Know Who You Are in Christ

Know Who You Are in Christ

It seems as each day goes by, I encounter more and more Christians who do not know who they are in Christ. Friends, to know God, the first thing, the only thing, that needs to be done is to believe that Jesus Christ came to save sinners and to trust in His finished work. Let's go through this:

This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief - 1 Tim 1:15

How did Jesus Christ save sinners? This is the good news in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4:

1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.

Faith alone saves. No amount of works can save. Need more scriptural support?
Romans 4:4-5
4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness

Ephesians 2:8-9
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast

Acts 16:30b-31
30b Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

So then there is no work to be done to get into Heaven because Jesus did it all. What happens at the moment of salvation?

Colossians 2:8-15
8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
9 For in him (Jesus) dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:
11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:
12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.
13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
14 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;
15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

Also read Ephesians 1-3 for even more detail. So, can we trust any of this?

Numbers 23:19
19 God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

Titus 1:1-3
1 Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness;
2 In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;
3 But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour

Hebrews 6:18
18 That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us

God can't lie, clearly. And all of the bible is the Word of God:

2 Timothy 3:16-17
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God (literally God-breathed), and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

John 17:17
Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth - (Jesus' prayer to God the Father while in His earthly ministry).

Since all of the bible is true then, how do we understand it?

2 TImothy 2:15
15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Philippians 1:9-10
9 And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;
10 That ye may approve things that are excellent (literally test the things that differ); that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ.

Acts 17:11
17 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

I would encourage any reader to search the scriptures diligently, noting which things are for us today and which are not. Knowing who you are in Christ and developing that relationship is the most joyful and liberating thing we get to have in this world! The Word of God CAN be trusted. The question is, where is your faith and trust today? Is it in God's Word or something else?