By Janie Baer
Are you struggling in your Christian life today? Does it seem as though sin has dominion over you instead of you having dominion over sin? Do you feel as though you have lost control over your flesh?
Then you need to know for sure the old sinful, carnal man with its sin nature, the old man of the flesh is dead and the only thing left of that old man is the programming of your mind that thinks like that old man.
You are a righteous, holy person now in your life in Christ Jesus.
You have never been able to make yourself righteous and holy and you never will be able to do it. That’s why Jesus had to do it for you.
Jesus paid the price to not only obtain forgiveness of all your sins, past, present and future forever; but He through His “finished work” actually destroyed the old man, defeated sin in your life so that it has no more dominion over you and justified you before God. His justification makes it now, just as if you had never sinned in your life. Jesus has made you eternally secure in your righteousness or right standing with God the Father. Now your life is in Christ Jesus, which is holiness and righteousness and that life will never change because it’s Jesus righteousness you now have in Him.
There is no way we can boast the rest of our lives about our own efforts to get right with God.
Having a sin consciousness, that is dwelling on sin all the time, and allowing condemnation of sin to control our thinking is what will steal from us the reality of the righteousness of Christ and the liberty we have in Christ from sin and the old man of the flesh.
This is why we need to know for sure that our lives are now in Christ Jesus. The scriptures with "In Him", "In Whom", "In Christ", etc. are written so that we get a clear picture of this "new man" we are now, and so that our thinking and actions would come out of this new man.
The more these scriptures become revealed to you, the more you will see the “new you” and then you will no longer be ignorant of the truth that sin does not have any more dominion over you. This is the truth that will set you free and you will see more holiness in your life and it won’t be by your efforts. It is the truth that will make you free.
That is why I have included in this article a writing that really speaks of what Jesus has already done for us. I do not know the author of the writing but I am convinced the author knew what it meant to be in Christ Jesus.
Read on and you will see the liberty Jesus secured for you in His death, burial and resurrection:
In Him it is written, finished and done. In Him it was wrought, in the first begotten One. Redemption, remission, fulfillment, complete and every enemy placed under our feet. No need to struggle, no need to strive, no need the flesh’s abilities to subscribe, for in Him it is done; in Him the battle is won, and we are in Him. So when tempted to look at circumstance and trial, when tempted to be moved in life’s road mile after mile, the enemy would say; “You must strive and work so that in some point and time, you would merit some worth. You must go through all endeavors and sweat and toil and stress, and then if by some chance when you’ve done your very best, you will attain some merit and some rightness before God, and that will be the fruit of your labors, from what on earth you trod.” “But nay!” saith the Spirit of God. “It is not so, and it shall not be that any flesh will be able to boast, because it is by His grace, it is already done, and we receive by our faith in that One. And from the youngest babe, immediately after new birth, you can lift up your face and know that you are of eternal worth. You have been made complete, you have been made redeemed and washed, and there’s nothing you can earn. There’s nothing you just work for, for Jesus did it; Jesus said it; and Jesus has risen on high and sat down and it is done! In Him. So, lean not to the mind, nor to the flesh design, look not to circumstance. But look in the Word and what He said is in Him. And confess it bold with the lips of clay and you’ll find out you’ll walk a higher way. It may not all change totally, overnight, but when you begin to think and believe and speak right from grace to grace and faith to faith and in a little while you’ll find that you’ve moved a great space. And you’ll say, “My, my, my, it’s not like it used to be. Oh dear God, I really feel free.” But it began by faith, confessing His Word. It began by faith, saying what you heard. Saying, “In Him I’m free. In Him I’m delivered. In Him I’m blessed. In Him I’m righteous. In Him I’m healed. In Him I’m prosperous. In Him I’m moving forward. In Him, I’m holy. In Him, I’m sanctified. In Him, I’m beloved. In Him, “I’m perfected. In Him, I’m powerful. In Him, I’m mighty. In Him, I have authority. In Him, I can do all things.” You say it when you feel low. You say it when the enemy would work you woe. You say it when you seem deserted and forlorn. And if you’ll say it in those times. And say it in distress. You’ll find the Spirit will move and bring you into rest. And bring you into the fresh breath of the inspiration of God, for each day in your life. And as you move on the earth and trod, you will move in great Glory! And there’ll be a countenance and a shine about your face. And when people see you, they’ll give great place. And they’ll say, “My, somethings different about that one.” Because in you they’ll see the Son because He’s in you and you’re in Him, and we are one in the Lord! So be not silent. Do not procrastinate. But confess what He said, and do it in faith. And you’ll find your life will radically change from glory to glory. Your life will be rearranged. Ha! And you’ll say, “Oh, thank God that I heard the truth and that the truth hath set me free. And I will walk in the fullness of my rights in redemption in liberty.” In Him you are. Don’t forget. Confess it. Walk it. Believe it. And then God will watch over that Word and perform every word He said. To Christ’s image you’ll conform. And glorious and great will your end be when you sit in on my throne and rule and reign with me. For eternity you will be with me. Ruling and reigning, and rejoicing for eternity. And it will all be, because you’re in me.
Now, did you get a better revelation of who you are in Christ Jesus now that your spirit has been born again? He is the One who has made you free! You are free from sin, guilt, shame, confusion, fear, hopelessness and all that life’s situations would throw at you. Just stay in Him and give Him praise and then say who you are in Him when you feel low. Say it when the enemy would work you woe. Say it when you seem deserted and forlorn. Say it in distress. If you’ll say it in those times, you’ll find the Spirit will move and bring you into rest and bring you into the fresh breath of the inspiration of God for each day of your life in Him.