In Christ and Christ in You

Below is but a small measure of revelation that my father had received from the Lord. I hope this will be a blessing to you. All that is written below are the words of my father.

3/23/20 

In loving memory of my father
Robert Louis (Bob) Padgett
July 28, 1931-May 22, 2023

Colossians 1:1-2, "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timotheus our brother, To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ."

To whom did Paul write the Epistle to the Colossians (and to us)? The audience appears to be two categories of Christians ... (1) the saints and (2) the faithful brethren in Christ. The word "saints' suggests the Divine call; 'faithful brethren' suggests the human response to that call. The vilest sinner is designated by God as a saint the moment he puts his trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. We are saints by calling and not primarily by practice. As saints we are responsible to live in a saintly way. We are to live out practically what God has already declared to be true of us doctrinally. We do not become saints by the display of saintly virtues; but because we are saints we are to cultivate saintly charactestics. This, of course, is done in communion or fellowship with God in obedience to His Word, as we walk in the power of the Holy Spirit. 

The second category, the faithful brethren in Christ, is characterized by walking in what Jesus said in 

John 8:31-32, "If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." 

Note the conditional word, IF. The Church at Corinth consisted of saints but not too many faithful brethren.

Now the big "faith-prosperity" teachers want to apply all the promises of God to every born-again believer, unconditionally. I have heard many preachers proclaim that off-center doctrine. But what does the Bible say? 

2 Corinthians 1:20, "For all the promises of God in Him are yea, and in Him Amen, unto the glory of God by us." 

So all of the promises of God are in Christ. There are no promises to me as a Christian EXCEPT as I abide in Christ! Therefore we need to understand what it means to be in Christ. Further, although it is true that God protects us believers from all evil if we are in Christ, we still have a responsibility. When I cross a street or highway, I must exercise wisdom. I cannot simply blindly cross the road without looking in both directions first. Neither should I blindly walk into crowds of people today with the coronavirus escalating. Both of those two scenarios amount, I believe, to tempting God. Now let's look at Colossians 1:21-29. Our purpose is to see the true meaning of being "in Christ" and "Christ in you, the hope of glory."


21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath He reconciled

22 In the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in His sight:

23 If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;

24 Who now rejoice in my suffings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for His body's sake, which is the church:

25 Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;

26 Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:

27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

28 Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:

29 Whereunto I also labour, striving according to His working, which worketh in me mightily. Colossians 1:21-29

Note the IF in Verse 23. Salvation is not a one-and-done event; it is a process, the first step of which is to be born from above. Note also in Verse 23 that the gospel WAS (past tense) preached to every creature which is under heaven. We can read about that in Romans 1:18-32. Note also in Verse 28, the order of what Paul (and every believer since) was/is called to do. God is very orderly and we have been given a priority order, which we believers today seldom, if ever, follow. Priority one is to preach Christ, Who He IS, which is not the same as preaching about the meaning of Scriptures (which is priority three or teaching every man in all wisdom). Note also that "warning every man" comes before teaching every man (Acts 20:31, 1 Corinthians 4:14, 1 Thessalonians 4:6 and 5:14, and Hebrews 11:7). In addition there are many examples of warnings throughout the Bible which are clearly implied without using the word "warn." It is certainly true that God is love and God loves us. But God is also a God of judgment. We rarely hear that aspect of God spoken of in our gatherings. The result of that lack (of warning and His judgment upon the Church 1 Peter 4:17) is that our modern-day church does not comprehend the true significance of the scriptural fear of God. And the fear of God is spoken of in both the Old and New Testaments as a necessity in our walk with the Lord. 

Verse 27, "Christ in you, the hope of glory," reflects something far greater than our initial salvation experience of being born-again (or born from above). The word, "hope," by definition implies something future. It speaks of the spiritual development, growth or maturity of the believer. It speaks of the fullness of Christ being formed within the believer by the power of the Holy Spirit. It speaks of His nature, His character being fully formed within us. It speaks of the process that we call sanctification. Paul's objective was to present every man perfect in Christ Jesus, where the word "perfect" means "that which has reached its end, or nothing beyond." There never has been a time such as now when there was more of what is called Christian service ... so much organization, advertising, expenditure of time and energy in Christian "work." Likewise, it is doubtful if there ever has been as little real spiritual effectiveness. The basic question is: How much of our work proceeds directly by revelation and initiation from God by the Holy Spirit? The measure of the real work of God accomplished is the measure of identification of an instrument with Christ. There may be much which looks like success and impresses with a sense of real accomplishment, but when the fire has done its work it may be found that the real fruit as compared to the apparent is very small. In reality, the flesh profits nothing, though it may seem to get great results. God has two words for the natural man, the first Adam: nothing and cannot.

Christ in you, the hope of glory is indeed a wonderful process. It is a mystery, but one which has been made known to His people (Romans 16:26, Ephesians 1:9, and Ephesians 3:5.) However, let us consider the other aspect of this mystery ... the believer in Christ (Colossians 1:28). This likewise means far more than being born from above and going to heaven one day. It also is not equivalent to Christ in you, the hope of glory. Both are far greater than the initial salvation experience of being born from above. Both are necessary for vital union in Christ. This is not automatic; we must cooperate with Him.

The Greek word "en," which is most commonly translated as "in" means "being or remaining within, with the primary idea of rest and continuance; it also denotes continuance in time." 

Let us consider what it means to be in Christ. Is that simply a doctrinal statement that we all can agree with but which has little application in reality?

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus: Ephesians 1:1

Note the similarity of Ephesians 1:1 with Colossians 1:1-2. There are very few phrases, if any, which occur in the New Testament more often than "in Christ." The phrase sometimes varies in translations when by and through and with are used instead of "in". Sometimes the form is changed, such as in Christ Jesus, or in Him, or in Whom, but in all of the more than 100 times the phrase occurs, the principle is the same. In the whole range of Christian doctrine or belief, there is nothing more expressive and yet nothing less understood, appreciated, or appropriated. We believers use the phrase often without really knowing the full extent of the meaning, much less appropriating it. Consider the following, which is only a small, partial list.

Our life is in Christ, our hope is in Christ, our redemption is in Christ, our faith is in Christ, our rejoicing is in Christ, the truth is in Christ, one body in Christ, peace in Christ, the promises are in Christ, our righteousness is in Christ, our acceptance is in Christ, all spiritual blessings are in Christ, our purpose is in Christ, our sanctification is in Christ, wisdom is in Christ, simplicity in Christ, salvation in Christ, grace in Christ, the prize of the high calling of God in Christ, the love of God in Christ, the law of the Spirit of life in Christ, we are complete in Christ, and in the eternity to come, we are to be glorified together in Christ.

Everyone would agree that no man could ever live up to the law, except Jesus, Who fulfilled the law. Likewise, all of those 23 scriptural phrases, which is nothing more than quoting Scripture, helps us to recognize that no man can live the Christian life except for Christ. There is only One Who can live that life, and that is Christ Himself. We must have such an experiential incorporation into Him that He lives His life through us as members of one body. To say that He helps "me" is not the truth because for a true Christian, "me" died on the cross with Jesus.

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life that I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me Galatians 2:20

If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17

In Verse 17, the word "new" means new as to quality, not new as to time; in other words an entirely different kind of person. That new "me" is the seed of Christ.

The phrase "in Christ" describes the essence of the intended life of every Christian. That phrase occurs 12 times in Verses 1-13 of Ephesians 1. It refers to the spiritual union of Christ with His body. But let us try to see more clearly what that means. Before attempting to answer that question, let us consider another principle.

The Lord's Master Plan is not to take natural man, save him, and make him more like Christ or make him better. Whenever man corrupts what the Lord has done, He never makes that thing better; rather He replaces that corrupt thing with something else. The Book of Hebrews gives a number of such examples. Of course, we all know that animal sacrifice was replaced by Calvary. The Old Covenant was replaced by the New Covenant; the Mosaic Law was replaced by grace and the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus; the Levitical priesthood has been replaced by the priesthood after the order of Melchisedec and the first Adam has been replaced by the last Adam.

In John 4, Jesus said He "must needs go through Samaria." Why? because He knew that He was to meet a specific Samaritan woman at Jacob's well. How did Jesus know that? How did Jesus know that He was to raise Lazarus from the dead? Now some may say, but brother, Jesus knew everything! Then the question becomes why did the Jesus know everything?

And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, Luke 4:1

And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of Him through all the region round about. Luke 4:14

Note that Jesus never started His ministry on earth until he overcame all temptation and returned in the power of the Spirit. The first thing Jesus did was to go to Nazareth, where He was born, to minister to those in His home town. 


24 And He said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country.

25 But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land;

26 But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow.

27 And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian. Luke 4:24-27

How did Elijah know that he was sent only to one specific widow woman and that outside of his own country? How did Elisha know that he was to be used to cleanse Naaman the Syrian and no other leper, and that outside of his own country? Acts 3 records the healing of the lame man by Peter and John. How did they know they were to heal that specific man? First of all, let us reflect on what Jesus said. 

Verily, verily, I say unto you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He seeth the Father do: for what things soever He doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.

John 5:19

I speak that which I have seen with My Faher: ye do that which ye have seen with your father. John 8:38

Jesus said that He only did that which He saw the Father do; He only spoke that which He heard from the Father. Can we say or do anything else?

9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known Me, Philip? he that hath seen Me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?

10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of Myself: but the Father that dwelleth in Me, He doeth the works.

11 Believe Me that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me: or else believe Me for the very works' sake. John 14:9-11

Jesus said that He was in the Father and the Father was in Him. Natural logic teaches us that if A is in B and B is in A, then A and B are equal or the same. Jesus knew what the Father was saying and doing because He abode in the Father. Now some may say, but brother, I am not Jesus. I do not have that same relationship with the Lord as He has with the Father. True, but the question is, Why not? Have you received the Holy Ghost since you believed? Have you been endued with power from on high? There is only one Holy Spirit. Jesus said,

I am the door: by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. John 10:9

What does it mean to go in and go out? A true principle is that, although we are born again and baptized with the Holy Spirit, we still make mistakes from time to time; that is, we do not always abide in Him. When that happens, we "go out" because there can be no sin in the presence of God. However, if we confess our sins then He is faithful and forgives us our sins and cleanses us from all unrighteousness. That enables us to go back "in."

4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in Me.

5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do nothing.

6 If a man abide not in Me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

7 If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

8 Herein is My Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be My disciples. John 15:4-8

The secret to fellowship and fruitfulness in Christian life is abiding in Christ. We must know in our spirit what Christ is doing, the means which He will use, and His time for it. This is the realm in which the Church walked and lived in apostolic times as recorded in the Book of Acts. That is why Peter and John knew to heal that specific lame man, as recorded in Acts 3.

The verses in John 15 we just read do not speak of salvation; they speak of communion, not the communion of a little piece of bread and a little sip of wine or grape juice, but the communion of the Holy Ghost (1 John 1:1-4); it is fellowship with Him by abiding in Him. We are to live our lives so that Christ will continue to abide in us. This is our responsibility. We cannot separate these two abidings (He in us and we in Him) because both are necessary for this vital union in Christ. One natural example is that the iron of the blacksmith is in the fire and the fire is in the iron. Consider also a sponge, which has a capacity to hold a maximum amount of water. If we try to add one drop of water to an already saturate sponge, then one drop must come out. Then, however, we could immerse that fully saturated sponge into a larger container of water. We must experientially realize our position in Christ though the Cross before Christ can manifest Himself through us.

Now the question arises, what does it mean to abide in Him? or how do we ensure that we abide in Him? We abide in Him by being available to Him and being obedient to His Word. The Holy Spirit applies His word to our daily lives and the blood of Jesus continues to cleanse us of all sin. This is the Father's pruning effort upon our daily lives.

Without Christ the most eloquent preaching and Bible teaching will be like a mist that quickly evaporates into thin air. Without Him we can do nothing. We cannot even take our next breath except by His grace. May these words penetrate to the depths of our soul. I am nothing; Christ is everything. I can do nothing; but I can do all things through ("in") Christ.

The true revelation of the worthlessness of the natural man in God's sight is always a necessary prerequisite to anointing for service. Moses said, Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh? I am not eloquent. Job said, I have heard of Thee by the hearing of the ear but now mine eye seeth Thee, wherefore I abhor myself, and I repent in dust and ashes. Isaiah said, Woe is me. Jeremiah said, I am but a child. Amos said, I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet's son; but I was an herdman, and a gatherer of sycamore fruit. Peter said, I am a sinful man. Paul said, In me dwelleth no good thing. Those are typical of all who have been called of God. These expressions are the result of the application of the true meaning of the cross. To abide in Christ is a conscious decision and experience. Many are called but few choose. The fact that our lives are producing the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22) demonstrates that we are in Christ and abiding in Him.

And he that keepeth His commandments dwelleth in Him, and He in him. And hereby we know that He abideth in us, by the Spirit which He hath given us.

1 John 3:24

When our Lord says "Abide in Me," He is talking about our will, about the choices and the decisions we make. It is a deliberate choice we make. We decide to do that which exposes us to Him and keeps us in contact with Him. We have been placed into Christ by the Holy Spirit. Now we must choose to maintain that fellowship by the decisions we make. We choose to expose ourselves to His Word in order to learn about Him and to relate to Him, not for my sake or my benefit, but for His good will, for His pleasure, for His glory.

To remain in union with Christ, to abide in Christ, to dwell or continue in Him implies we are already in Him. To abide in Christ is for those who are already in Christ. Spiritual growth is making real in our daily experience what is already true for us in Christ. Progressive sanctification is an ever putting off all that belongs to the old man, and putting on all that belongs to the new man in Christ. John the Baptist said, He must increase and I must decrease. We cannot become a mature believer and live any way we choose. The believer who is in Christ not only has died with Christ, but is bound to die daily as long as he is in the flesh. When I am weak then He is strong. The believer is always bearing about in his body the dying of the Lord Jesus. We are new creatures in Christ whose inward man is renewed day by day. It is by crucifying the old man that we make the death of Christ our own. The carnal mind must always be delivered up to death for Christ's sake. And the preaching of the cross is the power of God to us who are being saved (1 Corinthians 1:18). That verse is one of several verses that states that salvation is not a one and-done.

Daily communion with Jesus is a certain way of overcoming sin in our lives. Then, one day the battle will be over and we cease from our putting off and putting on and we are presented spotless in Christ.

Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of My God and he shall go no more out. Revelation 3:12

In the final analysis, we must continuously identify experientially with Christ. What is true of the Head must become true of the members of the body. What is true of the Vine must become true of the branches. What is true of the last Adam must become true of every member of His race.

There can be no resting of the Holy Spirit in and upon believers except as we allow ourselves to be incorporated into Christ crucified, buried, resurrected, and ascended. For Elisha to receive the double portion of his master's spirit he must pass through Jordan with him and be with him in the place of ascension.

1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.

2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

4 When Christ, Who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory. Colossians 3:1-4

If we are to appear with Christ in glory we must have a life hid with Christ in God, and ourselves be dead to things on the earth.

For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

Galatians 3:27

That does not speak of being baptized in water; nor does it speak of being baptized in or with the Holy Spirit. It speaks of being completely submerged into the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ. We are baptized into Christ by the Holy Spirit, not by some man baptizing us in water.

Now, let us look at the distinction between the first Adam and the last Adam.


42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:

43 It is sown in dishonour; it is rased in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:

44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.

45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.

46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.

47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second Man is the Lord from heaven.

48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.

49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.

50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,

52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 1 Corinthians 15:42-54

Scripture speaks of only two men ... the first Adam and the last Adam. When any person is born naturally, they are automatically in the first Adam; we are all born in the image and likeness of the Adam who sinned in the garden. We are all born with a spirit which cannot commune with God because of the "original sin" of the first Adam. That is why we must be "born again." Certainly, God never makes those in the first Adam any "better" because they are not even born again. And it is impossible to make the last Adam "better" because the last Adam is the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Further, when God was creating, as recorded in the first two Chapters of Genesis, He said that everything He made was either good or very good. God then rested on the seventh day from all His work.

We all know that when God created Adam and placed him in the garden, He told Adam that he could eat of any tree in the garden except for the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God warned Adam that the day he ate of that tree he would surely die. Adam did partake of that tree, which was disobedience, and disobedience is sin. Adam could have eaten of the tree of life first, but he did not. Perhaps that was because the tree of life did not look as "good" to his natural senses. As a result, Adam died. Let us now look at some key verses in Genesis.


21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.

22 And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of Us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:

23 Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.

24 So He drove out the man; and He placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life. Genesis 3:21-24

Most Christians believe that Adam (and his wife) originally were created innocent (without sin) but not perfect, not fully mature. We believe that before sin came, Adam was clothed with the glory of God. Genesis 1:26 says "Let us make man in Our image, after Our likeness." What was the image and likeness of God at that point in time? Jesus had not come to earth at that time so that image was characterized by the glory of God. God is a Spirit. When Adam sinned, he lost that covering of glory and they became naked. Further, they knew that they were naked. They were no longer innocent like little children, dependent upon their Father. They had a new awareness of themselves and of each other in their nakedness and shame. Therefore God gave them the flesh and blood skin that all humans have today (not the skins of animals).

When Adam ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, the Lord God said, "Behold, the man is become as one of Us, to know good and evil." Clearly, before they ate of the forbidden tree, Adam had not become as God. They were created innocent but not perfect. They were created as a teknon, a little child. Note that the first Adam had only created life; he never had Divine life because he never ate of the tree of life. Athough they could have first eaten of the tree of life, they never did. It appears that IF they had first eaten of the tree of life, that would not have been a "one and done" partaking. They would have continued to partake of the tree of life. Further, after eating of the forbidden tree, they did not become fully like God; they simply knew the difference between good and evil and were no longer dependent on God for that knowledge. They also had sinned and no sin can be in the presence of God. Therefore they were banished from the Garden of Eden. That was the grace of God to send them out from the garden; otherwise, if they then partook of the tree of life, they would live forever in a perpetual state of sin. Ever since then the first Adam, and every human being thereafter, is born with a dead spirit and also an independent spirit, a spirit that thinks they have no need for God, a spirit that may seek after God but only through their own good works, through their own efforts, using their natural minds and logical reasoning. That is what happened in Genesis 11 when men tried to reach God through their own works of building a tower to reach heaven. Hebrews 7:5 says that Levi was in the loins of Abraham. Likewise, all humans over all of time are in the loins of the first Adam; we are born into the first Adam.

However, when we are born again, we are translated into the kingdom of His dear Son; i.e., translated into the Church which is His body. Now we are in the last Adam, even Christ Himself. Therefore every human being over all of time is either in the first Adam or the last Adam. There are only two Adams. We are either in one or the other. What is true of the last Adam must be or must become true of each member of His race. When we are born again by the grace of God, then we have appropriated the fact that God has given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He that has the Son has life (1 John 5:1112). There is nothing outside of Christ of any value.

Now, is it possible to be born again and even baptized with the Holy Spirit, but not be in Christ? Absolutely, yes! There are a number of scriptural examples of that. The Galatian believers were trying to "mix" parts of Judaism with true Christanity. That takes them "out" of Him (but has nothing to do with their eventual salvation).

Paul wrote an epistle to the churches of Galatia, to those who were born again and undoubtedly baptized with the Holy Spirit. In that epistle, he warned them of their error. He rebuked Peter for eating with Gentiles and compelling the Gentiles to live as do the Jews (Galatians 3:1-14). Paul also rebuked the Galatians.

1 O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?

2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made pefect by the flesh? Galatians 3:1-3

9 But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?

10 Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.

11 I am afraid of you, lest I have besowed upon you labour in vain.

Galatians 4:9-11

Another example is the Church at Corinth. They had every gift in operation. But Paul called them carnal. He said that because there was envying, strife, and divisins among them, they were carnal and walk as men (the first Adam). Of the many errors that had cropped up among the believers at Corinth, the very first one mentioned is the divisions (1 Corinthians 1:10-16). The believers at Corinth had lost the reality of being in one accord, so prevalent in the early church as recorded in the Book of Acts. And when any church loses the reality of being in one accord with the Lord Jesus, that opens the floodgate for every other error to come in. They were no longer "in Christ." They were doing their own thing. Again, that has nothing to do with their eventual salvation or going to heaven one day.

Therefore for any believer to remain in Christ we must abide in Him and He in us. That is a complete identification of the believer with every aspect of Christ. Man can never attain that kind of unity with Christ. Only the Christ within can be in one accord with the last Adam. When we remain in one accord with Him, His life replaces our old man. This is a process on our part; a process of continually partaking of Him such that He continues to increase and I continue to decrease. And then one day we go no more out.

Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from My God: and I will write upon him My new name. Revelation 3:12

1 And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:

2 And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.

5 And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to His throne.

6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.

10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

Revelation 12:1-2, 5-6, 10-11

The woman is the body of Christ, the Israel of God (which does not speak of natural Israel). In Verse 2, as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children (Isaiah 66:8). The man child in Verse 5 speaks of the Christ and those who have identified with Christ, those who have remained in Christ, those who have identified with His overcoming. In Verse 5, the man child (the overcomers) was caught up unto God. This is the true "rapture," which does not speak of the whole church being taken out of this world just before or when the "great tribulation" comes. It speaks rather of the overcomers who are caught up in the realm of the Spirit, not physically removed from the earth. In Verse 6, "that they (the overcomers, or the manifestation of the sons of God) should feed her, the Church, for 1260 days," or three and one half years. That completes the three and one half years of the earthly ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. But it is still the Christ who overcomes all things. Jesus was and is the great Overcomer. He overcame everything in His earthly ministry of three and one half years. Just prior to His second coming, Christ in the form of the overcomers, completes His overcoming ministry of seven years.

26 And he that overcometh, and keepeth My works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:

27 And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of My Father.

28 And I will give him the morning star. Revelation 2:26-28

This is the time that everything and everyone is going to his own place, based upon his decisions. We are approaching the day when the door to the kingdom will be shut (parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25). One mature believer in Christ told me two days ago that she recently has heard twice a word from the Lord ... namely "Eternity is at the door."

Revelation 22:11, "He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still."

That is why we must abide in Chist. By abiding in the Vine, He lives His life through us. It is Christ in us, the hope of glory. It is not me in Christ, the hope of glory. I am dead and my life is hid with Christ in God. It is no longer I but Christ who lives in me; further, the life that I now live I live by His faith, not by my faith. To live is Christ; to die is gain. He who is joined to the Lord is one spirit. Only the Christ within us can worship the Father. Deep calleth unto deep. We are told to "put on the new man." This new man is Christ. That is another way of expressing the truth of being "in Christ." We must be baptized or immersed into one body ... His body. We abide in Him until Christ in you, the hope of glory, becomes a complete reality.