In Christ, Part 6 - A United Identitity

In the last five posts, we've been seeing that we have a new identity now in Christ.
We've been forgiven and delivered from the power of sin.
We've been given a brand new heavenly nature.
And we've been glorified and made into conquerors of this world's system.
All of this because we are now identified in Christ.

But today, we're going to step out to the side and talk of another joined identity that we're a part of. You see, you are not the only one who's in Christ! You're one of millions of new creatures, created in Christ Jesus, and called to share the same identity.

In Christ, you're united with other believers.

No More Divided Identities

Ephesians 2:13 "But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ."

Think of how incredible the church of God is. Hundreds of millions of different people have been brought into the same brand new life together.

   -People from all different centuries of history

   -People from all different regions and cultures of the world

   -People of all colors, sizes, and ages

   -Men and women together

   -Wealthy and poor together

   -People of different popularity, different interests, and different personalities

   -Each of us with our own unique, and yet redeemed, past life

All of us have been united together in Christ!

In this new life, we've been joined together with each other...you and I are now identified together in Christ! Whatever divided us from each other has been crucified with our old life...and now we share the same resurrected life with Jesus. This is why Paul said this in Galatians 3:28, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, their is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ."

"Jew nor Greek" - This eliminates any kind of racial or cultural division in Christ

"Slave nor Free" - This eliminates any kind of social or economic division in Christ

"Male nor female" - This eliminates any kind of gender superiority or conflict in Christ

So while the world struggles with conflict between different people groups and tries to find common ground with each other....we've already been united in Christ! In fact, we're so united in Him, that we're all called members of His body on earth.

Romans 12:5 "...so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another."

Ephesians 3:6 "...that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ..."

My brother, my sister....you and I are members of each other. We may never have met. We may not even be naturally aware of each other. But in Christ, you are a part of me and I'm a part of you. 

Built Up Into God's House

Another picture in the New Testament to describe our relationship to each other is the example of a spiritual house - assembled from living stones.

1 Peter 2:5 "...you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house..."

Ephesians 2:21 "...in Whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord..."

This analogy of a spiritual house is similar to the idea of being members the same body.

In the same way that a body has individual members, a house has individual stones.

Just like a body needs all of the members functioning, a house would be incomplete (and even weakened) with missing stones.

The difference between the body of Christ and the house of God, though, is a matter of scale:

The body of Christ is universal and includes the church around the world.

The house of God is local and describes every group of believers that gather together in Jesus' name.

Take a minute, stop reading this post, and look up 1 Timothy 3:14-15. Seriously, you need to see this for yourself - because I don't want you to take my word for it when I point something out.

Did you look it up? Come back here when you're done....

Notice that Paul identifies the church as the house of God.

In context, what was he talking about when he said "church"? It wasn't some global body of believers, was it? No, it was a local congregation of believers that gathered together. Whenever they came together, that congregation became a church, which was the house of God. This is still how it works with us today!

When you got in Christ, you were set in a local church. Regardless of whether you choose to attend or not, you were intended to be a stone in that local house of God. This is where we come to your responsibility in Christ. You don't want to be a missing stone in the house! God is gracious, but He will finish what He started. If you won't get in your place, He won't leave it open. He will find another stone - someone who'll submit to His plan.

Don't let offense drive you out of your place.

Don't let laziness keep you from gathering together with the other living stones in your house.

In Christ, you've been commanded, "Don't forsake the assembling of yourselves together!"

This new life you now have in Christ is not a solitary one.

In Christ, you've been united to every other believer around the world - whether you know them or not.

In Christ, you've been joined together with other brothers and sisters into a local house - a church!