I cannot tell you much about age 5, there are only a few memories; yet, one memory stands out clearly. One Sunday morning Dr. M.R. Dehaan was preaching as I heard his voice over the radio. I was in the kitchen entrance and facing the light switch. Since mom never used time outs for punishment, I cannot tell you why I was there facing the light switch. I cannot tell you how a 5 year old could be filled with shame and guilt, knowing that I was unworthy of Christ; yet, I remember that overwhelming feeling of unworthiness and need to have God in my life. Dr. DeHaan as he was well known for was explaining that the blood of Christ was shed to cover our guilt and sin and when the invitation came to ask Christ to come into my heart, I accepted Christ as My Savior. It has taken most of my Christian journey to begin to understand what it meant to be in Christ. I desired with all my heart to please Him. I wanted to gain His love and somehow felt that each time I had failed Him that perhaps He had saved me; but maybe I would never be good enough to earn His love. It was all that I desired. Still, each time I failed I feared His wrath would be poured out on me. I knew my salvation was by Grace, but believed that I still somehow needed to work diligently to gain His pleasure. That lack of understanding as to what it means to be in Christ became my stumbling block over the years. Still, it was His love and His Mercy which ever so gently began a work in me to transform me into the likeness of Christ–one glory at a time, tiny steps toward changing my heart, revealing to me the fullness of love that He had always had for me. As Christians too often we go about our journey without fully realizing who we are in Christ. Because we do not recognize the positions we hold as part of being the chosen bride of Christ, we go about our walk with the hesitancy, stumbling and falls that one sees in a small baby learning to walk. In fact I watch little Haley as her legs wobble beneath her. Her hands reach out to hold herself up to grasp hold of anything within her reach to steady that walk. How much like many years of my Christian walk, reaching, grasping to hold on to anything that could steady my walk and never fully recognizing the depth, the breadth, the heighth of God’s love that was holding me firm or the magnitude of all that I truly possessed as a result of my being In Christ. It is for that reason that I want to share with you from the Word of God, what positions are yours because you are in Christ. Only then can you boldly walk forth and live out the life that you have in Christ with confidence and strength of spirit. If you do not know Christ as your Savior, my prayer is that you will see His Glorious magnificence and will ask Him into your heart today.
As we looked at Paul’s final visit to the elders of the church of Ephesus, we saw many characteristic fruits that were displayed in Paul’s life as a result of Paul understanding and living forth his life in Christ. That phrase "In Christ" is first used referring to the ministry of Paul in Acts 24: "4 And after certain days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, which was a Jewess, he sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ." Yet that same phrase occurs over and over within the letters of Paul. This was the key pivotal truth of the gospel that there is no salvation through any other means but in Christ and Christ alone. Romans 3: "24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus." Yet, as Paul knew the positions we have as a result of our being in Christ were much more than just a key to get us into heaven–it was our very being, our joy, our hope and the only means that we have to live out this glorious gift that we have received. That is why Paul always taught the young believers about what great and mighty positions they possessed through faith in Christ. Were I to just list them, I fear you might as I did some time ago not grasp their significance; therefore we will go through them with a little more depth. Let us go to the book of Ephesians and begin with Chapter one while exploring the first 4 positions we hold as a result of our being in Christ.
Ephesians 1:
1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:
2 Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
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,
6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
Position #1: Saints. Because we are redeemed by the blood of Christ, we have been declared Saints. Our sainthood was purchased by Christ. Just as Paul wrote in Romans, Christ by paying our penalty for sin not only cleansed us of our unrighteousness but also clothed us in His Righteousness–declaring us to be saints (sanctified and filled with righteousness). So you might say, then why do I fail so much? Partly because you don’t believe it or grasp it. We choose so often to believe the other truth of "I am but a sinner saved by grace". We hold onto that concept of I am a sinner so we say “what does it matter whatever I try I will fail, so might as well not try anyway. It does not matter if I sin, because grace has saved me and it will not change my getting into heaven.” WRONG, WRONG, WRONG. The truth is I am a saint named so by Christ and until I recognize that, hold firm to that truth, believe that truth I will never allow His power in me to live a life reflecting that truth.
Position #2: Blessed. I am blessed with all spiritual blessings–joy, hope, faith, laughter, love, and peace are mine. Some might want to claim wealth, fame and the name it claim it game. But what we have is much greater than any counterfeit possession or counterfeit joy. Our spiritual blessings include all that which is in heaven and earth. An overflowing fountain of praise and worship to God, our Father and to Christ our Redeemer which fills us and overflows. Have you ever felt overwhelmingly moved at a worship service? Well that is nothing, absolutely nothing to compare with what we actually possess within us and what we will know when we stand before Him with His Glory, His Love, and His Joy.
Position #3: Chosen. Look at this and I wish I could on paper reflect the rising inflection of my voice as I tell you with abounding hope and joy "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:" He chose me. In love, He chose me. I will not tell you that I understand all there is to predestination; but I can say without a doubt and with utter amazement–He chose me. This unworthy, sometimes foolish, sometimes self centered, wretch that I am–He chose me. How did that little 5 year old understand her need of salvation, unless God revealed it to me. So once more–He chose me and He has never let go of me. That changes everything. Every day I must fall down before Him who loved me so and sing as the words of the song sung by Phillips, Craig, and Dean in "Your Grace Still Amazes me". Listen to these words, "Your grace still amazes me, your love is still a mystery, each day I fall on my knees because your grace still amazes me." When I realize that He chose me how could I not fall prostate before Him and offer Him all of my heart, my mind, my life so that He can use it as He wills.
Position #4: Child of God. I was adopted into His family as His child and joint-heir with Jesus Christ. That is no little deal. I was picked up off the street, chosen and carried into the Royal Palace of the King of the Universe, the Creator of all and am called His Child. Look at who my Daddy is? Romans 8: "14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together." So why would I ever want to put back on my filthy robes and eat out of trash cans again when my Daddy has everything I could ever need. Metaphorically that is exactly what we do when we fail to recognize our position as a child of God and dig around in lusts, greed, desires, and lasciviousness searching for joy when we already possess it in Christ. All we really need to do is sit quietly at the feet of our Father, learning of Him, talking with Him to experience full joy and possess all that we need. What do I really need besides Him?
These 4 positions are only a few of those we will discover and claim through this series; but, let me ask you a question.
Dear Child of God–Chosen, Blessed, Saint; why would you ever be downcast? Why would you ever accept defeat? Why would you ever chase after futile desires when you have everything you desire In Christ? Do you know who you are in Christ? Then, rest in these truths and let them fill you so that they will overflow like fountains of life spilling forth for a world who needs Him to see.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXVUYC_ykwE (Preview) "Your Grace Still Amazes Me"