Being “in Christ” means walking as Jesus did. Jesus of course fulfilled the Law by keeping the two greatest commandments and loving God with all of His heart and loving His neighbor as Himself. So it can be said that being “in Christ” is keeping the two greatest commandments. These two commandments are equivalent to, or sum up the entire law of God. In other words, every commandment of God is fulfilled when a person keeps those two commandments. There are many commandments in the bible. When Jesus said they were all fulfilled or summed up when we love God and our neighbor He was showing us that many of the Old Testament commandments were physical representations of spiritual truth.
-- New American Standard 1 John 5:20 And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding, in order that we might know Him who is true, and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.
Jesus has come and given us understanding so that Christians may know God, and to know God is eternal life, John 17:3.
-- New American Standard John 17:3 "And this is eternal life, that they may know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent.
Jesus gives us this understanding (giving us the mind of Christ) by indwelling the believer, Colossians 3:10.
-- New American Standard Colossians 3:10 and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him
This conformation to the image of Christ has to do with the acquisition of knowledge and understanding.
The Grace and Peace of God are multiplied or increased in the life of the individual believer through the knowledge of God and Jesus Christ, 2 Peter 1:2.
-- New American Standard 2 Peter 1:2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; 3. seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. 4. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, in order that by them you might become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.
If a person wants more of the grace and peace of God in their lives the Apostle Peter tells us how to get it. A Christian is encouraged to take advantage of the promise referenced in these verses and learn more about God the Father and Jesus Christ.
This is accomplished by reading the word the bible.
-- New American Standard Ephesians 5:26 that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,
Not solely through knowledge does this cleansing happen. It is contingent upon the renewing of the Holy Spirit.
-- New American Standard Titus 3:5 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,
The way Jesus indwells a person is explained by the Apostle Peter in acts 3:19 - 21.
-- New American Standard Acts 3:19 "Repent therefore and return, that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; 20. and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you, 21. whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time.
As can be seen in this portion of scripture Jesus comes from Heaven following the restoration.
This “restoration” is a restoration or renewal of the kingdom, or reign of God, Acts 1:6. This restoration is repentance from the rebellion that influenced Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.
-- New American Standard Acts 1:6 And so when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, "Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?"
In Acts 3:19 and 20 it is seen that Jesus comes after personal repentance. So these verses raise a question and answer that same question. The question from Acts 3:21 would be - when is the restoration? The answer (from Acts 3:19 and 20) is that the restoration is the action we call “repentance”.
Acts 3:21 shows the reader that Jesus remains in Heaven until the “restoration”. In verses 19 and 20 Peter told the people that Jesus will be sent to them (individually) when they repent (from unbelief).
Jesus indwells the person who seeks Him when that person repents; this repentance is the restoration spoken of in Acts 3:21. Jesus made reference to this restoration when He was speaking of John the Baptist (John preached repentance) in Matthew 17:11.
-- New American Standard Matthew 17:11 And He answered and said, "Elijah is coming and will restore all things;
The Second Coming of Christ occurs when God the Father sends Jesus to indwell a repentant person, John 14:23.
-- New American Standard John 14:23 Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him, and make Our abode with him.
After the first coming Jesus (when He bore our sins) ascended on high in order to fill all things, Ephesians 4:10. When He did this He (through the Holy Spirit) was enabled to fill all things, including the person who repents of unbelief.
-- New American Standard Ephesians 4:10 He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)
It is important to stay within the confines of the Bible. This means that the bible gives us the information that we need, and it all fits together in a precise manner.
In this case it can be seen that the bible says in Hebrews 9:28 that the Lord comes to the world for two reasons. Once to bear sins and once for salvation. After he indwells the individual He says that He will never leave them. There are several places in the scriptures where Jesus is said to “come” to the believer after they have been indwelt. These comings can be called visitations.
The concept referred to in Ezekiel 20:37 is important to remember as the visitations of Christ are studied.
-- New American Standard Ezekiel 20:37 "And I shall make you pass under the rod, and I shall bring you into the bond of the covenant;
As the student tries to reconcile the “comings” they must be limited by the information in Hebrews 9:28. There are only two reasons Jesus comes to us. So if Jesus is said to come to a person after the initial indwelling or conversion experience mentioned in Acts 3:19-21 it has to be for the purpose of salvation. All visitations must adhere to the mandates of the Second Coming mentioned in Hebrews 9:28. Meaning that all visitations after the cross (the first coming) must be for the purpose of the person’s salvation. These subsequent “comings or visitations” are not to indwell the believer, since Jesus promised to never leave them after the initial indwelling at conversion. It therefore must be for the purpose of furthering the salvation of the person. So we can see that the Second Coming or indwelling of the believer is a progression in which Jesus comes into the life of the person and transforms the person from glory to glory, 2 Corinthians 3:18. This can be defined as bringing them into the bonds of the Covenant, Ezekiel 20:37.
It is vital to remember that the covenant involves forgiveness of sins. That means that if a person sins, they can ask for and receive forgiveness and they have in that manner kept the covenant. This concept of sinning and being forgiven results in righteousness, being right in God’s eyes. This is called the righteousness contained in the law.
-- King James Romans 2:26 Therefore if the uncircumcision (physically or in heart) keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision?
It is this understanding that is responsible for many doctrinal misunderstandings. Abraham was justified while he was uncircumcised (symbolically – uncircumcised in heart). In other words He was justified by faith in Christ while He was uncircumcised in heart (a sinner). He had a body whose physicality tended towards sin and the redemption of the sinful body involves putting sin to death in the flesh and, praise be to God, Jesus can and does deliver us from this body of sin, Romans 7:24. This deliverance is not after death but during this lifetime and Jesus accomplishes this by giving us a spiritual body. A spiritual body is one controlled by the Spirit of God, 1 Corinthians 2:14 and 15. It should be remembered that the scripture says that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord, 2 Corinthians 5:8.
-- New American Standard 2 Corinthians 5:8 we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.
-- New American Standard 1 Corinthians 2:14 But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. 15. But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no man.
-- New American Standard 1 Corinthians 15:54 But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, "Death is swallowed up in victory.
The works of the law tell us to offer a blood sacrifice (appeal to Jesus for forgiveness) when we sin. We are not justified (made just) by appealing for forgiveness through the works of the law. We are made just because we have faith in Christ. One such doctrinal misunderstanding is that of the body. We see Paul asking who will deliver me from this body of death, Romans 7:24. This question is answered in 1 Corinthian 15:54 where it is seen that the mortal body is clothed with the spiritual body in this life. The mortal body does not exist after a Christian dies as the Apostle Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 5:8. A spiritual person possesses this spiritual body during this lifetime.
The Apostle Paul sought the righteousness spoken of in Philippians 3:9 and 2 Corinthians 5:4.
-- King James Philippians 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
-- New American Standard 2 Corinthians 5:4 For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed, but to be clothed, in order that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.
2 Corinthians 5:4 shows that while in this tent or body Christians desire to be clothed with immortality, 1 Corinthians 15:54.
-- New American Standard 1 Corinthians 15:54 But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, "Death is swallowed up in victory.
-- New American Standard 2 Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.
God grants the ability to repent to an individual, Romans 2:4 and 2 Timothy 2:25. Both Jesus and John the Baptist encouraged the individual to repent. We are told that God wants all men to repent, 2 Peter 3:9. This information places the responsibility on the individual who must respond to Gods call. On one hand God grants the ability to repent and the other hand mankind must respond to the call of God. If the individual chooses not to respond then the offer of repentance goes unheeded. The individual therefore decides when the Second Coming occurs as they choose the time of their initial repentance.
Repentance progresses as an individual is increasingly made aware of their personal shortcomings. The Lord Jesus comes into the believer’s life (indwells a person) in a similar progression.
When a person passes under God’s rod they can receive from the Lord as is mentioned in Luke 12:37, in that case the person received (spiritual) food.
The person who suffers loss at that time is mentioned in Luke 12:46.
This is the discipline and the rewards that the Lord uses to further a Christian’s salvation, Hebrews 9:28.
These subsequent “comings” after the initial point of repentance from unbelief are “visitations”, when the Lord is present for a specific reason.
In Romans 8:19 the bible says that creation waits for the manifestation of the sons of God. Christians are also are told to wait in Galatians 5:5.
In 1 Thessalonians 1:10 we are told that Jesus followers are waiting for Him. If Jesus followers are waiting for Him after He has already promised never to leave them (Hebrews 13:5) “what are they waiting for”?
They are waiting to be transformed (by the renewing of their mind, Romans 12:2) into righteous a person, or a person who God has conformed to the image of his son Jesus Christ.
-- New American Standard Galatians 5:5 For we through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness.
As Christians ‘wait’ for the ability to do what is right in God’s eyes (righteousness), there are points of time in which are their performance is evaluated. We are either rewarded for correct behavior or we are corrected. The word used for visitation in the New Testament means “inspection”, (Strong’s concordance number 1984). The word used for “visit” carries the meaning of “inspection” in the Old Testament as well, Jeremiah 5:29 (Strong’s concordance number 6485).
The word “coming” means “presence”, (Strong’s concordance number 3952 and 2064). Strong’s concordance tells us that both of these Greek word definitions refer to the “presence” or “appearing” of the person.
3952. parousia parousia, par-oo-see'-ah
from the present participle of 3918; a being near, i.e. advent (often, return; specially, of Christ to punish Jerusalem, or finally the wicked); (by implication) physically, aspect:--coming, presence.
1984. episkoph episkope, ep-is-kop-ay'
from 1980; inspection (for relief); by implication, superintendence; specially, the Christian "episcopate":-the office of a "bishop", bishoprick, visitation.
So the conclusion from the understanding of these two Greek words and their use is that Jesus is permanently present with the believer, and at times He inspects or evaluates the Christian’s behavior.
These inspections take the form of “recompense” and are designed to transform the Christian into the image of Christ. These points in time are referred to as the “day” of time of the Lord.
Speaking to His followers Jesus said that when the Holy Spirit comes upon them they would receive power, Acts 1:8.
-- New American Standard Acts 1:8 but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth."
This endowment of “power” is a positive evaluation from the Holy Spirit resulting in a reward consisting of the presence of God accompanied by power.
The biblical concept for this is referred to as “recompense” or reaping what a person sows. This time of recompense or inspection is called the “Day of the Lord” and occurs at various times as God determines them necessary, Deuteronomy 32:35.
When these evaluations happen to disobedient people the truth mentioned in Acts 1:8 is still seen in the result of the visitation. At these times the result of the “evaluation” or judgment is different from that of the obedient believers. They are not endued with power from God they are corrected by God.
In such cases the person who is in covenant with Jesus reaps what they have sown and their correction is designed to further the salvation of the individual believer, as 1 Corinthians 11:32 shows.
-- New American Standard 1 Corinthians 11:32 But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord in order that we may not be condemned along with the world.
Every visitation, weather it is for discipline (correction) or to express God’s approval (being filled with the Holy Spirit and receiving power), is for the purpose of enhancing the salvation of the Christian.
-- New American Standard Deuteronomy 32:35 `Vengeance is Mine, and retribution, In due time their foot will slip; For the day of their calamity is near, And the impending things are hastening upon them.'
First Resurrection
There are two resurrections spoken of in the Bible. The first is the process that is involved as a person stops sinning. The second is after physical death.
Paul said in Colossians 3:1 that believers have been raised up of resurrected from the dead.
-- New American Standard Colossians 3:1 If then you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
He mentions this again and also shows that it is a process in Philippians 3:11 and 12.
-- New American Standard Philippians 3:11 in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.
-- New American Standard Philippians 3:12 Not that I have already obtained it, or have already become perfect, but I press on in order that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.
In these verses Paul show us that He understood the resurrection to be the cessation from sin. He showed that it was a process as is the manifestation of Christ within a believer, Galatians 4:19.
-- New American Standard Galatians 4:19 My children, with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you