By Nick Bibile
2 Corinthians 5:17 — "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."
One of the most distinctive declarations in all of Scripture is the phrase "in Christ." The Apostle Paul uses this expression over 160 times throughout his epistles, making it one of the most foundational truths of the Christian faith. You will never hear a Muslim say he is in Mohammed. You will never hear a Buddhist claim to be in Buddha. No follower of any world religion speaks in this manner — because no other religion offers what Christianity offers: a living Savior.
The word "in" carries profound theological weight. It speaks of union — an intimate, vital, inseparable joining of two into one. It is the language of covenant, of oneness, of mutual indwelling.
"I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing." — John 15:5
"At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you." — John 14:20
"For in him we live, and move, and have our being." — Acts 17:28
This union with Christ is not a metaphor. It is a living, spiritual reality. No one can claim to be in Mohammed or in Buddha, because those men are dead. Their tombs are occupied. But Christ is risen. He is alive forevermore (Revelation 1:18), and because He lives, we can have fellowship with Him — not as a memory, not as a philosophy, but as a person.
When we speak of being in Christ, we are speaking of a love relationship — a sweet, living, transforming fellowship. This is what separates Christianity from every religion on earth. Religion says: do these things, and perhaps God will accept you. But the Gospel declares: be in Christ, and you are fully accepted, fully loved, fully alive.
"Abide in me, and I in you." — John 15:4
"Christ in you, the hope of glory." — Colossians 1:27
"And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father." — Galatians 4:6
When you abide in Christ, something transformative happens — you begin to take on His likeness. You think differently, speak differently, love differently. This is the inevitable fruit of genuine union with the living Lord.
"But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." — 2 Corinthians 3:18
Here is where many souls have been gravely deceived. Multitudes perform religious activities — attending services, observing rituals, receiving sacraments, following traditions — and they feel as though Christ is present. But we must be very clear: feelings and emotions are not the same as fellowship.
A person may be moved by:
The sight of a religious statue or icon
The fragrance of incense in a church
The beauty of priestly vestments
Inspirational Christian music
The sight of people speaking in tongues or weeping in worship
And yet — if there is no genuine, living union with the Lord Jesus Christ — all of that is religious activity without spiritual reality. It is form without power.
"Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away." — 2 Timothy 3:5
"This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me." — Matthew 15:8
"Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." — Matthew 7:21
True Christianity is not a set of ceremonies to be performed. It is a life to be lived — a life in Christ, where He dwells in us by His Spirit, and we walk in Him daily.
"As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him." — Colossians 2:6
"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me." — Galatians 2:20
The Lord Jesus gave us the most vivid illustration of this truth in John 15. A branch cannot bear fruit by its own effort, willpower, or religious determination. It bears fruit only by remaining connected to the vine. Sever the branch from the vine, and it withers and dies — no matter how green it looked yesterday.
"I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing." — John 15:5
"If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned." — John 15:6
This is a solemn warning and a glorious invitation at the same time. The warning: without abiding in Christ, there is no life, no fruit, no usefulness to God. The invitation: remain in Me, and your life will overflow with fruit that glorifies the Father.
This brings us to the great question of human existence: What is the chief end of man? "The chief end of man is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever."
And how does a true Christian glorify God? By bearing fruit — the fruit of a life abiding in Christ.
"Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples." — John 15:8
"Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain." — John 15:16
"Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." — 1 Corinthians 10:31
"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." — Matthew 5:16
The fruit of a life in Christ is not manufactured by human effort. It flows naturally by living in Christ — from the union of the believer with the living Lord. Just as a healthy branch cannot help but bear fruit when connected to a living vine, so a soul truly in Christ will bear fruit that remains, to the eternal glory of God the Father.
My question for you today, Are you in Christ today — truly in Him, not merely in a church, a denomination, a tradition, or a religious routine? The mark of the true Christian is not what ceremony they observe, but Whose life they share. Christ is alive and do you have a living intimate relationship with Christ? If not, He is calling you not to religion, but to Himself — to abide in Him, to be transformed by Him through reading, studying His Word, the Bible, and live through Him, to glorify the Father with every day of your life.
"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." — 2 Corinthians 5:17