Ephesians: Who You are in Christ, You are in Christ [Part 2]

The reason you can be assured I have faith quickening your heart when you go to bed tonight you belong to God, all the blessings belong to you is because you're in Christ and Christ and that the son and the father had made a covenant that can never be broken during Christ Esther author and Bible teacher Ellen Wright. Welcome to shearing the program of healing and hope shearing.

The good news of what God is done for us in Jesus Christ were also to hear Allen's message in a series called Ephesians if you're not able to stay with us throughout the entire program I want to make sure that you know how to get our special resource. Right now it can be yours for your donation this month to shearing the as you listen to today's message go deeper as we send you today special offer. Contact us@shearingthe.org or call 877-544-4860. More on this later program but now, starting with today's teaching here is Alan writing to be in Christ means to be in the family of Christ for if I can put it figuratively.

It'd be to have the DNA of Christ in a minute, figuratively, spiritually speaking, the way the Bible describes the human situation is actually quite simple, as if there was originally one man that was created and this is why it's important that we do understand there was literally a moment in time in which God made the first human being. There was a first human being and his name was Adam and Adam and the mystery of God's design therefore became the father of all humanity.

In other words, if you were to if you would be able to do this and trace use trace your heritage back then you'd find out that your every single one of us had the same great great great great great great great great great great great great great great thousand times great great grandfather Adam so you could say in a very real and literal sense. Every human being that's been born has been born and Adam. We all came from Adam. Every single one of us. And here's the problem.

Adam fell into sin, and so everyone that was born in Adam was born in sin because of Adam's sin is sweet and beautiful fellowship with God was interrupted and Adam experienced distance from God because of his own rebellion to every single human being is born in Adam. There born in sin there born. The distance from God and what the Bible says that when Jesus came that he came as a human being like a second Adam, the difference was that this second Adam, Jesus fully human, never sent. He never once did anything that was wrong so someone could be in the second Adam, then instead of being in sin, they would be in his holiness. What happens when you except Jesus Christ is that you are transferred from being in Adam to being in the second Adam, your transfer for being in sin, to being in Christ. So the first way to understanding in Christ as a means you're in the family of Christ.

You are in the lineage you're in and the DNA of Christ. The second way that vision it, it means that you are legally connected to Christ if it means that you are incorporated into Christ on a business person could understand this word incorporated because it it it's what it is what a business does to grant itself. A whole new set of laws by which it operates as an incorporated entity. It means that their tax laws are different and it means that no individual in the Corporation is therefore individually liable if the Corporation so it's like even as a church, though we are a nonprofit, we are incorporated and so what that means is if somebody should ever sue the church, imagine such a thing that no individual is being sued is a corporation is incorporated in meeting into an incorporation comes from the word for body in corpus so it means your into a body to be in Christ means that you are incorporated into the body of Christ. You are legally, permanently, legally connected to Christ. So in a spiritual sense is understand when I just incorporated in a legal sense as a church we are incorporated spiritually we are incorporated together all love it I love it as you see what this means is if you're part of the Corporation that every single one who is part of the Corporation every shareholder and it effect Corporation is doing well. Every single one of them benefits and what it means is if there's persecution that arises then those are your incorporated with they share the fight against the persecution you see what this means beloved. What this means is because your incorporated in Christ means that there is no benefit that is granted to Christ that you do not share in that. If you are persecuted and you suffer Jesus is persecuted and suffers with you when Saul of Tarsus when Jesus came and visited him no Saul that later became the apostle Paul when Jesus came and revealed himself to not why do you persecute those Christians.

He said Saul.

Saul, when you persecute me because every single Christian in the first century and every single Christian now and ever sent an incorporated into Christ himself all the benefits that are bestowed upon Christ become yours in any persecution that you endure. He stands with you the God of the universe. Thirdly, it not only means that your legally connected.

It means you're intimately connected with Christ. Imagine, as we have been with all of the fairytale stories of a young woman who is very poor and she goes to work at a very rich estate and while there she she and the sign of the rich land owner. They fall in love and they are eventually married and the father loves his only son so much that when he marries this young the servant girl that she becomes part of the family, not just legally because of intimate love relationship.

And so now her status changes totally because she's married to the father's son and she's accepted in a whole new way. Because the sun is so beloved of the father that now you would say of this. What used to be servant girl that she is now accepted in the beloved.

That's what happened for you spiritually is not just that there's been a legal incorporation into Christ.

But there is an intimate love relationship you're in Christ.

He loves you and the father's love for the son is such that even if the father didn't set his love upon you from the foundation of the world he would love you except to because he loves his own son so much and you're married to him forcefully, it means to be in Christ. That year, and the citizenship of Christ's kingdom is like saying I'm an American and therefore I have many rights just because I was born into this magnificent country have many rights. If you're American you have the right to vote in this country. If you're if you're not a citizen of this country. You know how to write about, correct. I have a right to a fair trial. If I'm accused of something and and I don't even walk around every day necessarily having to think about these rights but I take one thing of sin is one of those rights is violated, then I know stand up and say no I'm an American citizen and I have these rights say what because it because I'm in America.

I am a citizen of America and effective are in a foreign country and in our even being mistreated.

There is first thing I would say to them. I am an American citizen and what I mean by that I mean like if you miss treat me the entire country of the United States of America is behind me and I didn't do anything to earn that I just was born as a citizen of these United States. What happens when your Christian is that you are born again in your born-again into a new citizenship of the kingdom of Christ.

Here in Christ in the way that your if you're an American venture in America. Your you're in Christ. The way in which you're in citizenship of the country and therefore all the rights and privileges belong to you. Fifthly, to say that you're in Christ means that you are represented by Christ who is your champion.

He is your advocate. He is your representative and what I means is that what he does. He does really for you as if it were you even though it is not you that's what a true representative.where we learned about this wonderfully. In recent years is from the story of David and Goliath, David, who is sent by his father from Bethlehem to take Brad to his fearful brothers who received him not. And yet David goes out to fight against Goliath on behalf of the whole army. It was a battle of champions the Philistine army said were going to send out our best warrior you send out your best where and what the two representatives fight it out and whichever one of those two representatives. Those two champions wins, they win it for the whole army in the Army is there representing the whole nation, and so the two representatives when it or lose it for the whole nation that sound right. You're listening to sharing the will have more teaching from today's important theory think Eli really think you see yourself is my first time. You might as well do nothing worthwhile if UCSF is treasured in your investor stuff with joy as you become free spirit determines how you read the right ministries to listen to Allen's messages from jive with your digital Dharma is our way of saying sphere partnership visions drinking discover who you are, according to God and to finally find out who you really are, 877-544-4860 or come to my website sharing the right leg. You're listening to sharing the today's teaching now continues once again is Alan Wright to misunderstand that when David goes out to fight Goliath.

He carries with him the entire nation of Israel. He carries in him represented by him.

The whole people of God. And so when he defeats Goliath. He defeats Goliath on behalf of Ethel champion and representative of the army of Israel and therefore the whole people of God are victorious and is not that they just seem victorious they actually are victorious because David has actually won the battle. That's why they let out a war cry and they chased the Philistines down for 10 miles and they plunder them because they are the victorious army.

It wasn't something they actually did, but because there representative did it. They actually won this thing so if you have a lawyer who goes to court and plead the case for you, then that lawyer is your representative are your advocate is actually as if it were you before the judge and this is who Jesus says so to be in Christ means you have an advocate, you have an advocate in the heavenly's forever you have a champion you have a representative. Whatever Jesus represents to the father is is as if it were you. Whatever Jesus represents in defending you against the accuser's threats. It is as if it were you.

He is the one the sinless one who died for you rose from the grave to prove eternal power over death that one reigns in power is your advocate, you're in Christ. He's your representative. It means also number six that to be in Christ is to be in an unbreakable covenant that's been established by Christ and unbreakable covenant that's been established by Christ. The beautiful picture of this that we've seen over the years is another David story. It's a story about David being in a covenant relationship with his best friend Jonathan. Jonathan was the son of the evil King Saul and David and Jonathan made a covenant and Jonathan said I'm going warn you and protect you from my father's jealousy and what I want you to do. David is once I'm gone I want you to show steadfast love to my descendents and they loved each other's our own souls and they made a covenant with agreements of benefits to one another and was it was about deep, deep friendship love that they share so what happened was Saul and Jonathan were killed and David was exalted to the throne, and one day he's walking around the palace and David just just over the chief thing on his mind was a covenant is a citizen or anybody left of the house of Saul, that I could bless for Jonathan sake, and whether there was a when they found a man that David never met a man they my favorite chef good been hiding who was disabled who was feeling ashamed and was extremely frightened. They brought him to the palace and David said, because I made a covenant with your father, Jonathan, you're going to be eating at my table, as if you are one of my sons for the rest of your life this evening know who my favorite chef was, and it didn't really matter if my favorite chef could do anything for David or not, because the benefits again of my favorite chef came because of unbreakable covenant between Jonathan and between David and the favorite chef became the recipient of those covenantal blessings what's happen for us. Beloved is it the father made a covenant with the sun and in the sun kept up his end of the covenant. He never said he never disobeyed. He went to the cross and he rose from the dead and what it means is that therefore anybody that accepts Christ is in Christ, and Christ, having been an eternal insufferable covenant with the father. Therefore, anyone who's in him is also in that covenant and is an unbreakable covenant because this covenant didn't have anything to do with your performance, whether you have a good day or a bad day you can't break this continent. The reason that you can be assured when you wake up in the morning that you belong to God and all of his blessings are for you and the reason that you can be assured and have faith.

Quickening your heart when you go to bed tonight you belong to God and all the blessings belong to you is because you're in Christ and Christ and that the son and the father had made a covenant that can never be broken. You're in Christ and finally it means this and I know it means much more, but these seven things I just illustrate to you. It means that you are qualified by Christ to be an Christ was to be qualified by Christ glasses once as you have been qualified for your inheritance in the saints.

In this kingdom of his own beloved son you have been legally qualified that this position has been earned for you and it has been given to you and therefore it's yours. If Michael Phelps is the best swimmer in the world and he's on a related relay team and they win Olympic gold medal. They don't just put the gold medal around Michael Phelps neck they give it to everyone on the team and other teammates might say, well we won because we got the best swimmer in the world on our team, but the fact of the matter is that they were qualified for the gold medal even though it was because they were in partnership with Michael Phelps there just as much deserving of the gold medal.

When this is what is happened for us in Christ you have actually been qualified you been qualified for every spiritual blessing in Christ you have been qualified for every spiritual blessing in Christ is and is happened because of what Christ is done for you this this is extraordinary news.

Resist completely takes you out of the picture. In terms of whether or not you have up. They are down day and instead it puts everything squarely simply purely upon just our capacity to believe such an extraordinary thing just is just to have faith in.

This is actually come to pass.

We have been qualified, but it doesn't just mean that you been qualified legally it means that you have also been actually qualified by being empowered by the investment of the Holy Spirit into your life the very power of God. The Dumas of God, the power of God himself qualifies you.

You not only have a badge of authority, but your you.

You also have the Dumas the power of that authority that accompanies it is who we are in Christ all my oh if we can only know this. We have both fixed sushi of the authority of what is been done to qualify us but we also have the power of the Holy Spirit, the God of the universe you're an Christ. Christ in you, I saw this little boy the beach this past week.

He was two years old, probably, and he was standing at the at the serfs edge in the little ways, just touching his toes and he was just looking out to ocean and I and and they look cute little thing caught my attention. I looked up from a book and and I looked at her and all of a sudden he was just crying the top of his lungs little thing with your Savior. Just he was heartbroken and he was just wailing and it was just pointing out in the ocean and saw look out of the ocean and what I see is that there's as bad, just waving at him. His dad could tell this was the only child you know in the family and first-time dad. I know exactly what the feeling is like I'm going to get five messages swim in this ocean in a without having this with baby Omar library at five minutes to myself, but he couldn't get five minutes to himself because he had a little toddler standards.

This guy is no.

Why cannot be with my father where he is.

The waves were too big for him. And as for me I just thought you know I couldn't do it because I'm a stranger and you then they come and arrest me or something but I wanted to go to get the little boy just came out to his father enough though I was wishing was if he had a big brother. You know, maybe a much older big brother, strong strapping, you know kid to come and pick him up and just carry them out through to his father somebody that could qualify him to go and be where his father is in the deep counsel to know the Holy Spirit has been poured out into your life and you know I been qualified legally but you have the very spirit of the living God in you to carry you into the deep places where the father is there. You may be also. All what this means. I wish I could read to you 216 references I give you a few of them.

Your faith is in Christ, your redemption is an Christ Romans three, Romans six, you're alive in Christ.

Romans 623 you have eternal life in Christ.

Romans eight no condemnation for you in Christ you're free in Christ you cannot be separated from God's love Romans 12 you are all one body in Christ. Romans 16 you are approved by God in Christ you're approved by God in Christ you're sanctified in Christ you been chosen and Christ resurrected in Christ, triumphant and cry second print has 214 veils been lifted for you in Christ, your new creation second print has 517 in Christ reconciled to God in Christ you have a liberty Galatians 2 for an Christ justified by faith in Christ. Galatians 216 sons and daughters of God in Christ. You're all one in Christ, raised a heavenly places. Ephesians 2 in Christ created for good works. Ephesians 2 in Christ been brought near to God. You can partake in God's promises.

Ephesians 3 you been forgiven in Christ you have been made the righteousness of God in Christ, your heart and your mind is guarded by peace in Christ. Philippians 47 all your needs will be supplied according to God's riches in Christ, your complete in Christ, your faith is stable. Colossians 25 says in Christ. You can give thanks in everything.

First Thessalonians 518 says in Christ. You can endure all things for the sake of others in Christ.

Those who revile you, because your faith will be put to shame.

In Christ first Peter three on and on it goes. This is who you are.

You are in Christ, so if you take a selfie make sure you do it with the lens of the word of God tells you you are during Christ in this you're listening to shearing the line while today's teaching as we kick off a brand-new series and Ephesians.

You are in Christ. Please stay with this.

Alan is back in a moment with additional insight on this for your life and the final word you think Eli really think about how you see yourself as you see yourself as my friends then you might as well do nothing worthwhile in your investor stuff with joy to become that I'm free determines how you read to get to see in the right mysteries to listen to Allen's messages from guys with your digital Dharma is our way of saying things for your partnership. Galatians drinking discover who you are, according to God. Time to finally find out who you really are, at 877-544-4860 or come to my website sharing the right leg is teaching from Ephesians is really going to boost our self-esteem, but it's not what we've done where we find this this movement. This dissatisfaction in Christ and knowing how he's called us and named us the modern secular self-esteem movement had a piece of the biblical truth, but only a piece of it and why it would come up short is that when we simply try to tell ourselves where good and yet we know that we still sin. We wonder how can that be true and what were seen as something much deeper than that. And this is our invitation. Everyone listening is to deeply, deeply meditate upon who you are in Christ. You really do have a new identity at your new creature and it has changed everything that Jesus has died.

So what this means is this not the sinner simply trying to boost his esteem.

It is the one who's been called us saying discovering. We really are always encouraged to hear from you whether you visit online sharing the thought or or call 877 like again shearing the.OR G or call 877L IG HT 60 get Allen writes daily shearing the devotional in your inbox each morning when you sign up at shearing the who Archie this is been sharing the light Helen right listener supported production of sharing the likeness