“In Christ” from Romans 6.11

This is the first occurrence of the phrase “in Christ’ that we find in Paul’s writings.  It has long been noted that this is a significant phrase for Paul and I am beginning a study of these phrases in his writings.  We find v. 11, where we find the phrase “in Christ”, housed in Paul’s larger discussion of being dead to sin and alive in Christ.  Paul’s discussion seems to be centering on the freeing power of Christ through his death and resurrection.  Paul uses the very life of Christ to illuminate our spiritual lives.  Christ experienced death hence we need experience death to sin.  When Christ rose from the dead death and sin held no mastery over him.  Paul goes onto link death and sin intimately together which leads us to our usage of “in Christ” in v. 11.  We are to be dead to sin but “alive to God in Christ.”  Being in Christ is the key to being dead to sin.  Sin shall not reign in our bodies.  So basically being in Christ is to be freed from the mastery of sin.  Now as I was doing my study this morning Carter, my son, started stacking guys and airplanes all over the table.  He kept interrupting my study-bottom line he wanted me to play with him.  Here I was trying to study God’s word, but was being interrupted by a two year old.  God helped me to see this morning that while I was thinking about theology and life, the simple bottom line of being in Christ has to be love, and I was doing a poor job of loving my son.  The freeing power from sin that we experience in Christ has universal implications in our lives, and it also has simple implications-that is why I am writing this post at night because I stopped my study and played with my son.  Thank you Lord for helping me to get it-to be in Christ is to be free from sin and selfishness and to be invited into life and playing with a two year old.

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