elimChristianFellowship

When I was an instructor in the U.S. Navy, stationed in beautiful, warm, and sunny Pensacola, Florida, I took a roughly 3 hour road trip to New Orleans, Louisiana to experience Jazz, Cajun cookin’ and a live NFL football game. With ticket in hand, I entered this humongous dome known as the Superdome to see the New Orleans Saints (an NFL football team) play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. I had purchased the cheapest ticket available and found myself seated so high in the air that the players on the field looked like ants. If I had gone just a few rows higher, I’m sure nosebleeds and difficulty breathing would have come upon me. Though I couldn’t see the action on the field very well, one memory I have of that experience is the supportive proclamation the crowd declared about their football team to the opposing fans and players. It was a declaration of confidence in their team (that season it wasn’t really declared too frequently, as the Saints were mediocre at best) in the best Cajun/Creole accent that culture can provide. Opposing players in the NFL, during game week were (and still are) often quoted by the press as boastfully predicting that their team would crush the Saints. After hearing such predictions by opponents, the Saints fans would receive that as a personal affront and would respond as the game began to tilt in their favor with this chant declared to the opposing team as the reality of defeat became more and more inevitable. They would say, ‘Who dat say dey gonna beat dem Saints? Who dat say?’

The Bible teaches us that all those who are born again are called saints. One of many wonderful blessings of being born again is that we are sealed in Christ Jesus by the Holy Spirit. Read Eph 1:13′

Eph 1:13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation ‘ having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, NASU

Throughout the Bible, we discover that being ‘in Christ’ is an absolute necessity for man to be justified (just as if I’d never sinned), found righteous, redeemed (freedom from slavery by means of a payment), saved, to receive eternal life, among many other spiritual blessings that He was freely given to us. Satan, the enemy of our souls, cannot take these blessings away from us, so he actively attempts to deceive us from believing that we are ‘in Christ’ to keep us from having an attitude of gratitude towards the Lord, to chip away at our faith, and to come between us and our relationship with the Father. For several years after being born again, I believed that when I sinned, I was no longer ‘in Christ’ and needed to jump through some hoops to get back ‘in Christ.’ I didn’t have much rest in my relationship with God and felt more like a slave of a master, than a son with a loving Father. After sinning, when someone would mention being ‘in Christ’ I would often wonder in my heart, ‘What must I do to get back ‘in Christ’?’ Let’s read 1 Cor 1:30′

1 Cor 1:30 But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus‘ NASU

What must I do to be ‘in Christ’? I must DO absolutely nothing! Jesus Christ has done it all. Everything necessary for me to be ‘in Christ’ has been accomplished (John 19:30, ”It is finished”). It is ‘by His doing‘ that I am in Christ and that you are in Christ. It is not by OUR doing’it is ‘by His doing.’ We don’t DO anything. We just simply BELIEVE that He’s done it and that we are ‘in Christ.’ What if I sin? What if you sin? Doesn’t that mean that that sin separates us from God and that we are now no longer ‘in Christ’? I mean after all the Bible says, ‘the wages of sin is death (separation from God),’ right? That is called the law of sin and death. The law of sin and death states that when a man sins he is separated from God. But, the good news is that Jesus Christ took not only our sin upon Himself, He took upon our separation from the Father upon Himself as evidenced by His declaration, ‘My God! My God! Why have You forsaken Me?’ Thus, there is a greater law (or principle) in effect for believers in Christ Jesus. There is now a law that trumps the law of sin and death. Let’s read Rom 8:2′

Rom 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. NASU

Isn’t that wonderful news? Doesn’t it bring rest to your soul to know that even when you sin, you’re not separated from the Father? Thank You Lord for taking not only my sin, but my deserved death upon Yourself and giving me eternal life through faith in You!

1 Cor 15:55-57 55 “O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING ?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; 57 but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. NASU

Who dat say dey gonna beat us saints? Who dat say?