The Final Events.
In Christ.
Part Forty-nine in a Series.
https://secondcoming.org/blog/
The key phrase that runs throughout Paul’s epistles some 64 times is the recurring phrase, the central theme of Paul’s theology, which is the expression “in Christ” or “in Christ Jesus”. This phrase is sometimes expressed by other synonymous phrases such as in Him, by Him, through Him, in the Beloved, together with Him, etc. If these phrases were removed from Paul’s writings, there would be very little left of Paul’s exposition of the good news of the gospel.
It is most important to understand what Paul means by the phrase in Christ or its equivalent. They are the foundational words of the gospel. Failure to understand them deprives believers of fully understanding the incredibly good news of the Everlasting Gospel and robs them of the joy, peace, and assurance of salvation.
There is nothing we have as Christians except we have it in Christ. Everything we enjoy and hope for as believers- the immediate and continuing joys of Justification by Faith, the ongoing experience of Sanctification, and the hope of Glorification– are ours only in Christ.
“But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages He might show the incomparable riches of His grace, expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2: 4-7
Outside of Him we have nothing but sin, condemnation, and death.
“Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people.” Romans 5:18
“And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.” Ephesians 2:1-3
The phrase in Christ is based on Biblical solidarity, which simply means “the many in one.”
Scripture clearly teaches that God created all mankind in one man, Adam, and the word Adam means mankind in Hebrew.
“This is the book of the genealogy of Adam. In the day that God created man, He made him in the likeness of God. He created them male and female and blessed them and called them Mankind in the day they were created.” Genesis 5: 1-2
The word man is Adam in the original.
“And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth and has determined their pre-appointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings.” Acts 17:26.
In the same way Paul refers to Christ as the last Adam.
“And so, it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.” 1Corinthians 15:45.
Like the first Adam, Christ also represented and substituted the entire human race in His work of redemption.
Consequently, when Adam sinned, it affected the entire human race in four ways: sin, alienation, condemnation, and death.
But the incredibly good news of the everlasting gospel is that, when Christ came to this world, over 2000 years ago, He came to reverse the damage of the first Adam and redeem the entire human race.
Hallelujah!
The Final Events will end with the splendor of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ also known as the Parousia. The Signs of Parousia are detailed in the Final Events Blog series and emphasize the Imminent Return and Second Coming of Jesus Christ, and the Love of the Father for all mankind.
God re-wrote the history of mankind through the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, changing its legal status from condemnation unto death to justification unto life.
This this is what the truth as it is in Christ is all about.
“But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification. For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life.” Romans 5: 15-18
“For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.” 1 Corinthians 15: 21- 22.
The Final Events.
In Christ.
Part Forty-nine in a Series.
https://secondcoming.org/blog/
The Final Events will end with the splendor of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ also known as the Parousia. The Signs of Parousia are detailed in the Final Events Blog series and emphasize the Imminent Return and Second Coming of Jesus Christ, and the Love of the Father for all mankind.