How is one "in Christ"?

[Dr. Walter]

My friends,

The Lord Jesus addressed his disciples as "friends" and so I hope you are not offended if I address you as "my friends."
How do you believe we become "in Christ" and is this the true relationship/position of all true believers before as well as after the cross?

 

[Dr. Walter]

In Christ Redemptively

Is there a difference between being "in Christ" redemptively versus "in Christ" representatively/metaphorically/publicly?

 

[Iconoclast]

Dr.Walter,
here is another quote from A Baptist Catechism....with commentary By WR.Downing

The believer’s union with Christ is determinative for his Christian
experience. Union with Christ, as a revealed truth in Scripture, is necessarily a
union in both our Lord’s death and his resurrection. Both aspects are essential
to the reality of one’s Christian experience. (Cf. Rom. 6:1–14). What is the
exact significance of being brought into union with our Lord’s death? The
answer is given in detail in Romans 6:1–10, 14; Col. 2:20; 3:1–5ff; 1 Pet.
2:24; 4:1–2. Carefully mark the Gk. verbs in Rom. 6:2–10. They are all in the
aorist tense and ought to be translated as a past event [“died” rather than
“dead” or “are dead”] to be reckoned as an objective, present reality, not a
merely possible state which is to be sought as a subjective religious
experience, i.e., “are enabled more and more to die unto sin.” The inescapable
conclusion is that union in the death of Christ necessarily means that the
reigning power of sin has been broken in the life of the believer—every
believer. The Scriptures neither teach a two–stage salvation or sanctification,
nor do they contrast a “carnal” and “spiritual” Christian as normal to the
Christian life. Some of the Corinthians were called “carnal” because they
looked to men as their ideal rather than our Lord (1 Cor. 3:1–4). In Romans,
the contrast is between the converted and unconverted (Rom. 8:1–11).

it is available here:http://www.lulu.com/product/paperbac...entary/6135589

 

[Iconoclast]

DR.W
here is JL.Dagg on this

2. The union of believers with Christ is indissoluble. His love holds them fast. "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ," &c.[181] "Having loved his own, he loved them to the end."[182] "His power holds them fast; neither shall any pluck them out of my hand."[183] Such is their union to him, that their life is said to be in him, and he is called their life.[184] The life of the risen Jesus, is the life of his people, and such is their union with him, as to render this life operative in them.: "If when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life."[185] As his death was efficacious to bring us into a state of reconciliation with God, his life, now that he has been raised from the dead, and is ever living to make intercession for us, and is the source of our life, hid in the Godhead, will much more preserve us in this state of reconciliation, and secure our final and complete salvation.

 

[Dr. Walter]

Thank you for your response and I certainly agree with Bro. Downing in what he has said as well as with Bro. Dagg. However, neither address the believer before Pentecost in these statements.

Do you believe Abraham was "in Christ" as much as you are "in Christ" redemptively (Rom. 8:9)?

 

[kyredneck]

... Do you believe Abraham was "in Christ" as much as you are "in Christ" redemptively (Rom. 8:9)?

.............I do........

 

[Dr. Walter]

I do tooooo (Gal. 3:17 "in Christ").

.............I do........

 

[kyredneck]

I do tooooo (Gal. 3:17 "in Christ").

Know therefore that they that are of faith, the same are sons of Abraham. And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all the nations be blessed. So then they that are of faith are blessed with the faithful Abraham. Gal 3:7-9

 

[Iconoclast]

Yes

39And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:

40God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.

39And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.

40And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

56Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.

57Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?

58Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.


Ot saints received Christ through faith in the promised seed,{Jesus}which you men have already posted.

Ot saints always looked for the promised seed;

25And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth: For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew.

On the last day,the one complete body of Christ will actually assemble.

16Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,

 

[Iconoclast]

Actually Dagg makes reference to Romans 8;

28And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

29For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

30Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

31What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

32He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

33Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.

34Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

36As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

37Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

38For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

39Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

This passage covers all of the elect for all time'for whom
he did foreknow
Pastor Downing does as well in the commentary I copied from.I just am limited as to how much I can copy and paste. It is a wonderful study tool.
Here is the church website....it has many helpful sermons, and some free literature on it. www.SGBCSV.ORG

 

[pinoybaptist]

Thank you for your response and I certainly agree with Bro. Downing in what he has said as well as with Bro. Dagg. However, neither address the believer before Pentecost in these statements.

Do you believe Abraham was "in Christ" as much as you are "in Christ" redemptively (Rom. 8:9)?

Every child of God, elect from the foundation of the world, is "in Christ" as much as those elect children of God, still to be born.
This is why none will be lost.

 

[Dr. Walter]

I certainly agree with you. Now, that being the case, is spiritual union with Christ one and the same as being made a member of some kind of church?

Every child of God, elect from the foundation of the world, is "in Christ" as much as those elect children of God, still to be born.
This is why none will be lost.

 

[pinoybaptist]

I certainly agree with you. Now, that being the case, is spiritual union with Christ one and the same as being made a member of some kind of church?

short answer: no.

 

[percho]

To Abraham and his seed were the promises made.

I also think the beggar into Abraham's bosom was in Christ or would be today.
He died in a positional way to Abraham that the dead in Christ are to Christ relative to inheritance of the kingdom of God.

See also Rom. 8:9-11

 

[Dr. Walter]

Again, I agree with you.

short answer: no.

 

[percho]

Again, I agree with you.

What if that kind of church is the body of Christ?