Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the saints and faithful brothers in Christ Jesus at Colossae: grace to you and peace from God our Father.
Storms makes the comment that the word "saints" emphasizes more one's position than one's purity. As those whom God has saved through faith in Jesus Christ, we are "saints." We have been set apart by God. We have been set apart "in Christ." Our position as believers is always "in Christ." We are a part of His body and as Ephesians tells us, we are seated with him in the heavenly places.
The fascinating truth of this passage is that as believers we can be, at the same time, both "in Christ Jesus at Colossae." We can be living at Westmoreland, but at the same time living "in Christ." Storms makes the comment,
Thus there are two levels of experience for believers, two kingdoms of which they are citizens, two perspectives from which we may view life. For me today, I am in Kansas City. In a real sense, that is where I am. But it cannot and must never exhaust what I am.
Then later Storms continues,
No matter where you are geographically and physically, what you are spiritually will never change. You may be at work, at play, overseas, under the weather, out of money, but you are always and unchangeably in Christ.
You may be down in the dumps, over the hill, or beside yourself, but you are always and unchangeably in Christ. You may be at paradise or in prison, at the movies or in Chicago, but you are always and unchangeably in Christ.
But the reverse is different. It is precisely because you are in Christ that wherever you live and work and play, you make an impact, you carry an influence, you make a
difference. Your spiritual identity as one in Christ must control and characterize how you live, wherever you live.
And so this means that when we are at work, school, or at play we are always in Christ and as such are making an impact for His name either to His glory or we are making an impact that is falling short of His glory.
It also means that whatever trial or hurt we find ourselves in, we are at the same time in Christ. I am at my computer now in Westmoreland typing this blog and Lord willing tomorrow I will be in North Carolina weeping with the rest of my family over the death of my granddaddy and a day or two after that I will be at the memorial service conducting part of that service, but through all of the sorrow and hurt of "losing" my granddaddy, I am still in Christ. My granddaddy lived the vast majority of his life in Christ and now he is in Christ in a whole new way--"to live is Christ and to die is gain."
Remembering that, as believers, we are "always and unchangeably" in Christ sustains us through even the deepest of hurts.
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