In Christ

As I was thinking and reflecting on the believer's security in Christ yesterday, my thoughts turned to Ephesians chapter 1.  Honestly, if you call yourself a Christian and you can read this chapter and not be moved in thankfulness to worship "to the praise of His glory", you may need to either examine yourself spiritually and/or physically - in both cases you may be dead!  

Today Justin Taylor shows what I mean; he writes:

It’s well known that Ephesians 1:3-14 is one long sentence in Greek. The following is from the ESV but I’ve made some of the pronouns more explicit to highlight the way in which Paul sees the Christian life—from before the foundation of the world to eternity—as bound up with the idea of union with Christ.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.

In love God predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.

In Christ we have redemption through Christ’s blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in Christ, things in heaven and things on earth.

In Christ we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.

In Christ you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in Christ, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

Are there two more beautiful words to know, hear, speak, and feel than "In Christ"?  For the believer, there is not.  Christ is our hope, and in Christ we are secure.

"Prone to wander Lord I feel it, prone to leave the God I love.  Here's my heart Lord take and seal it, seal it for thy courts above."

Love in the Truth.