There are phrases used so commonly in the Word of God and quoted so often in church, seminary, and theology books that we lose their importance and depth. We've all heard and used the phrase "in Christ," but how often do we remind ourselves what that means?
It's not just a figure of speech. If it were simply a metaphor, then we'd be forced to admit we aren't literally "in Christ." But the apostle Paul constantly refers to our status "in Christ," making much of the statement doctrinally and practically.
All of the Bible is about Jesus Christ. If we read the book of Isaiah the prophet as the story, not of God's people, but as the story of God's people as lived out in the single God-man Jesus Christ, we get the key for understanding what it means to be in Christ.
Jesus Christ is the whole people of God distilled into a single person. He became sin on our behalf and in Himself; He defeated sin and death on our behalf and in Himself; He rose from the dead and ascended into heaven on our behalf and in Himself.
When we are saved by Him, we become part of His body, we are truly in Him. Everything that has been done for our salvation was done through Jesus Christ, the eternal God come to us in human flesh, and our only hope of salvation is to be found in Him.
We can't afford to think of the Gospel simply as the story of God's redemption of His people; we must think in terms of of God's redemption of His people through Jesus Christ. The Bible isn't about us, it's about our saviour, to whom alone belongs all glory and honor.
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