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NASB | 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ [that is, grafted in, joined to Him by faith in Him as Savior], he is a new creature [reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit]; the old things [the previous moral and spiritual condition] have passed away. Behold, new things have come [because spiritual awakening brings a new life]. |
Subject: What does it mean to be "in Christ?" |
Bible Note: I am truly amazed, and blessed, by the thoughts that occur to others. Given a thousand years I probably would not have thought of taking off Christ. Even now I cannot imagine how that might be done. I do not know where the subject of taking off Christ is broached in Scripture. Is it seen in those who walk (in Philippians 3:18) as enemies of the cross of Christ? In Gal 3:27 we are informed that we have put on Christ, by virtue of the fact we have been baptized (by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:13)) into Christ. That would be a positional or passive fact. We have put on Christ. The Holy Spirit has done it for us. In Rom 13:14 we are asked to put on the Lord Jesus Christ. That would be a practical application of the concept and it would involve our active participation. It would therefore seem that in order to take off Christ (positionally) we would have to be unabaptized (by the Holy Spirit) out of him. And who can imagine that? It’s like being unborn? And how can that happen? From a practical standpoint, what does it mean to put on Christ? Eph 4:24 says that we are to put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. I take that to be that we are to put on the character of Christ. (Someone somewhere has stated that it is not his character by Christ himself that we put on. However, they did not explain it). Jesus had said, “Learn of me” (Matthew 11:29). He indicated it was his character he was talking about by adding, “for I am meek”. In Ephesians 4 Paul mentions some characteristics which are unlike Christ and says, “You have not so learned Christ”. Then, after listing some other unChristlike things to be put off, intermingled in the list with Christlike habits such as speaking the truth, and speaking kind words that minister grace, he lists some Christlike characteristics to be put on: “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, just as God also in Christ forgave you”. From a practical standpoint, how do we take off Christ? Is it that we become liars again? Thieves again? Is it that we stop being kind and tenderhearted and forgiving”. I suppose that putting on Christ involves practicing those behaviors as if they are a part of us until they are a part of us. It would be difficult to unlearn those habits. It may be possible, but experience suggests we would not want to. Would we ever want to take off Christ? It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. |