In Christ

Ron Browning

2 Corinthians 5:4, 6, 7, 9, 17, and 21 reads:

4 For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by LIFE.

6 Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord—

7 for we walk by faith, not by sight –

9 Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him.

17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Part 1

I am amazed at the direct connection between pleasing our God and being IN CHRIST!  So many believe pleasing God is all about obedience.  Yes, obedience has its role but the key really is REALATIONSHIP. 

I understand the turmoil of my body groaning; and I am sure many of you share my very thoughts – I just want to go to Heaven and be in the presence of my Lord.  I am tired.  My daily fatigue is beyond expression.  I am motivated to be swallowed up by the One who is LIFE Himself! 

Let me quote the above Scriptures to you in what I have come to entitle “Ron’s Translation” (I do this often).

While I am in this body, I long for my mortal being to be swallowed up by LIFE!  Therefore, I am always of good courage [not! :) okay let’s try it again] – I am always of good courage walking by faith, not by sight – Once again, we come to the word – “therefore” – therefore, it is my ambition, my goal, my dream, and my passion to be pleasing to my precious Lord Jesus.  ... and again “therefore” – anyone IN CHRIST (me) is the delightful righteousness, the majestic excellence, the satisfying purity, and the pleasing perfection of God... this is the potential experience of anyone IN CHRIST!

The phrase IN CHRIST removes the fear and condemnation of rules and opens the floodgates for relationship – relationship with the Creator of all existence.  Relationship that compels me, twists my arm to amputate all areas of sin – which are not pleasing to Him, by the way.  This union causes me to appropriate Jesus death and LIFE as my own; and urges me to live radically accountable to my Christian siblings (friends like you).  Relationship is constantly attaching myself to Jesus because we are by eternal thought and divine activity attached in perfect union, already.  In this relationship I passionately adore the One who is Worthy – Jesus.  I affirm, as in the south, I RECKON all of who I have become, who I am becoming, and who I will become IN CHRIST; all the while the Lord compels me to articulate His grace and truth which are abounding from His Person and throughout our relationship.  You see, IN CHRIST is about REALATIONSHIP and not RULES! 

The Apostle John reminds me in 1 John 2 that if I claim to be IN CHRIST, I should remain in Him and continue in Him.  I think this means – walk the talk and surf the waves.  WOW!  I have never been surfing, except in my dreams.  It is ‘kinda’ like flying.  As children we dream that we can fly.  I did.  Did you?  I imagine surfing is like flying.  But I learned something – I can only fly in my dreams – or in Isaiah 40:31.  In this same way, I can only surf the waves and walk the talk IN CHRIST!!!

Paul stated, aggressively, that His ambition was to please Jesus; that too, is my sole ambition.  The truth of the matter is – I please my Lord because I am IN CHRIST!  Isaiah 43:4 and 5, from the New Living Translation records, that God exchanges much for His little ones (like me); after all the trading is finished, the latter half of this Scripture reads: “...because you (Ron) are precious to me (God); you are honored and I LOVE you!  Folks, you and I please God!!!   

This is not a new truth for me; nor for you.  I learned the awesomeness of being IN CHRIST almost 7 years ago; I have taught this amazing and exciting truth for close to 5 years.  Yet, I am grateful that Class 101 continues in Class 102, and on into 103, Class 121, and even into Class 1001, etc... on forever... I long for my whole being to be swallowed up in LIFE – IN CHRIST!!! 

PART 2

We were asked to select and research three of the IN CHRIST passages (I may have or I may have NOT).  Then we were asked to illustrate this truth with something personal.  I started working on this, weeks ago; and every time I came to the task of sharing a personal illustration my mind would find one thought derailing any other – my marriage and my wife Ginger.  “Not again” you say; that is exactly what I thought and felt.  I researched again and again waiting on the Lord to open my eyes to different events (there are many); but He did not! 

I am not going to share with you a history or chronology of the past 8 months.  You have heard it, talked about it (at least with me), and all of you have marriages, families, and problems too.  Mine are no different or unique.  The circumstances may vary but that is all; the hurt, the pain, and the explosive conflicts are just like yours.  Jesus said that our lives would be full of trouble – but – “be of good cheer for I”, the Christ, “have overcome the world”. 

To me marriage is a union between two, man and woman (Ron and Ginger) that involves each of our whole being – spirit, soul, and body.  When Ginger left because of the “fall out” of my brain injury, I could NOT comprehend.  I was hurt, angry, and afraid.  The onset fear was dealt with by giving up my rights; specifically my right of control.  Hurt and anger have been a different story.  But FEAR – I could actually remember, and count the days back to the very day I took control of my family and the responsibility of “fixin’ everyone’s pain, hurt, and trauma.  Guess what – I couldn’t; I didn’t; nor can I now.  Once the rights had been given up (like, I really ever have any control to begin with) the chronic, terrifying fear left.  It has not come back.  I deal with little fears about – what if I get lost or who is who (issues for most brain injured victims); but really – No big deal; right?  The BIG FEAR was gone; replaced by power, love, and with sound mind.  You know, my mentor John, sent me a verse on one of those days, it read something like, “if I am out of my mind” it is for Christ.  I didn’t laugh... for at least 10 seconds.   

Looking back over the last 8 months, I agree that my wife probably made the best decision for all of us.  I did not say “the right decision”; I said best decision that could be made from human perspective.  That decision has allowed me time to heal (at least some); more importantly it has allowed my children time to heal from my angry out burst and of their lack of understanding my chronic fatigue.  You see, before this accident I was secretly “superman”.  My family nicknamed me “superman” and even bought me superman boxers; that alone makes me the man of steel – right?    

Before this accident, Ginger and I were best friends.  We were apart during the prison years; but outside of that, 90% of our lives were spent together.  We not only loved each other but we played, cooked, cleaned, worked, cared for our children, and ministered together.  We hated being apart.  We were different; but we blended. 

The foundation of our marriage was Jesus, His grace and His truth.  Being ex gay, I never thought God would fulfill my deepest dream of being a pure and faithful husband and a loving father; but He did – her sweet name is Ginger!  I believed that my union with Gin was equivalent to my union with Christ.  I new our marriage was a picture of that union and we used it in ministry often.  So after Ginger left, after the shock waves turned to soft thundering showers, and the feelings exploding down in my guts began to settle (not go away); I knew and settled my mind on the fact that my wife was in-love with the pre-accident me and not the post accident me.  I don’t blame her, even if 25% of the stories I’ve heard, could be what it was like living with me.  I am amazed she lasted 16 months following the accident; I don’t even want to know a guy such as Gin and our kids described.

Ginger has told me that she may or may not divorce me sometime next year; who knows?  Regardless, Gin said that she and I will never live under the same roof again; nor will I ever see the kids without some source of accountability and supervision who is brain injury trained.  Marriage – spirit, soul, and body – as a tri-union, is over...  Now I am left with an underlying question – how is this tragic mess resolved IN CHRIST?  My union in Christ is eternal and my marriage is supposed to be a picture of my relationship with Him.  It always was?  So how do I relate; how do I behave; how do I exist knowing that my wife has broken our union?  What happens to our union, once it is broken by divorce? 

Is marriage a union?  Of course it is.  But I had captured the essence of my IN CHRIST relationship with Jesus and misapplied it to my temporal relationship with Gin.  Clarity came when the Lord opened my heart to the different Scriptures about union and unity. 

Union is the actual bonding and attachment spoken of by Jesus in John 15 where He used the illustration of “The Vine and the Braches”.  This union is a constant attachment, the passionate adoration, and longed for affirmation of LIFE infused within us (within me).  It is the ultimate covenant RELATIONSHIP from which all LIFE flows and exists.  It is my whole mortal being swallowed by LIFE – including my mortal relationship with Gin. 

Unity is fellowship; fellowship conditioned by mutual agreement with God and one another (Ginger and me).  Unity is walking in the light together, as written about in 1 John 1:3-9.  I misunderstood my relationship with Ginger as union, of which our marriage is a picture of.  But marriage is not that depth of union, marriage is really a unity – the fellowship to the depths that both Gin and I are willing to extend our individual oneness with Christ; unity is about sharing our union in Jesus with each other.      

I am IN CHRIST; my wife is IN CHRIST; only as we both choose to walk after the Spirit, together; can we experience the fellowship of Christ between us.  Union – that is IN CHRIST, is the fullness of grace and truth dwelling in and relating to me.  Unity – is the fellowship of two Believers, in mutual agreement living out of real eternal union, Christ’s LIFE; the exciting divine resources that explode into intimate thought, choice, and feeling. 

You may think this illustration is not important nor vastly deep.  You may think – this guy has way too much time on his hands and thinks to insanely.  But for me, an individual IN CHRIST, this review has helped me know how to think, choose, and feel toward my wife and our marriage. 

            Truth: for now we are husband and wife, so I:

                        1) Pray and pray specifically Ephesians 1:16-19 for my wife

2) I have resolved to be kind, tender, and forgiving --- this is living out of Christ’s love toward Gin

                        3) “Show and tell” Jesus and point to His grace and truth often

                        4) ...most of all “LISTEN”

Completed 5.8.07

Due 5.10.07 @ ELM Adv. Tr.