Do you not yourselves realize and know [thoroughly by an ever-increasing experience] that Jesus Christ is in you.

2 Corinthians 13:5 (AMP)

 

“We are in Christ and Christ is in us” is an ever-present reality for all Christians, but not all Christians live as if it is. If we are unsure of who we are and what we have in Christ, we will have a distorted view of the Christian life.

When we say, “we are in Christ,” we are referring to our complete rest in what Christ has done for us through His finished work. This relates to our justification or right standing with God.

When we say, “Christ is in us,” we are implying Christ is working in and through us for our good and His glory. This refers to our sanctification or right living before God.

Justification precedes sanctification.

It is because we are justified that we may live a holy life. In this sense, holiness is a gift to be accepted rather than a goal to be attained. A spiritual mark of our sonship in Christ is the desire to be holy as our heavenly Father is holy. This makes obedience easy and light, not burdensome, and legalistic.

Obedience is a fruit of experiencing God's love, not a way of earning God's love. His Spirit will produce in us the character of Jesus, who exemplifies what it is to truly obey God with true joy and trust (Philippians 2:5-11).

Continue to grow in the revelation of who you are and what you have in Christ. Learn to understand the beauty of being united in Christ and be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Remember this, we do not grow to be more complete in Christ. We simply grow in our knowledge and understanding of our completeness.