LESSON THIRTY-EIGHT

THE EXPERIENCE AND ENJOYMENT OF CHRIST AS THE SON IN THE GRACE OF THE TRIUNE GOD

(9)

OUTLINE

2. Living in us:
   8. That we may boast in Christ.
   9. That we may be found in Christ.
   10. That we may count all things as loss and refuse in order to gain Christ.
   11. That we may know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings.
   12. That we may be conformed to His death.
   13. That we may be delivered from every evil work.
   14. That we may enjoy His sufficient grace and His overshadowing power.

TEXT

In this lesson we will continue to see other aspects that we experience and enjoy of Christ’s living in us.

8. That We May Boast in Christ

In Philippians 3:3 Paul said, “For we are the circumcision, the ones who serve by the Spirit of God and boast in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh.” The circumcision here refers to the New Testament believers, who are genuinely circumcised by Christ’s crucifixion. They are absolutely different from the Judaizers, who are circumcised in the flesh. The New Testament believers serve as priests by the Spirit of God, not by the ordinances of the law; they boast in Christ, not in the law; and they do not have confidence in the flesh but in the Spirit. The Greek word rendered boast here also means “exult.” Our boast, our exulting, is not in our outward behavior, actions, or doings, but in Christ, who lives in us. When we experience and enjoy Christ’s living in us, we are enabled to boast, to exult, in Him.

9. That We May Be Found in Christ

In Philippians 3:9 Paul said that he earnestly desired to be found in Christ. Paul had been altogether in the Jewish religion under the law and had always been found by others in the law, because he was a person altogether enveloped, encased, fully boxed in, by the law. But at his conversion he was transferred from the law and his former religion into Christ and became “a man in Christ” (2 Cor. 12:2). Now he expected to be found in Christ, not in culture, philosophy, or religion, by all who observed him-the Jews, the angels, and the demons. This indicates that he aspired to have his whole being immersed in and saturated with Christ that all who observed him might find him fully in Christ.

It is one thing to have a doctrinal understanding of being found in Christ; it is quite another thing to be found in Christ in our daily living. Where we are when others observe us indicates the realm in which we live. To be found in Christ means that Christ is the realm in which we live and that He is our unique expression. Paul could be found in Christ because Christ was his expression. In every aspect and from every angle, only Christ could be seen upon him. Christ became his unique expression. Likewise, today we should also desire to be found in Christ and not in our natural virtues, culture, or religion.

If we would be found in Christ, we need to be watchful moment by moment, continually on the alert to live in Christ, that we may not be distracted from Christ and live in something other than Christ. We must continually experience and enjoy the Christ who lives in us and live Him that we may become those who are actually in Christ in experience. Then when others observe us, they will find us in Christ and in Christ alone.
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