- Paul wanted us to remember our lives before we had invited Jesus to be our Lord and Savior and God to be our Sovereign God — “without Christ.” He wanted us to remember so that we could be encouraged when looking at our lives “in Christ” (What Does “in Christ” Mean?).
- Everybody had been in the same unredeemed boat “without Christ” as, in the spiritual sense, we are all uncircumcised Gentiles (What Does “in Christ” Mean?).
- God’s call for us to accept Jesus in our lives eliminates the separation that occurred as a consequence of the original sin. As much as we may wonder how He can pardon us from our sins and restore our relationships with Him, He can and does – He wants to do just that (What Is the Relationship Between Righteousness and Wisdom?).
- Being a creature of God isn’t enough to make us children of God. Nor is being made in His image. Being made children of God occurs through regeneration and adoption. In order to become children of God, we have to believe in Jesus – be “in Christ” (How Are We Made New Creations?).
- When we are “in Christ,” sin no longer has a hold on us. Yes, Jesus is in us. He is in our hearts after we have asked Him to be our Savior. He is to be our life (What Is the Relationship Between Righteousness and Wisdom?).
- Paul’s point was, if we are not “in Christ,” we are “without Christ.” (The Unbelieving State of the Gentile Church).
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