What Does It Mean to Be “In Christ?”

Did you ever hear of “Christianese?” When someone has little or no faith background, they may not understand words like “quiet time”, “traveling mercies”, “being saved”, “born again,” or “in Christ.”

The phrase “in Christ” is a common expression used by Paul in his letters (actually 164 times). I wonder if his audience knew what it meant. Do you? What does it mean to be “in Christ?”

3 ways to understand the meaning of “in Christ”

Believe in Christ

First, being “in Christ” signifies we believe Jesus sacrificed His life for us on the cross as payment for our sins. We’re incapable of being good enough or doing enough to approach a Holy God. So, He sent His Son to die in our place.

God no longer sees our sin; we attain the righteousness of Jesus that we don’t deserve. We died to our old life and are resurrected to a new life.

Abide in Christ

Next, to be “in Christ” means having a relationship with Him.

Jesus said, ”‘Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned’” John 15:5–6 (NLT).

Developing a relationship with Jesus takes a lifetime. To abide “in Christ” requires connection to Him, as branches attach to the vine. Otherwise, you cannot do anything, especially bear fruit for God’s Kingdom.

How do you maintain a relationship with Jesus? In her new book, You Are More Than You’ve Been Told, Hosanna Wong writes about this because well-meant advice to pray more and read the Bible more is not specific enough to be helpful.

She describes practical steps on how to construct a trellis, a structure of habits based on the rhythms of Jesus when He lived on earth as a man.

A trellis is necessary for branches to stay connected to the grapevine. As the branches bear fruit, they become heavier and need more support to survive. Your trellis supports your relationship with Jesus the way a trellis supports grapevines, so they flourish and bear fruit.

Summary of the rhythms of Jesus

1. The rhythm of scripture (a new way to engage with God’s Words)
2. The rhythm of prayer (solitude, specific prayers, and saying thanks)
3. The rhythm of rest (Sabbath and freedom)
4. The rhythm of real community (confession and celebrations) ¹

Transformation by the power of the Holy Spirit

Last, when we believe in Jesus Christ as our Savior, we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, God dwelling within us (John 14:16-18 ESV).

 We experience radical transformation into new creations. We die to our old selves and develop new attitudes, actions, and habits.

Paul wrote, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!“ 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV).

Transformation doesn’t happen automatically. We need the rhythms of Jesus as the trellis to support us and help us grow, otherwise our faith withers and the branches die.

However, the power isn’t in the trellis structure. It is the Holy Spirit’s power that transforms us to be more like Jesus.

Final words

Did Paul use a lot of Christianese in his letters? Well, maybe. However, we can alienate our audience when using insider terms like “in Christ”, unless we define them.

How would you share your testimony with another person and explain what it means to be “in Christ”? Let me know in the comments!

Stay tuned for more blog posts on the rhythms of Jesus.

References

1. Wong, Hosanna. You are more than you’ve been told: Unlock a fresh way to live through the rhythms of Jesus. W Publishing Group, an imprint of Thomas Nelson, 2023, pp 109.