Being in Christ is central to our salvation now and will be vital to our roles in the Millennium, the Kingdom of God, and into eternity. Without Christ, we would be nothing, as it is this state of being in Christ that makes all the difference. The apostle Paul frequently uses phrases like "in Christ," "in Him," "by Him," "through Him," and "with Him" across his writings, emphasizing that we owe everything to Christ—past actions, present realities, and future promises. Christ is all in all, the essence of everything for us. The concept of union with Christ permeates Paul's letters through direct phrases and metaphors, such as being part of His body with Him as the Head, being clothed with Christ, becoming a new man, being built up as a temple, or being the Bride of Christ, unified as one with Him as the Bridegroom. This idea of union is not minor but a dominant theme in Paul's thought, covering nearly every concept he addresses. This understanding began for Paul on the road to Damascus, where Christ revealed Himself, asking why Paul persecuted Him, not merely His people. This showed Paul that Christ is so closely associated with His followers that what is done to them is done to Him, indicating a profound unity—Christ in them and they in Him, inseparable. This unity is not unique to Paul but stems from Christ's own teachings during His ministry, reflected in the gospels where He speaks of being in us and we in Him, as branches on the vine, sharing in the Father's love as He does. Paul refines this concept of being in Christ, presenting it through various facets like instrumentality, where Christ is the agent through whom God accomplishes His will, reconciling the world and providing grace and salvation. Through participation, we share in Christ's experiences, from death and resurrection to sufferings, following in His steps to achieve the same character image. Identification marks us as Christians, separating us from the world by our association with Christ. Incorporation means becoming part of His spiritual body, absorbed into Him, functioning in various roles within the church, and ultimately unified with Him as one. Being in Christ is the great difference-maker in our lives, both now and eternally. Without Him, there is no election, redemption, new creation, hope, salvation, resurrection, eternal life, glorification, or place in the Kingdom of God. With Him in us and working with us, we grow into His character image and will have what it takes to live and rule with Him in His Kingdom during the Millennium, inheriting all things as firstfruits of His spiritual creation.

The concept of being in Christ underscores a profound unity and shared experience between believers and Jesus Christ. We are baptized by one Spirit into one body, as stated in I Corinthians 12:13, becoming members of His body, the church, which is the fullness of Him who fills all in all, according to Ephesians 1:22-23. This close relationship means that what the Head experiences, the body experiences as well; we tread the same path as He did, with Him as the Archegos, the Trailblazer and Author, guiding us through life's trials and lessons. Being in Christ signifies that we are inside of Him, a part of Him, as emphasized in Ephesians 1:1-7, where we are blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, chosen in Him before the foundation of the world to be holy and without blame. Only because we are in Him do we have redemption through His blood and the forgiveness of sins. This unity is further illustrated in Ephesians 1:10, where all things are gathered together in one in Christ, both in heaven and on earth. Our shared life with Christ is evident in scriptures like Romans 6:6, where our old man was crucified with Him to do away with the body of sin, and Colossians 2:12, where we are buried with Him in baptism and raised with Him through faith. Romans 8:17 highlights that as joint heirs with Christ, we suffer with Him to be glorified together. This intimate connection means we are drawn along the same path toward death—not necessarily martyrdom, but the death of self, which must precede a resurrection to spirit life, as seen in Philippians 3:8-11, where being found in Him leads to knowing the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings. The four Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—focus significantly on the crucifixion, death, and resurrection of Christ, underscoring its importance. This central event is not just historical but a pattern for us; as He is, so are we in this world, following the same path of suffering and death to self, which is essential for producing the fruit of God's Spirit and ultimately achieving resurrection to life. Scriptures such as Galatians 2:20, where we are crucified with Christ, and Colossians 3:1-3, where our life is hidden with Christ in God, reinforce this call to die to sin and live in the Spirit, ensuring that if we are truly in Him, we will be resurrected just as He was.

As Christians, our natural affinities must take a back seat to our chief affinity with Jesus Christ, our Savior and Elder Brother. This likeness to Him should be stronger than any other bond we have with a person, activity, place, or thing. From the very beginning in Genesis 1:26-27, God created man in His own image and likeness, indicating a profound connection in form, shape, mind, personality, and character. This affinity reveals that we are made to reflect Him in many ways, both physically and spiritually. In the New Testament, this concept evolves as we are called to grow in the image of Jesus Christ, focusing on spiritual qualities rather than mere physical resemblance. According to I Corinthians 15:46-49, while we start as physical beings bearing the image of the earthly man, Adam, we are destined to bear the image of the heavenly Man, Christ, in a spiritual body through the resurrection. Romans 8:29-30 further emphasizes that God has predestined some to be conformed to the image of His Son, calling, justifying, and glorifying them in this transformative process. Once called into this process, an automatic affinity with Christ emerges. We become His younger brothers and sisters, destined to share so many of His attributes that, especially in glorification, our resemblance to Him will be unmistakable. Colossians 3:1-4 urges us to set our minds on things above, where Christ is, as our lives are hidden—or enveloped—with Christ in God. This intimate entwining means that, after baptism, our lives are inseparable from His, with Christ as our very life, walking with us step-by-step until we reach the same glorious goal. This affinity is also seen in the symbolism of the wavesheaf and Pentecost offerings, where Christ is the First of the firstfruits, cut from the earth and accepted by God, while we, as a kind of firstfruits, undergo a similar process of refinement through trials to become like Him. I Corinthians 15:20-23 confirms Christ as the firstfruits of the dead, opening the way for others to be resurrected at His coming. James 1:17-18 reinforces that we are a kind of firstfruits of His creatures, produced through a unique process in this world amidst temptations, growing in a manner akin to Christ's own journey. Revelation 14:1-5 highlights the enduring affinity of the 144,000 firstfruits with Christ, standing with Him on Mount Zion, following Him wherever He goes, and being identified as firstfruits to God and the Lamb. Romans 8:12-17 and Galatians 4:3-7 further illustrate our identification with Christ as joint heirs, adopted as sons through His Spirit, inheriting all that He inherits. I Peter 1:3-9 speaks of the living hope and inheritance reserved for us through Christ's resurrection, secured by God's power as we endure trials to become like Him. Hebrews 2:9-18 underscores this intimate connection, showing that Christ, who sanctifies, and we, who are being sanctified, are united as one. He is not ashamed to call us brethren, having shared in flesh and blood to destroy the power of death and aid us in our temptations through His own sufferings. Luke 14:25-27 and Mark 10:35-40 reveal that to be His disciples, we must bear our cross and follow His path of loyalty and endurance, drinking the same cup of suffering He drank to attain glory. I Peter 2:20-21 and 4:12-16 affirm that we are called to suffer as Christ did, following His example, and to rejoice in sharing His sufferings as a sign of God's work in us toward firstfruithood. I John 4:17 states that as He is, so are we in this world, facing similar trials and tests. Philippians 3:8-11 expresses the desire to know Christ, to share in the fellowship of His sufferings, and to be conformed to His death to attain resurrection, valuing nothing above this affinity. Hebrews 11:32-35 shows that many before us endured great suffering for the hope of a better resurrection, yearning to be firstfruits like Christ. Finally, I John 2:28-3:3 calls us to abide in Him, con