"In Christ's Flesh" and "In Christ Himself"

 

"In Christ's Flesh" and "In Christ Himself"

Ephesians 2:14-15a "For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances"

Ephesians 2:15b-16 "so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity" 

Aspect	In Christ's Flesh	In Christ Himself
Meaning	Refers to the human body Christ put on through incarnation, which became God's medium to accomplish redemption work on earth	Refers to Christ's divine essence and person Himself, as the sphere, element, and essence for creating the new man
Function	To terminate, abolish, and demolish all negative things	To create, establish, and constitute positive new things
Distinction	Emphasizes the negative aspect of Christ's redemptive work, removing obstacles in the old creation	Emphasizes the positive aspect of Christ's redemptive work, establishing the new creation
Examples	Abolishing the enmity (ordinances in the law), breaking down the middle wall of partition	Creating Jews and Gentiles into one new man, making the two one in Christ
Application	Believers, by being crucified with Christ, deal with the old man, flesh, and the world	Believers become a new creation in Christ, having new life and new nature, living out Christ
Related Scriptures	Hebrews 2:14 "Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil" Romans 8:3 "For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh"	Ephesians 2:15b-16 "so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity" Colossians 3:10-11 "and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all"

 

Further Explanation:

1.      In Christ's Flesh:

o   Christ was incarnated, using His flesh as a medium to accomplish the negative aspect of redemption

o   In His flesh, He experienced death to terminate:

§  The devil Satan (Hebrews 2:14)

§  Sin (Romans 8:3, John 1:29)

§  The fallen flesh (Galatians 5:24)

§  The world system (John 12:31)

§  The old man/old creation (Romans 6:6)

§  The ordinances of the law that separate (Ephesians 2:15)

2.      In Christ Himself:

o   Christ is not only the Creator of the new man, but also the sphere, element, and essence for creating the new man

o   In Christ, Jews and Gentiles are created into one new man

o   Christ Himself becomes the content and reality of the new man, making divinity and humanity one entity

o   This creation is not an external addition but an internal constituting work

These two aspects together demonstrate the completeness of Christ's redemptive work: demolishing before building, terminating before creating, in order to accomplish God's eternal purpose.

 

*Please refer to the July 2024 Anaheim, California, USA training Experiencing, Enjoying and Manifesting Christ (II) Week 22 A New Man—the Creator of God’s Masterpiece