We are One with Christ and in Christ
New Jerusalem is God’s composition, His “masterpiece” (Eph. 2:10), with all His people built into oneness in Him.
In the New Jerusalem the names of the twelve tribes of Israel represent all the Old Testament saints. These names are inscribed on the twelve gates of the city.
In the New Jerusalem the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb represent all the New Testament saints….The fact that the names of the twelve apostles are on the twelve foundations of the wall indicates that the New Jerusalem as the holy city is composed not only of the Old Testament saints, represented by Israel, but also of the New Testament saints, represented by the apostles.*
We are all one in Christ because His cross did away with all our distinctions and His resurrection imparted Himself into us as our oneness. Colossians 3:11 tells us clearly that in the new man “there cannot be Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free man, but Christ is all and in all.”
We exercise to put off our cultural differences and deny our personal preferences by taking Christ as our “all.” At present this is an exercise as stated by the Lord Jesus “If anyone wants to come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me” (Luke 9:23). But when we reach the fullness of New Jerusalem the old man will be gone and Christ will be our all one hundred percent.
* Life-Study of the New Testament, Conclusion Messages: The Church, the Kingdom, and the New Jerusalem, message 259, p. 2707, by Witness Lee. Published 1998 and © by Living Stream Ministry, Anaheim, California.
Posted by Don on November 27, 2024
https://newjerusalem12.wordpress.com/2024/11/27/we-are-one-with-christ-and-in-christ/
