Galatians 4:5-7
[SUP]5 [/SUP]To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
[SUP]6 [/SUP]And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
[SUP]7 [/SUP]Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.



Romans 5:1-2
[SUP]1[/SUP]Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
[SUP]2 [/SUP]By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

1 Thessalonians 1:4-6
[SUP]4 [/SUP]Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.
[SUP]5 [/SUP]For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.[SUP]6 [/SUP]And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost.



There are many more verses about our identity in Christ. Its pretty fun. Do you want to join me?

 

[Grandpa]

Colossians 1:11-17
[SUP]11 [/SUP]Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;
[SUP]12 [/SUP]Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
[SUP]13 [/SUP]Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
[SUP]14 [/SUP]In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
[SUP]15 [/SUP]Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
[SUP]16 [/SUP]For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
[SUP]17 [/SUP]And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

 

[AmberGardner]

Ephesians 4:22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. 25 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body.

 

[Grandpa]

Galatians 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

 

[Grandpa]

Hebrews 9:14-15
[SUP]14 [/SUP]How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
[SUP]15 [/SUP]And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.

 

[starfield]

We are God's chosen people and have obtained a heavenly citizenship.

Ephesians 1:4-5,11
4. According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
5. Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
11. In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

Ephesians 2:12-19
12. That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
13. But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
14. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
15. Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
16. And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:
17. And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.
18. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
19. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

1 Peter 2:9-10
9. But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
10. Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

 

[Bookends]

2 Corinthians 5:12 ->
[h=3]Be Reconciled to God[/h][SUP]12 [/SUP]For we do not commend ourselves again to you, but give you opportunity to boast on our behalf, that you may have an answer for those who boast in appearance and not in heart. [SUP]13 [/SUP]For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; or if we are of sound mind, it is for you. [SUP]14 [/SUP]For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; [SUP]15 [/SUP]and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.

[SUP]16 [/SUP]Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. [SUP]17 [/SUP]Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. [SUP]18 [/SUP]Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, [SUP]19 [/SUP]that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
[SUP]20 [/SUP]Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. [SUP]21 [/SUP]For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

 

[Bookends]

Galatians 2:20
[SUP]20 [/SUP]I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

 

[psychomom]

Matt 5:13,14
“You are the salt of the earth;....
You are the light of the world."

John 15:14
You are My friends, if you do what I command you.

1 Cor 12:27
Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it.

Col:3:3
For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

 

[zone]

Romans 5:6
You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.

 

[zone]

Philippians 1
To Live Is Christ
Yes, and I will rejoice, 19for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, 20as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death.

21For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

22If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. 24But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. 25Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, 26so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.

27Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, 28and not frightened in anything by your opponents.

This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. 29For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, 30engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.

 

[zone]

1 Corinthians 2:2
1And I, brothers, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring to you the testimony of God. 2For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified

1 Corinthians 1:23
but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles

 

[zone]

Romans 8
God’s Everlasting Love
31What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.i 35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36As it is written,

“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

[eternally-gratefull]

1 Peter 1:[SUP]3 [/SUP]Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, [SUP]4 [/SUP]to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, [SUP]5 [/SUP]who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Do we trust our LIVING hope? or do we live in fear with a conditional hope?

God said

He begot us (bore us) to a living hope, How can we have this living hope and why? My inheritance is incorruptable, Undefiled,Does not fade awy and is already reserved for me.

If God be fore me, who can be against me? If he promised me ALL these things based solely on my faith in him. Then why would I ever

1. Worry about losing it based on how well I act or how little I fail
2. Teach that we could ever lose so great a salvation?

All these great passages about our CONDITION IN CHRIST. people who teach we can forfiet or lose salvation have to remove ALL these passages from the word of God, or deny their existance!

 

[zone]

EG - i reckon ppl can walk away and denounce Jesus.
even people who say they were once saved.

would anyone who REALLY believed ever walk away?

as in, I know Jesus is the only Way to God, but eh...i'll take hell.

as per Grandpa's OP: maybe they never really knew their identity in Christ.

no, they get seduced away, little by little, just as Jesus said.
or the ground is not prepared enough.

ABIDE. why wouldn't we?
we already know what life was like without Him

maybe because there is a counterfeit(s) that looks or sounds like the real thing...it looks or sounds "LIKE MORE"....they come to believe there is something lacking in Christ.

people get bewitched.

or, as Hebrews warned the jews - they fall back under persecution; or unbelief.
back to something that was coming to an end.

but - the writer was persuaded of better things for those who truly believe

and as Peter said:

to Whom would we go, Lord? you have the words that bring eternal life

 

[SarahM777]

Romans 8

8 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you[a] free from the law of sin and death.3 For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh,[b] God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering.[c] And so he condemned sin in the flesh,4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. 15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.[f] And by him we cry,“Abba,[g] Father.” 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.


Galatians 4

4 What I am saying is that as long as an heir is underage, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate. 2 The heir is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father. 3 So also, when we were underage, we were in slavery under the elemental spiritual forces[a] of the world. 4But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.[b]6 Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba,[c] Father.” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.

 

[Bookends]

EG - i reckon ppl can walk away and denounce Jesus.
even people who say they were once saved.

would anyone who REALLY believed ever walk away?

as in, I know Jesus is the only Way to God, but eh...i'll take hell.

as per Grandpa's OP: maybe they never really knew their identity in Christ.

no, they get seduced away, little by little, just as Jesus said.
or the ground is not prepared enough.

ABIDE. why wouldn't we?
we already know what life was like without Him

maybe because there is a counterfeit(s) that looks or sounds like the real thing...it looks or sounds "LIKE MORE"....they come to believe there is something lacking in Christ.

people get bewitched.

or, as Hebrews warned the jews - they fall back under persecution; or unbelief.
back to something that was coming to an end.

but - the writer was persuaded of better things for those who truly believe

and as Peter said:

to Whom would we go, Lord? you have the words that bring eternal life

Interesting, lets reverse this. If a person claims to be a Christian and that entails being in Christ, but yet says that one can lose that identity, position in Christ, then doesn't that imply that Christ could have failed in some way? Or could have had the ability to fall away from Himself or God the Father? Think about it, if everything that Christ is has been imputed to us, but if we can some how lose that identity or imputation, then that would have to imply that Christ can have had the ability to lose the imputed characteristics of Him or God the Father.

Therefore if Christ could not have the ability to rebel against Himself because being part of the Godhead has been imputed to Him, neither can those who truly belong to Christ undo the imputed characteristics that belong to us who are in Him...sounds deep, I'm not even sure I understand what I just said...

 

[crossnote]

A Saint in Christ a sinner out ...

 

[Grandpa]

Philippians 4:7-8
[SUP]7 [/SUP]And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
[SUP]8 [/SUP]Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

 

[zone]

Colossians 2
2 I want you to know how hard I am contending for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally. 2 My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments. 5 For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how disciplined you are and how firm your faith in Christ is.

Spiritual Fullness in Christ

6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces[a] of this world rather than on Christ.

9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10 and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority. 11 In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by[c] Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.

13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you[d] alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. 15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.[e]