In Christ

In Christ

“Therefore, if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any compassion and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.” Phil. 2:1-2.

There are many people going around seeking comfort of love, compassion, and mercy, but they find nothing. They sigh, find fault, criticize, make demands, and have expectations of the others. They are always disappointed. They are all outside Christ where they will not find these glorious things.

Being in Christ is the same as serving God’s law with my mind, delighting in doing good according to my inner man, not being indebted to the flesh, but being led by the Spirit. Rom. 7:22, 25; 8:1, 4; 12:14.

Such people will taste the consolation and compassion that is in Christ. Their desire is to do good, but they think it is going badly. Such people find their consolation in Christ. The Spirit guides them; He takes from Jesus and gives to them. They enter into the fellowship of the sufferings of Christ where they will discover an abundance of comfort of love and mercy, and where the Spirit glorifies Christ to them. There, at the throne of grace, they receive mercy and forgiveness for what has not succeeded for them, and they receive grace to help them further in the race.

No one would insist that all this is not in Christ, and Paul writes further that if all this is in Christ then “fulfill my joy by being like-minded,” etc. Those who are not like-minded make demands on each other. The fact that they are not like-minded proves that they have not found this glory in Christ. All those who are in Christ are not together to be served, but to serve and to lay down their life. They are all of one mind. They don’t go around clamoring for comfort and compassion. They have found an abundance of this glory in Christ, and they have wonderful fellowship with each other. Their lips are overflowing with thankfulness and praise. They think of the others’ best and esteem the others higher than themselves. Praised be God for this glorious salvation.