IN CHRIST

Nearly every nation in the world has a McDonald's restaurant located somewhere within that nation.  It is either owned by a franchisee or it is a corporate owned store.  They are privately owned.  At the same time, nearly every nation in the world has a United States Embassy located somewhere within that nation.  Each one is owned by the United States.  They are government owned.  

When you go into a McDonalds in Mexico City, you are still in Mexico.  You are at McDonalds...IN Mexico.  

No matter what nation a United States Embassy is in, the ground where it rests is United States soil.  That land under a United States Embassy does not belong to the foreign country where it sits.  If you, as a United States citizen, are IN that foreign nation, the moment you step into the United States Embassy, you would technically be IN the United States - because you are IN the Embassy. 

That helps me understand what the Apostle Paul meant when he referred to followers of Jesus as being IN CHRIST.  It has been said Paul used the phrase IN CHRIST 170 times.  It has been said, as a result, that it was Paul's favorite saying.  Can I just tell ya something?  I am not going to count to confirm but know that he said it many times.  IN CHRIST simply means belonging to Jesus or being in unity with him.  

There is a wonderful mystery to being IN CHRIST. It is a partnership with Jesus which we cannot fully understand this side of Heaven.  

Words cannot adequately and fully describe this partnership. But oh hallelujah, it is possible to have less than a full understanding about something and still be perfectly delighted about it.

Prayer -
Father, You now I do not understand everything about You and Your ways.  Help me to know that it is not only ok to not understand it all but also that You are not asking me to have it all figured out anyway.  Amen.

He also raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavens IN CHRIST Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might display the immeasurable riches of his grace through his kindness to us IN CHRIST Jesus. 8 For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift ​— ​ 9 not from works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created IN CHRIST Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do. -- Ephesians 2:6-10 (CSB)

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McDonalds Restaurant located in Mexico City