There is a very significant treasure in the first chapter of Ephesians and that treasure is mentioned eleven times! It is a treasure and a key to all the sweetness of those spiritual blessings. That is that they are found ‘in Christ!’ You are chosen in Him, accepted in the Beloved, the faithful in Christ Jesus. This small truth is absolutely foundational to our understanding of the heavenly blessings in Christ.
When you put your hand in Jesus’ hand and promised to follow Him all the days of your life. When you turned your heart over to the Father and gave Him control, believing that Jesus died for you and rose again so that you can be united to the Great I Am for all of eternity, you became ‘in Christ,’ part of the family of God. An inseparable union, just like a marriage, when a man and woman become one, so you become one with Christ. A Covenant was sealed; we are no longer separate, but a branch grafted into the vine.
John 15:5 says, “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” If we abide in Christ, we will bear much fruit. The heavenly blessings that are in Christ Jesus are ours; without Him, we can do nothing. Jesus is our home! He is the place where we can rest. He is our safe place. But we need to abide in Him.
One of my favorite tools is my curling iron, which helps tame the crazy head of hair I was born with. But that curling iron doesn’t work unless I plug it into the electrical outlet. Without electricity powering this tool, it won’t work; it won’t heat up; there will be no power; and it won’t be able to do the work it was intended to do. We need to spend time with Jesus, time in His Word and in prayer, time in His presence, get to know our glorious Savior, and we need to ‘plug in’ to Christ. Without His presence, there is no power; we need His guidance.
This little quote from a church bulletin says it all – “So far today, LORD, I’ve done all right. I haven’t gossiped; I haven’t lost my temper; I haven’t been greedy, grumpy, nasty, selfish, or overindulgent. I’m very thankful for that. But in a few moments, LORD, I’m going to get out of bed. And from then on, I’m going to need a lot of help.” We cannot live a life that honors God without being ‘in Christ.’
Are you ‘in Christ.’ Have you given control of your life over to our Abba Father? Have you shouted it from the mountain tops that Jesus Christ is your LORD and Savior? Do you abide in Him, spend time in His glorious presence, plug in to your Savior? Today, if that’s you then you are part of the family of God, you are the King’s daughter, you are absolutely entitled to every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, you are indeed ‘chosen’ by Him! Today you can shout with all your being, “Hallelujah, I AM HIS!”
Reflections
- What does it truly mean in your everyday life to be “in Christ,” not just in what you believe but in how you think when challenged, respond to situations, and take times of rest?
- What are the areas of your life where you have been trying to function in your own power instead of staying “plugged in” to Jesus’ power and presence?
- In what ways does knowing that you are inseparably from the LORD, ‘in Christ,’ change the way you view your identity, self-worth, and access to His spiritual blessings?
Step-By-Step
Today, set aside a specific, planned time to “plug in” to Jesus—open His Word, pray honestly, and surrender your plans and anxieties to Him. Ask the LORD to help you abide in Him during every moment of your day.
Claire's Prayer 