All in Christ
Aug 30, 2014
Anyone who’s gone to school knows about the scientific method. While the scientific method is mainly used in, as you can probably guess… science, we can use this method in many different aspects of our life. The two things that stick out to me are the variables and the constants that you have in an experiment. Your variables are the objects in an experiment that are subject to change. Variables are the things that will be affected. The constant is never changing. The constant is your compass, so to speak, for going in the right direction. In our lives and in the world around us there are variables that are always changing, breaking us down, misleading us, and causing us to stumble. But the constant in our lives as Christians, is Christ. When we go through the changes, the obstacles, the pain, the suffering, and hard times in life, we are equipped to conquer them because we are in Christ.
“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.” – Romans 5:1-11
While we were still sinners, we were ENEMIES OF GOD. But because of his VAST LOVE for us, He reconciled us through Christ WHILE WE WERE STILL SINNERS and saved our lives. Now, because Christ lives in us we are adopted children of God. If this isn’t grace then I don’t know what is. If while we were enemies God loved us so much to humble himself, take on human likeness, and die to give us life, how can He love us all the more now that we are reconciled?? GRACE. By His grace He loves us even more. Every blessing, every gift, every talent, every opportunity is an overflow of the Father’s love. BY HIS GRACE FOR HIS GLORY.
“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” – 2 Corinthians 12:9-10
In our insufficiency Christ interceded and made us sufficient through him.
“For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” – 1 Corinthians 1:26-31
We are in Christ. Christ is our wisdom, our righteousness, our sanctification, our redemption. It’s by grace we have been saved. God didn’t just stumble across us and pick us up. He wasn’t obligated to come down in human likeness so that we might decide to live in Him. He CHOSE us. In the midst of our foolishness, our weakness, and our sin He chose to save us. It’s by His love that we are saved, by His mercy we are cleansed, and by His grace we are righteous, sanctified, and redeemed IN CHRIST.