↓Audio link to the sermon:(Sunday worship recording)
(If you can’t listen on your iPhone, please update your iOS)
Today, I would like to talk about the phrase “in Christ.” In today’s passage, the expression “in Christ” appears many times. Do you know how many times? About eight times. Why does it appear eight times? Because it is very important, that’s why it is repeated so often.
In Greek, the phrase “in Christ” is “en Christo.” In Paul’s letters, the phrase en Christō is used 64 times. It shows how significant this concept is. “In Christ” means that we who believe in Jesus are in Christ—that is, we belong to Jesus. This is who we are. This is our spiritual identity. Yes! We are in Christ. We belong to Christ. Hallelujah!
Let me ask you. Where are we right now? We are… In Christ! It means that we are not people who are outside of Christ, with no connection to Him. We are not outsiders, but insiders. We are not strangers to Christ, but those who belong to Christ.
The phrase “en Christo” does not simply refer to a physical space. Rather, it points to a spiritual union with Christ. In fact, we are one with Him through faith. To be “in Christ” means to have received salvation and new life through union with Him. It includes the spiritual transformation of dying with Christ and being raised with Him, and it signifies that every area of a believer’s life is under the reign of Christ.
When we see the phrase “En Christo,” we usually translate it as “in Christ.” But that is not the only way to understand it. Sometimes it can also be translated as “through Christ,” or “by Christ,” or even “thanks to Christ(because of Christ).”
So today, as we read today’s passage together, let us try to translate “in Christ” in a fresh way. This time, let us try to translate it as “thanks to Jesus.”
When we turn to verse 1, we see that as believers, we have become faithful because of Jesus. It is “thanks to Christ” that you and I are the faithful. You and I could never be faithful before God on our own. But because we have received Jesus as our Savior, because we personally trust Him, and because we rely on His Word and live in obedience to it, we are now recognized as “the faithful” before God. In other words, the reason we can be acknowledged as the faithful is entirely “thanks to Jesus.” It is through Him that we are able to live a faithful life. So, we must always give thanks to Jesus.
When we look at verse 3, we see that God blesses us because of Jesus. It is not because we have some merit in ourselves, nor because we have done anything worthy to deserve His blessing. No, it is “thanks to Jesus” that we receive and enjoy the blessings of God. The blessings of heaven flow into our lives through Him. So, we must believe in Jesus in order to receive those blessings. It is only through faith in Christ that we can receive the blessings that come from God. Let me ask you. Have you received God’s blessings? Yes! I’m sure that you have received many blessings from God. If so, because of whom have you received them? Yes, it is because of Jesus. It is “thanks to Jesus” alone. Brothers and sisters, we should always give thanks to Jesus.
When we turn to verse 4, we see that God has chosen us in Christ. In other words, it is “thanks to Jesus” that we have been chosen as God’s children. If it were not for Jesus, God would have no reason to choose us. We, as humans, are all fallen. Fallen humanity cannot please God. Yet, astonishingly, Jesus came to this world as a human, and He lived a life that pleased God perfectly. When we believe in Jesus—the One whom God loves and delights in—, God chooses us as His children because of Jesus. So, we must give our heartfelt thanks to Jesus.
When we look at verse 6, we see that God gives us grace in Christ. Grace is a gift. It’s a gift from God. Grace is the opposite of human effort. Usually, we have to work to gain something. We have to make an effort to receive a reward. Of course, the Bible teaches us the importance of effort. For example, the Bible says, “You reap what you sow.” If we want to harvest in the fall, we must work hard in the spring. We have to sow the seeds in the spring. The Bible warns against laziness. The Bible teaches us to work diligently.
And yet, the Bible also teaches us about God’s overflowing grace. Sometimes, the outcomes exceed all our expectations and efforts. That is God’s grace. And it is thanks to Jesus that we receive this grace. It is not because we are good. It is not because we have done something deserving that we receive God’s grace. It is all because of Jesus. It is all thanks to Him.
When we look at verse 7, we see that we receive forgiveness of sins in Christ. The wages of sin is death. When we sin, the result is death. We are destined to die because of our sins. No matter how many good deeds we do, no matter how much we cleanse our bodies even in hot springs, we can’t remove our sins on our own. Even if we try to wash away our sins in running water, sins as scarlet cannot be cleansed by our own strength. If Jesus had not died on the cross in our place, we could have not received forgiveness. In other words, we are forgiven “thanks to Jesus”—and more specifically, “thanks to the blood” He shed on the cross.
We cannot approach God while we are still in sin. Only after receiving forgiveness and being made clean can we come before the holy God. We are made clean by the blood of Jesus. So it is “thanks to Jesus,” and because of His precious blood that we receive forgiveness of sins. Let us once again give our heartfelt thanks to Jesus. Jesus, thank You!
When we look at verse 10, we see that God unites everything in heaven and on earth in Christ. God brings all things together in Jesus. Think for a moment about Japan’s own history of unification. Japan also had its Warring States period, beginning with the Onin War in 1467 and ending with the establishment of the Tokugawa shogunate in 1603. After that, the Edo period—a time of peace—began. In other words, it was Tokugawa Ieyasu who achieved political and military unification. Under Tokugawa Ieyasu, Japan became fully united. Before that, the country had been in constant conflict.
The same is true of this world. Human history is filled with wars—between people, between regions, between nations, and even between ideologies. Above all, there is the war between free-market democracy and communism. Debates, conflicts, and disputes seem endless. But God has provided a solution—a single, ultimate solution. What is it? It is Jesus Christ. Jesus is the one and only One who will bring complete unity to the entire universe.
In Isaiah chapter 9 verses 6 and 7, it says, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.”
Christ is the Prince of Peace. Jesus is the Prince of Peace. He is the One who can bring an end to all wars on this earth. Especially, the peace in our hearts, the peace in our families, the peace in our communities, and above all, the peace in the land of Japan—whose work is this? Thanks to whom do we enjoy this peace? It is because of Jesus. It is “thanks to Jesus.” Amen! Yes, the peace we enjoy here in Japan is because of Jesus. Indeed, it is.
In verse 11, we see that we have become God’s inheritance in Christ. To be God’s inheritance means that we have become God’s possession, and it also means that God Himself has become our inheritance. Brothers and sisters, don’t you want to possess something truly valuable and precious? I’m sure no one here wants something of little value, something easily found anywhere, something cheap. What we want as our inheritance, what we wish to pass on to our children, must be something truly valuable and precious. It could be land, buildings, or treasured possessions. Or it could be something rare, with historical or artistic significance.
But tell me, what value would our lives have if Jesus Christ were not in our hearts? Who in this world would recognize us as noble, pure, and honorable, and respect us for it? Especially, if Jesus were not in our hearts, would God claim us as His own? Is there anything good in us that would make God want to have us? Why would God say to us, “You are Mine”? It’s all because of Jesus. It’s “all thanks to Jesus.” Because Jesus Christ dwells in our hearts, God looks upon us with favor.
Finally, in verse 13, we see that we have heard the gospel in Christ and have been sealed with the promised Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, and if we read the Old Testament, we see that God promised to send the Holy Spirit to us through the prophets. In Joel 2:28 it says: “And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.”
God promised to pour out His Spirit on us. That is why we call Him the promised Spirit. To be “sealed with the Holy Spirit” means that the Holy Spirit acts like a seal or stamp placed on our foreheads. Brothers and sisters, if a letter has my personal seal at the very end, whose letter is it? Of course, it is mine. A seal shows who owns something, and it also shows that it is genuine, not fake.
God does the same for us. Our Father places His seal on each of us when we hear and receive the gospel of Jesus Christ. And what is God’s seal? It is the Holy Spirit.
So when we hear the good news of Jesus Christ and receive Him as our Savior, the Holy Spirit—the seal— is placed on our hearts. This happens when we hear the gospel and accept Jesus as our Savior. Anyone without the seal of the Holy Spirit is not God’s child. And this, too, is because of Jesus, thanks to Jesus. It shows that we are genuine, not counterfeit. We are not fake luxury goods, but genuine treasures belonging to God. All because of Jesus. “All thanks to Jesus.”
Brothers and sisters, everything we enjoy is by God’s grace. More specifically, it is because of Jesus. It is “thanks to Jesus” that we are able to enjoy so many blessings in our lives. So, we should always have hearts full of gratitude toward Jesus. We should seek to repay His grace. Like the Apostle Paul, we should live with the desire to repay that grace until the very end of our lives. Let us pray.
↓Audio link to the sermon:(Sunday worship recording)
(If you can’t listen on your iPhone, please update your iOS)