WHAT WE HAVE IN CHRIST
“That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.” Philemon 6
Every true man of God will have something in common with the apostle Paul. The sincere preacher wants to see those to whom he ministers grow in grace, increase in their understanding of their position in Christ, and also become effective in living out their faith and sharing it with others. In this passage, Paul expresses his desire for Philemon’s spiritual progress. He prayed that the communication of Philemon’s faith would “become effectual.” Philemon, like all of us, needed to be effective in communicating his faith with others. Paul then included something that would help that become a reality when he added, “by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.”
This advice would be helpful to every growing believer. We need to discover what we received when we received the Lord Jesus Christ. It is safe to say that none of us fully comprehend all that became ours when we became one with Christ through faith.
However, it is both our privilege and duty to grow in that awareness. The lack of understanding regarding the riches that we have in Him will adversely affect our spiritual development and our service.
So what did we receive when we were saved? We know that we received forgiveness of our sins. We are justified by God’s grace. Justification is a legal term which means that God has formally declared us to be innocent of all charges against us. We have received adoption into God’s family. Now God is our Father, and we are members of the family of God. We are now saints, according to the Word of God, set apart for God. We have an inheritance awaiting us in Heaven. The Holy Spirit indwells us, has sealed us until the day that we are taken to Heaven, has been given to guide us into all truth, and wants to reproduce His character and godliness in us. Our Savior has promised that He will never leave us nor forsake us. These are only a few things that we received in Christ, but they serve to illustrate the point.
According to the Scripture, the more we acknowledge “every good thing” which is in us in Christ, the more effective we will be. May God help us to acknowledge, appreciate, and appropriate His blessings in our lives.