What Was He Thinking?

Dearly beloved, did you know that when God sent Jesus into the world He had you in mind? He not only sent Jesus to redeem and save us, He included us in his accomplishments. God determined that we would be “in Christ”. As a matter of fact, God uses the expression one hundred and sixty-four times in Paul’s letters.

Beloved of God, God included you in every one of his accomplishments. You have a standing before God in Christ. In the Church Epistles, God always designates our position and standing before Him as “in Christ” or “in Christ Jesus”. All that we are and what we have is in him.

Romans 8:1 AV
There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.

Why is there “now no condemnation” to us? From God’s point of view, we now stand before Him in Christ Jesus and in his accomplishments. We are no longer associated with Adam and come under the condemnation he brought upon man. In Christ Jesus, we have a new standing before God. We stand before Him in Christ Jesus.

I Corinthians 1:30 AV
But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:

We stand in Christ Jesus because of an act of God. Our standing in Christ Jesus came because of God’s wisdom, not because of our works. He made us the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus and He sanctified and redeemed us in him.

Ephesians 2:10 AV
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto [epi: upon] good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

God created us in Christ Jesus. We are a new creation; a new man. We are His handiwork. God quickened us together with Christ and raised us up together We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 1:3
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

How did God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ bless us with all spiritual blessings in the heavenly realm? He did it in Christ.

Ephesians 1:19 and 20
And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us–ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,

God raised Christ from the dead and seated him at His right hand in the heavenly realm by the working of His mighty power.

Ephesians 2:5 and 6 AV
Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

God made us alive together with Christ by the spirit, raised us up, and seated us together in the heavenly realm in Christ Jesus by the exceeding greatness of His power.

Ephesians 1:10
That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him [Christ]:

In the administration of the fullness of times how will God gather all things together in heaven and earth under one head? He will do it in Christ. Why?

Ephesians 2:7 AV
That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

The “ages to come” depend on the glorified one, Christ Jesus. It will our Father the entire period to demonstrate the full reality of the exceeding riches of His grace that is ours in Christ Jesus. The ages to come will be a demonstration of our Father’s kindness towards us in Christ Jesus.

Our Father gave us an exalted position before Him in Christ. We are complete in Christ and dearly beloved, and nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord; not now, not ever; nothing! That's what He was thinking, dearly beloved!