The Father’s right hand is the command center for the Christian life
In the last chapter we learned that we died, were buried, were resurrected, and raised up “with Christ” and seated “with Christ” at the Father’s right hand.
But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Eph. 2:4-6).
We also discovered the way to access these truths is by continually setting our mind on the things of the Spirit—the “in” and “with” Christ truths, declarations, and promises of God.
Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God (Col. 3:2-3).
In Romans 8 Paul admonishes us to set our mind on the things of the Spirit.
For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, (Rom. 8:6-7).
Therefore, as we search out these “in Christ” truths realize that they are more than points on an outline. They are to be underlined in our thinking. We are to contemplate them; ask questions of them; look at them from several viewpoints. As we affirm biblical truth the Holy Spirit will work out the fruit of the Spirit in our lives.
For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure (Phil. 2:13).
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentle-ness, self-control; against such things there is no law (Gal. 5:22-23).
Before we can apply the many “in Christ” truths to our lives, we must know what they are. We have broached these previously in our study; now we will list them.
I am now under no condemnation.
Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Rom 8:1).
According to Scripture we all will continue to fall short of God’s ideal.1 When we do we often condemn ourselves for our shortcomings. However, this promise follows immediately after Paul’s statements of failure recorded in Romans 7 when he took his eyes off of who he was “in Christ” and put them on his own behavior as measured by the law. Therefore, even in the presence of failure this promise holds. There is now no condemnation to those who are in Christ!
I now have received all of God’s grace.
To the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved (Eph. 1:6).
When faced with difficulties I used to pray for more grace. However, now that I understand who I am “in Christ” I don’t ask for more grace because He has already given me “all grace”. I just ask to experience the boundless grace He has already given me.
For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ (Jn. 1:17).
I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus (1 Cor. 1:4).
But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved) (Eph. 2:4,5).
So that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus (Eph. 2:7).
And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed (2 Cor. 9:8).
I now have been brought near to God by the blood of Christ.
But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity (Eph. 2:13-16).
Have you ever felt that you were far from God? I have and I would judge that most readers of this little book have also at times experienced “a distant God”. Just to think that we, sinners, can have bold confidence to come into the presence f God is unbelievable, but God’s word says it is true.
In whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him (Eph. 3:12).
Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water (Heb. 10:19-22).
I am now a new creature in Christ and am part of a new creation which is His church.2
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come (2 Cor. 5:17).
More takes place in the moment we trust our lives to Christ after we hear the gospel than we can imagine. In that instant our spirits are regenerated and we are placed into a new group—the church—with all other believing Christians.
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them (Eph. 2:10).
For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation (Gal. 6:15).
For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise (Gal. 3:26-29).
I now have received every spiritual blessing “in Christ”.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ (Eph. 1:3).
Meditate on this “in Christ” truth. Make a mental list of the spiritual blessings you need. Then read it again with believing and trusting faith.
I am now part of a holy priesthood offering spiritual sacrifices of praise to God and serving others.
And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God, you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellences of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Pet. 2:4,5,9).
Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased (Heb. 13:15-16).
I am now justified, acquitted from all sin.
…being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; (Rom. 3:24).
I now have the very righteousness of God credited to my account.
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Cor. 5:21).
Many of us have struggled for years trying to develop enough righteousness to be pleasing to God. Yes, and if you are like me, you failed. To believe these references that we are counted as having the very righteousness of God is good news indeed!
But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption (1 Cor. 1:30).
…and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith (Phil. 3:9).
I am now redeemed from the slavery of sin.
Being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus (Rom 3:24).
I am now reconciled to God.
For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life (Rom. 5:10).
I am now at peace with God.
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Rom 5:1).
I am now sanctified, perfected, and set apart.
By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all…For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified (Heb. 10:10,14).
Look carefully at the above verse. Christ’s “one offering” has perfected us for all time.
I am now free from the law of sin and death.
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death (Rom. 8:2).
This was done the very instant we trusted Christ.
I am now a dwelling for the Spirit of God.
In whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit (Eph. 2:21-22).
However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness (Rom. 8:9-10).
I am now sealed by the Holy Spirit.
In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation- having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory (Eph. 1:13-14).
Notice that the sealing is not something we do, nor is it something we get when we have reached a degree of perfection. We are sealed the instant we are placed in Christ. This seal is the guarantee of our inheritance.
I now have received a spiritual gift.
For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit (1 Cor. 12:13).
But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired (1 Cor. 12:18).
For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness (Rom. 12:4-8).
As we become involved in the church and attend home Bible study and fellowship groups we should be able to discern which of the spiritual gifts we possess. When we serve God through our spiritual gift we have motivation and fulfillment in our Christian walk.
I now have liberty in Christ.
But it was because of the false brethren secretly brought in, who had sneaked in to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, in order to bring us into bondage (Gal. 2:4).
In our ministry I am often told that if we don’t run our lives by continually looking at the law, that Christian liberty will soon become license and lead into sin. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit (2 Cor. 3:17-18).
I am now a mature child of God.
For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus (Gal. 3:26-28).
Now I say, as long as the heir is a child, he does not differ at all from a slave although he is owner of everything, but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by the father. So also we, while we were children, were held in bondage under the elemental things of the world. But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God (Gal. 4:1-7).
The Greek word for “son” implies a mature son; one who has the rights of inheritance.
I now have eternal life.
Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life (Joh 6:47).
I now have passed once and for all out of the realm of death into the realm of life.
Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life (Jn. 5:24).
“Has passed” is perfect tense, indicating a permanent change. We have changed residences. We have moved from the condemned family of Adam into the justified family of Christ and are not moving back!
I now have entered God’s rest.
For we who have believed [aorist tense-it happened in a moment of timel enter that rest, just as He has said, “AS I SWORE IN MY WRATH, THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST,” although His works were finished from the foundation of the world (Heb. 4:3).
Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light (Mt. 11:28-30).
Through the gospel Jesus brings the true, Sabbath-like rest “today” which is the reality to which the Jewish Sabbath pointed. We enter that rest of God by believing, the moment we are placed into Christ.
I am now freed from sin.
But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life (Rom. 6:22).
I am now dead to sin.
Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus (Rom. 6:11).
I am now free from the law.
But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter (Rom. 7:6).
When correctly understood, this is the secret to living a life where there is no condemnation and one which will ultimately develop harmony with God’s moral principles.
I am now adopted into God’s family.
For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” (Rom 8:15).
I am now qualified to share the inheritance of the saints in light.
…giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light (Col. 1:12).
These are not all the gospel truths and precious promises of God’s word, and I encourage you to add to these as you read through the New Testament. However these will serve you well as you make them your personal affirmation outlined in the next chapter.
Endnotes
- Rom. 3:23.
- The Greek simply says, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ a new creation” (2 Cor. 5:17). Some scholars believe this refers to the individual Christian, others to the church.
- 11. Know the “in” and “with” Christ truths - May 28, 2026
- 10. Know Where You Are - May 21, 2026
- 9. Representation—I Did It “In Him” - May 14, 2026