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More Than Conquerors - Dave Smith

Who I Am In Christ

Jun 2018

When a person realizes that he is a sinner, repents of his sin, and accepts Jesus Christ as his Saviour and Lord, he becomes a new creation (II Cor. 5:17) and is born again (Jn. 3:3). He is baptized into the body of Christ (I Cor. 12:13; Rom. 6:3) by the Holy Spirit and, therefore, into His death, burial, and resurrection. Then he can walk in newness of life (Rom. 6:4). His old man is crucified with Him (Rom. 6:6; Gal. 2:20); he is freed from the power of sin (Rom. 6:7), and dead to sin and alive to God (Romans 6:11) by Jesus Christ.

This is where the phrase “in Christ” comes from. This is what Jesus meant when He said, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Lk. 9:23). This is also how Paul said, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me.” (Gal. 2:20)

This is how Christians can receive all the benefits of the Cross on a daily basis—as they continue to keep their faith in the Cross (Col. 2:6). Paul described these benefits in his epistles with the phrases “in Christ,” “by Christ,” and “through Christ” about 170 times.

The following poem expresses some of those benefits:

Though I did my best, by God I was rejected, but by faith in what Jesus did, I am accepted.
I was cursed ’cause my way didn’t pass His test, but as I received His gift, I am blessed.
As an offspring of Satan, I was very wild, but by grace, I am now God’s adopted child.
From my emptiness I found no lasting relief, but in Him, I am now fulfilled and complete.
I was useless, and my life not worth livin’, but now that I’m in Him, I am forgiven.
I was full of bitterness, defeat, and strife, but in Christ, now I have abundant life.
I was in bondage, and totally enslaved, but now I am free because I am saved.
My life was full of pain, and no one cared, but God adopted me, and now I’m His heir.
I made my whole life into a great big mess, but He forgave, and gives me His holiness.
I failed so often, all I could do was cope, but God changed my heart and gives me hope.
Satan used and abused me like a cheap toy, but God took my sorrows and gives me joy.
All my life I was trying hard to rearrange—but only God—my whole nature did change.
For my insecurity, I found no lasting cure, but in Him I’m established and secure.
I had always been a very selfish taker, but by loving me first, He makes me a giver.
All the time I was dead, I thought I was wise, but by trusting in Him, He makes me alive.
In pleasing others, I thought I knew love, but in Jesus, I found what it really was.
From war and confusion, I sought release, but not until Christ did I find real peace.
Life was chaotic, and by luck I was awed, but now in God’s plan, I am chosen and called.
I served a master who was cruel and mean, but coming to Jesus my life He redeemed.
I refused as He knocked at my heart’s door, but now as His child, I am fully restored.
Like Jacob, with God I always did fight, when He only wanted to make me right.
With all things I tried to satisfy my heart, but to Himself He wanted to set me apart.
I was weak and wanted to do wrong, but He changed my desires and makes me strong.
Problems made it seem I was in a big cage, but God gave me freedom, help, and courage.
Fear of rejection and failure kept me tense, but through Christ I now have His
confidence. I thought I was good, but had the wrong root, but in Him, of me, He makes good fruit.


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