So who is 'in Christ'? Paul, in speaking to citizens of Athens says, "HE made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of you own poets have said. 'For we also are His children.' Being then the children of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or sliver or stone, an image formed by the art and thought of man (Acts 17:26-30)." Paul here is talking to Pagans! To unbelievers! Yet he is speaking the truth to them, he is preaching the message of reconciliation! He is preaching the finished work of Christ! He is viewing them and speaking to them as they are forgiven already, because they are. He is speaking to their true identity in hopes that they will come to believe the truth. We don't say they need to be saved we tell them that they need to accept the fact that Jesus already saved them 2000 yrs ago. They have just been beguiled into thinking they need to save themselves in one way or another. But that lie, is a lie, which means that it isn't true.
"Therefore from now on we recognize no one according tot he flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer. Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. HE made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:16-21)."
God, through Christ reconciled the world to Himself (2 Cor. 5:19). He died for the sins of the World (John 1:29)! Jesus was sent because God loved the whole world (John 3:16). And He desires everyone to come to a knowledge of the truth (1 Tim. 2:4) as He gave himself as a ransom for all people (1 Tim. 2:6). A knowledge of the truth? What is the truth? Jesus says that you will 'Know the truth and the truth will set you free (John 8:32).' Knowing it will set you free, the truth itself will not.
The crazy implications of all of this, is that all people have been paid for, their sins have been forgiven. It is not longer an issue of forgiven or unforgiven, saved or unsaved, but rather believer or unbeliever. "For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive (1 Cor. 15:22)."
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned—for until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many. The gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification. For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 5:6-21).
We literally, in every way, live by faith and not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7). We call things that are not as though they are (Romans 4:17). Faith exposes the lie and replaces it with the truth. Reality is reality whether we agree with it or not. "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect (Romans 12:2-3)."
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