In previous posts we caught a glimpse of how the Father views the Son. The Trinity is God, the eternal family of three distinct Persons in One. In the Father and Son post we saw clearly the Father’s thoughts about the Son. We also saw the Father’s purpose through the work of the Son, 1 Cor. and Col. Eph. 1:9-10 also brings out God’s purpose through the Son. Wuest, ” having made known to us the mystery of His (the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ) will according to that which seemed good to Him, which good thing He purposed in Himself, with respect to an administration of the completion of the epochs of time to bring back again to their original state all things IN THE CHRIST, the things in the heavens and the things on the earth, in Him, in whom we also were made an inheritance, having been previously marked out according to the purpose of the One who operates all things according to the counsel of His will”.
According to God, the source of ultimate objective reality, the death of His Son on the cross not only paid our sin debt in full but also brought us into His family by the Spirit placing us ‘into Christ’. Of course this became true of us individually as we understood our lost condition before a Holy, righteous God and embraced His revelation of His Son and His completed work on the cross, the only way of our being accepted by God. From that moment on God has viewed us, seen us, dwelt with us and has treated us according to His declaration that we are “in Christ”.
It is God’s purpose that we “grow in the gave and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ”. Who Christ is to the Father is the key to understanding who Christ is to us. Last post we looked at a few verses bringing out who Christ is to the Father. Because of all that He is to the Father, He is the following (and the list could go on and on) to us. God’s grace was freely bestowed on us, IN CHRIST …..Our life is, IN CHRIST ….. Our acceptance is, IN CHRIST ….. Our sanctification is, IN CHRIST ….. Our hope is, IN CHRIST ….. The spiritual blessings are, IN CHRIST …..The consolation is, IN CHRIST ….. Our peace with God is is, IN CHRIST ….. The new creation (speaking of redeemed people) is, IN CHRIST ….. God’s promises are, IN CHRIST ….. The “no condemnation” is, IN CHRIST ….. The one body (speaking of the church) is, IN CHRIST ….. The “no separation” is, IN CHRIST ….. The helpers together are, IN CHRIST ….. The churches are, IN CHRIST ….. The believing dead are, IN CHRIST ….. We are complete, IN CHRIST …. And and as those being, IN CHRIST ….. God is constantly working in us, through everything, in every way to us being ever more fully conformed to the image of His Son. Positionally in Gods mind we are “IN CHRIST”, and because of that reality, God is working in us so that we here on earth are more Christlike. Of course that means the usual characteristics we think of as being Christlike, but the heart of where God is going with us is that we live by His life, in His love, that very same life and that very same love in which and and by which the Lord Jesus lived as Son of Man while here on earth. The Father invites us to live in the fellowship of the Trinity because of His love for His Beloved Son.
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