Regional Synod of Canada - Reformed Church in America

Pioneer Christian Monthly

Date - Oct/78

Contributor - Richard Westra

Title - Being in Christ- a Motif of St. Paul Part 2 - To Know Christ

Topic - Knowing Christ

Someone made a remark, "When you go into higher education today, you no longer get a general education, you get a specialized education." It doesn't matter what area of study you go into today, you must settle with the fact that you come out a specialist. It is impossible for one person to know everything there is to know about each particular subject. That is how complicated the educational system has become in these days. Is it any wonder that many, even though they don't say it, really believe that 'ignorance is bliss'.

But there is one person about whom we must not be ignorant, namely Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God. When our heart is ready, the Spirit of God will show us who this Christ is. It is the greatest privilege in the world to receive wisdom from God concerning our purpose in Christ Jesus. God has intended for us to be united as one people, joined together as many boards are brought together to make one building. Wherever we are and whatever we do, we are to be united with Christ in our goals and in our expectations. To be united with Christ is to know him.

One of Paul's favourite ways of expressing our union with Christ is in his use of the phrase, 'in Christ'. "We were created in Christ Jesus for good works" (Ephesians 2: 10) he says, thus establishing the fact that from creation we were intended to be united with Christ. But since we have been united in sin with each other, Christ had to die for our sins. In order for his death to be effective, we must be crucified with Christ (Galatians 2: 20) so that our old self dies with him. Our new self comes to life as we are raised with him (Col. 3: 1), and we continue to live with him and we "grow to maturity in Christ" (Col. 1: 28). This assures us that we have eternal life "in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23). He sums up his thought in that one beautiful passage in Galatians where he says, "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me."

It is God's purpose that we be united with him through Jesus Christ our Lord. This means that we no longer live under the dominion of sin but we live under the new power in Christ Jesus. Life does not consist of the selfish pleasure we can achieve and the kinds of things we can do to build up our own fame, but it means denying the self, taking up that which is often a burden to the world and following Christ. "He has delivered us from the powers of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son." (Col. 1: 13.) And finally, we are no longer condemned to die and be buried, but we are given a sure promise that we shall live eternally with Christ. All of this is a great mystery to which we have been given access through the Spirit of knowledge and wisdom.

SHARED KNOWLEDGE

This mystery is so great that we cannot hope to keep it to ourselves without at the same time risking the definite possibility that we will lose it. Hasn't this occurred all too often in our history? The knowledge of God's saving love has been taught generation after generation, but the moment that the chain is broken and one stops sharing it, the one who had it, loses it. The miracle of God's people has always been its willingness to speak boldly about God's workings in the lives of his people. Whenever the church has caught that vision, even though it suffered, it remained victorious, as it continued to live in Christ.

Take for example the recent emergence of services of worship and the small discussion groups where people share the story of what God has been doing in their life. Outsiders have noticed what a difference this sharing has done to the lives of these people, and they have questioned the source of this fire. Many of us in the Reformed tradition are afraid to talk about these things lest they be considered nothing but empty talk. But had we not better run that risk than saying nothing at all? How dare we keep silent on such a great matter as a word from the Lord. Christ we must proclaim, "teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man mature in Christ." (Col. 1: 28.) Has God said or done something in your life? Tell someone about it so that they too might rejoice with you in making known how great a God we have, and what wonderful things He has done and is doing. Read the Bible and see for yourself what God has done through Jesus Christ for others. And take some time to read in many good books today the sort of things that are happening in the churches as God is doing many mighty things in our land.

Once we have learned to share what God has done we can begin to share some of the things we hope that God will do. Maybe there is a friend in need of healing. Or there is a relative who has wandered away from the faith. Or we ourselves cannot cope with many of the doubts that plague us from time to time. We can share them with each other and pray together to God concerning these needs. God by his Spirit will bring us together into union with Christ so that we are built up together, and so that we grow together. Together we will stand in the midst of an ailing world with the full armour of God, speaking the truth, living a life of love, bringing everywhere the gospel of peace, and being firm in our faith.

It is true that there are a lot of things that we could learn in a life-time and that the seventy or so years that God has given us are not enough to tap all these resources. That may be a good thing, otherwise we might claim too much for ourselves. But as we sit in the classroom this fall we must never forget to seek the Christ who loved us and gave himself for us. By the power of God we will come alive through Jesus Christ who strengthens us. Then we will no longer be tied to our learning. We will be freed from the bondage of success. "The wisdom of this world is folly with God", says Paul (I Cor. 3: 19) so "do not be foolish but understand what the will of the Lord is" (Eph. 5:17). To know what God wants is to be united with him and we are united with him through Jesus Christ. "O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgements and how inscrutable his ways! ... For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever". (Rom. 11: 33, 36.)

Please click the "Back" button of your browser to return to previous page.