Have you ever wondered what it means, or what the distinction is between Christ in you and you in Christ? Does it seem like splitting hairs? Do the scriptures mean different things by the different terms? Let’s look at some scriptures and address the question from the perspective of access.
26 the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. 27 To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Colossians 1:26-27 (NKJV)
5 Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? – unless indeed you are disqualified. 2 Corinthians 13:5 (NKJV)
The two scriptures above point to the importance of Christ in us and the following ones to us in Christ.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace 11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, Ephesians 1:3-4, 7, 11 (NKJV, emphasis mine)
3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. Colossians 3:3 (NKJV)
The verses above speak of what we have in Jesus. So we have two important aspects, us being in Jesus and Jesus being in us. Jesus addressed this in His last teaching before going to the Garden of Gethsemane then the cross.
20 At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. John 14:20 (NKJV)
If we break down the two aspects we can see that addresses our access to throne room. Jesus is seated on the throne and because we are ‘in Him’ we can come boldly to throne of grace because in one sense we are already there (Heb. 4:14-16). The second is that by being in us Jesus has access through us to accomplish His purposes in the earth. While He has received all authority through His death and resurrection He has finished His work and commissioned us for the next phase.
18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. Matthew 28:18-20 (NKJV)
This passage is our command to allow Jesus to walk and move through us to fulfill His purposes in the earth prior to the final consummation at His return (see also Mk. 16:15-20). I have things I pray spontaneously each day and I also have a prayer list of subject areas that I have developed over the years and regularly pray. One thing I regularly ask the Holy Spirit to do in me and many of you is –
- Release grace and supplication as You intercede in and through us to bring about Your strategic and corporate purposes in the earth. Zech. 12:10, Rom. 8:26, Eph. 6:18
We have an incredible responsibility and incredible opportunity if we are sufficiently awakened to our calling to respond. I pray we give Jesus our agendas so that we will see His fulfilled in the earth!
