"There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus." Let’s consider together a few of the many benefits of being "in Christ Jesus." My hope is that it will whet your appetite for learning more about your great spiritual wealth delineated in the Epistles.

In Job 25:4 we are asked; "How then can man be justified with God? or how can he be clean that is born of a woman?" We are all equal in sin because we are born with a sin nature, and not one of us, regardless of what sins we commit or don’t commit have the righteousness needed to live with God. The only way God could save us was to sacrifice His own Son on the cross as our Substitute in payment for our sins. When we believe, or trust in what Christ accomplished for us on the cross, we are born again, and placed in Christ Jesus.

The dispensation of the Church Age was God’s best kept secret! There is no mention of it in the Old Testament and the only hint that Christ gave was in John 16:12; "I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now." When God saved Paul, He revealed to him the message He wanted him to give to the Church (His Body), and the Epistles contain the message that the ascended Christ wanted to communicate to all believers in this dispensation.

One of the saddest truths, is that this secret is still unknown to so many believers, in spite of the fact that God wants all believers to know this precious Doctrine. It is only this teaching that can build up and stabilize the Christian. The more we know about the perfect provision He has made for all believers, the better equipped we will be to use what we have in Him. A good example is the homeless man that was found dying on the streets of Chicago. A lawyer had been looking for him for years to tell him about the wealth a rich relative had left for him in his will. Not knowing about his fortune, he had lived day by day as a beggar.

In the book of Romans, we learn how God justified the believer, and gave us a new standing before Him. In spite of the fact that God, alone, knows all about us, knows we are a complete write-off, not worth a bang of a drum, do not possess anything worthy of His Grace, adopted us and made us joint-heirs with His Son. The Word of God tells us; "He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him freely give us all things?" (Romans 8:32).

We are living in the most exciting time - never before the Church Age did the people of God enjoy the union we experience in Christ Jesus. There is no human experience we have known that can compare with it. All other relationships can be severed or broken. We are told; "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee" (Hebrews 13:5b). There is nothing that can ever separate us from the love of God, not even death (Romans 8:35-39).

One of the most important truths, we learn in the book of Galatians is that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished all that was needed, through His crosswork, to give the sinner, who trusts in Him, His righteousness and eternal life. When we are told in His Word; "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved" (Acts 16:31). There is nothing added to that. He has done for us all that was needed, the only thing left for us to do is receive His free gift.

We also realize our total freedom to be able to serve Him! Before we trusted Christ, we were occupied with our own interests and desires. What a difference in the life of the believer who is focused on Him! In my observation the most unhappy person, saved or unsaved, is the one who is focused on their needs and desires. Christ told us; "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it." (Luke 9:24).

In Ephesians we are told that we are seated with Christ in the Heavenlies, and that He has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ (Ephesians 1:3). As our pastor reminds us, "Even God could not think of another blessing to give us. He has already given us all the spiritual blessings we will ever need."

Most of us are easily distracted. Instead of giving Bible Doctrine the first priority, we allow unimportant things to occupy our thinking and, as a result, our living. We need to be knowledgeable of the great wealth we have in Christ and the perfect provision He has made for us, to live the life He wants for all of His children.