Pastor Adam Gomez
Sunday, November 1, 2026
Scripture: Ephesians 1:3
Topic: "In Him”
Position. Security. Identity.
Ephesians 1:3 says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.”
Every theologian has their own bent or theological system. For John Calvin, it was “divine sovereignty.” For Jacobus Arminius, it was “freedom of the will.” For the Apostle Paul, it was “In Him.”
“In Christ” or “In Him” or “In the Beloved” is mentioned more than 200 times in the New Testament, all written by the Apostle Paul. To be “in Christ” means that by divine reckoning, you and I were participants in every experience that Jesus had. God chose to do it that way, so that’s how it’s done!
As the words of the hymn In the Person of His Son declare:
"Near, so very near to God, nearer I could not be; for in the Person of His Son, I am as near as He. Dear, so very dear to God, dearer I could not be, for, in the Person of His Son, I am as dear as He."
In 1 Corinthians 12:12-13, Paul writes, “For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.”
Jesus spoke of this connection in John 14:17, describing “the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you." He continued in John 14:20: "At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you." And in John 14:23, He added, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.” This is revelation. This is to be responded to. This is to be accepted.
Imputation
Imputation means to credit, reckon, or deposit something to someone’s account (legal). Imputation is a sovereign act of God in which He attributes the righteousness that belongs to Christ onto us. For example, we are holy because He (Jesus) is holy. For example, we are righteous because He (Jesus) is righteous.
Reverse Imputation (my term) is when our sin, our offense, our penalty, our guilt is transferred to Jesus and paid for by Him. Romans 6:23 says, “the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” We were not able to die for ourselves, so Jesus died for us. We were not able to pay the debt of our sin, so Jesus paid it for us. 2 Corinthians 5:21 explains, “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
That means the following:
Crucified with Christ
Romans 6:3 says, “...do you not know that as many of us as were baptized were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?” Galatians 2:20 says, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me, and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”
From the time that Jesus was born, wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger, His life was under the threat of death. Several attempts were made throughout His life, but His time had not yet come. When He observed Passover with His disciples, He embraced the role of Sacrificial Lamb. John the Baptist had identified the Lamb of God in John 1:29, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”
There was only one whose death was valid to remove the sins of the world. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” His righteousness becomes my righteousness. When the Father looks at me, He sees His Son.
What does it mean to be crucified with Christ in practical terms?
Romans 6:4 tells us, “Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”
“Walk this way, talk this way!” (Run DMC)
“Walk like an Egyptian!” (The Bangles)
“Walk in newness of life!” (The Apostle Paul)
Dying with Christ is the funeral of the old self. The OLD me is gone! The NEW me is here! He looks like Jesus!
Desires change, appetites change, lifestyles change. You begin saying things like, “I don’t want to do that anymore!” Your new tastebuds have the potential to interfere with a dating relationship, a friendship, and can influence career choices.
Raised with Christ
Romans 6:4 tells us that we “walked in newness of life.” Romans 6:5 explains, “...we have been united together in the likeness of His death.”
To be raised with Christ is to be born again to our new self! We “put on Christ.” Galatians 3:27 says, “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” We are “clothed in righteousness.” Isaiah 61:10 states, “He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness.” He is “at work in us.” Philippians 2:13 confirms, “...it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.”
Ascended with Christ
Ephesians 2:4-6 tells us, “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”
Sunday, November 1, 2026
Scripture: Ephesians 1:3
Topic: "In Him”
Position. Security. Identity.
Ephesians 1:3 says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.”
Every theologian has their own bent or theological system. For John Calvin, it was “divine sovereignty.” For Jacobus Arminius, it was “freedom of the will.” For the Apostle Paul, it was “In Him.”
“In Christ” or “In Him” or “In the Beloved” is mentioned more than 200 times in the New Testament, all written by the Apostle Paul. To be “in Christ” means that by divine reckoning, you and I were participants in every experience that Jesus had. God chose to do it that way, so that’s how it’s done!
As the words of the hymn In the Person of His Son declare:
"Near, so very near to God, nearer I could not be; for in the Person of His Son, I am as near as He. Dear, so very dear to God, dearer I could not be, for, in the Person of His Son, I am as dear as He."
In 1 Corinthians 12:12-13, Paul writes, “For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.”
Jesus spoke of this connection in John 14:17, describing “the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you." He continued in John 14:20: "At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you." And in John 14:23, He added, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.” This is revelation. This is to be responded to. This is to be accepted.
Imputation
Imputation means to credit, reckon, or deposit something to someone’s account (legal). Imputation is a sovereign act of God in which He attributes the righteousness that belongs to Christ onto us. For example, we are holy because He (Jesus) is holy. For example, we are righteous because He (Jesus) is righteous.
Reverse Imputation (my term) is when our sin, our offense, our penalty, our guilt is transferred to Jesus and paid for by Him. Romans 6:23 says, “the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” We were not able to die for ourselves, so Jesus died for us. We were not able to pay the debt of our sin, so Jesus paid it for us. 2 Corinthians 5:21 explains, “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
That means the following:
- We were crucified with Christ (co-crucifixion).
- We were raised with Christ (co-resurrected).
- We were ascended with Christ and enthroned (co-enthroned).
Crucified with Christ
Romans 6:3 says, “...do you not know that as many of us as were baptized were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?” Galatians 2:20 says, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me, and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”
From the time that Jesus was born, wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger, His life was under the threat of death. Several attempts were made throughout His life, but His time had not yet come. When He observed Passover with His disciples, He embraced the role of Sacrificial Lamb. John the Baptist had identified the Lamb of God in John 1:29, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”
There was only one whose death was valid to remove the sins of the world. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” His righteousness becomes my righteousness. When the Father looks at me, He sees His Son.
What does it mean to be crucified with Christ in practical terms?
Romans 6:4 tells us, “Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”
“Walk this way, talk this way!” (Run DMC)
“Walk like an Egyptian!” (The Bangles)
“Walk in newness of life!” (The Apostle Paul)
Dying with Christ is the funeral of the old self. The OLD me is gone! The NEW me is here! He looks like Jesus!
Desires change, appetites change, lifestyles change. You begin saying things like, “I don’t want to do that anymore!” Your new tastebuds have the potential to interfere with a dating relationship, a friendship, and can influence career choices.
Raised with Christ
Romans 6:4 tells us that we “walked in newness of life.” Romans 6:5 explains, “...we have been united together in the likeness of His death.”
To be raised with Christ is to be born again to our new self! We “put on Christ.” Galatians 3:27 says, “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” We are “clothed in righteousness.” Isaiah 61:10 states, “He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness.” He is “at work in us.” Philippians 2:13 confirms, “...it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.”
Ascended with Christ
Ephesians 2:4-6 tells us, “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”
Crossroads Church of Denver
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