“God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these LAST DAYS has spoken to us IN His SON, whom He appointed heir of ALL things, through whom also He made the world.” Hebrews 12:1-2 (NAU)

The word “His” is not found in the Greek text, and that often words are added in various Bibles which are not always in italics.

John Gavazzoni recently wrote, “We are sons in the Son. It is the Son in the sons that makes the sons sons. Only One individual Person can rightfully claim to be Christ, the Son of the living God. That is Jesus of Nazareth, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, crucified, dead, buried, risen and glorified. We owe our sonship to the extension of the Seed of God through Him. We might even dare to speak of the corporate Son, but, to repeat, only as the unfolding of the totality of sonship as it is found in the glorified Jesus of Nazareth.”

Because we are “sons in the Son,” our Father can speak through us to all of creation, however, it is never outside of our relationship to Him. The emphasis of this article is the word IN. It is most often translated in the New Testament from the Greek word EN. However, we must spend a short time laying the foundation for this reality by first treading upon what to some, will be a “sacred cow,” namely a little understanding of the fulfillment of prophetic realities that have brought us to this present hour. Many, even in the kingdom/sonship movement are looking for various natural events to take place due to failure to realize that much of what is taught as future, is already history.

The writer to the Hebrews in Verse Two, stated that it was then the LAST DAYS. Yes! Then was the time of “last days.” In Hebrews 9:26 he stated, “Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once AT THE CONSUMMATION of the AGES He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.” If the ages have been consummated, or more correctly translated, “the END of the AGES,” we must pay attention. Christ appeared to bring an END to the old Mosaic/Levitical order, and an end doesn’t mean to repeat it again, but rather to usher in the age of the Kingdom of God. An age that is and will grow in power and glory even as “the waters cover the sea.”

Notice Peter’s declaration of the THEN fulfilment of Joel’s prophecy as recorded in Acts 2:14-21. Like many, I like many, once taught this was yet to come. Notice that Peter said, “THIS IS THAT,” not some day will be, but THEN WAS. When I saw this, it changed my understanding of what is called “end time” teaching. As the late George Hawtin once wrote to me concerning the 1948 move of the Spirit, commonly called Latter Rain, he said, “It began on the Day of Pentecost.”

Certainly there are times of special refreshing [Acts 3:19] from the presence of the Lord, we just need to understand that our Father has been continuously pouring out of Himself as Spirit, and will continue to do so in increasing abundance. The River of God is now flowing, and the flow will increase even as Ezekiel’s river did. [Ezekiel Forty-Seven] It is a pure life giving river of fire flowing from the Throne of God. [Revelation 22:1, Daniel 7:9-10 - a whole topic in itself]

Verse two says that God HAS spoken IN SON. Dare I suggest that anything but IN SON may be questionable regardless of all of the revelation you may profess that Father gave you? WHY? Unless it comes from the Father Son relationship, it is all too often nothing but “sounding brass and tinkling cymbals,” and smells of religious superiority. That which comes from our Father, through The Son, and into the sons, flows from our union with God, with no place for self glorification.

“In union with God, there is rest that’s complete There is peace and there is joy without measure, In union with God, we may sit at His feet, And enjoy this wonderful treasure. He’s coming to us, as our hearts yearn for Him, And we’re joined in the light of His glory, The Father is pleased, as with gladness we see, is likeness brought forth, in this union of Love.”

The whole concept of meaning of the word IN, or Greek EN, is based upon REST because of UNION RELATIONSHIP and His life. E.W. Bullinger defines the word “EN” as, “a being or remaining within, with the primary idea of rest in any place or thing. Of place, in, within, among.” The words from the old chorus above certainly portray this fact of REST because of being IN union.

In Ephesians, EN or IN, is used 89 times. It really is central to the truths being given. 1:3-4 “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, just as He chose us IN Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love.”

Most of us know that favorite verse used in witnessing, Romans 6:23. “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life IN Christ Jesus our Lord.” The Lutheran Layman League is located close to our home, and has this scripture verse on it’s sign. The word “IN” caught my attention years ago because the Bible version I grew up with said “through,” and that tended to limited our view of it. This eternal life is IN CHRIST JESUS, as John 17:3 states. It is the GIFT of God. The word for “gift,” is “charisma,” meaning “a gift of grace.” It’s Greek root is translated “GRACE.” Remember, grace is NOT something you don’t merit. God sees you IN Christ, and by His divine choice considers you to be worthy of His love and grace long before you ever were a “twinkle in your father or mother’s eye.” See my article, Grace is not Unmerited Favor.
The truth of John 17:3 is found in our relationship IN Christ Jesus, as the following words so beautifully say.

“This is the purpose of life eternal, That we might know the Lord. This is the purpose of life eternal, That we might know the Lord. In His presence, filled with His glory, Ever hearing the living word. This is the purpose of life eternal, That we might know the Lord!”

This KNOWING our Lord is a progressive unfolding of His love and nature until it becomes a part of us, or as Norman Grubb said, “Christ is me. Not words of boasting, but reality,” as it is HIS LIFE being lived in us.

When thinking of the resurrection of the dead, many saints expect to hear the blast of a literal trumpet, and then the dead will arise. However this may be, a reality that is missed. In Acts 4:2 we find that, “they were teaching the people and proclaiming IN JESUS the resurrection from the dead.” Resurrection is IN Christ, for He is our life. Jesus Christ IS the resurrection as stated in John 11:25.

“For as IN Adam ALL die, so also IN Christ ALL will be made alive.” [1 Corinthians 15:22]

We are aware of the fact of our birth relationship down through a long line until it reaches Adam. I was doing some research on my father’s family, and when I found the information to obtain a marriage certificate of my grandparent’s marriage, the woman at the local Family History Centre operated by the LDS, said, “Now you can trace your family back to Adam.” To which I shocked her with, “Yes, Adam the son of God.” Now, even though our human roots do go to Adam and Eve, and because of his sin we too entered into death, the grand reality is that our Father has placed us in Gods LAST Adam, the Second Man, and IN Him we have life, and more abundant life. Yes, life is there for all sons of the earthly Adam to come into God’s LAST Adam.

The chorus, “He is Lord,” has probably been sung longer that I have lived. It is based upon Philippians 2:9-11. It is with regret that so many of us have sung it in such a meaningful way, only to miss it’s true meaning, or to really even believe it.

Paul wrote, “For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” It is NOT “at” the name of Jesus, which term really excludes relationship, as does the so abused command, “In the name of Jesus I command whatever to happen.” The word “at” comes from the Greek word EN, and therefore it is IN, and therefore IN the name of Jesus, that we bow and confess His Lordship, as no one can confess Jesus Lord except by the Spirit.

The word “mystery” may mean some special truth that others don’t understand. My understanding of the Greek word “musterion,” is not so much some hidden aspect of truth, but that which once was hidden now being available for all to see and understand. During the 1950's my father had a brother Sternall speak for a number of meetings at the church he pastored. He spoke about “Christ in you.” He was hard to understand as his speech was impaired from a stroke, and with my mind, I could only hear what to me was confusing words from this man on a topic I knew nothing about, yet, something was planted in my spirit, and in time it bore fruit.

Paul wrote in, Colossians 1:26-27, “{that is} the mystery which has been hidden from the {past} ages and generations, but has NOW been manifested to His saints, to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ IN you, the hope of glory.” Guess what! We don’t have to wait and die to go to heaven or exit via a secret rapture as I once believed to have glory, or be in glory. No! No! The glory is NOW the indwelling life of Christ. Yes indeed! The glorified Christ is Indwelling us as the following poetically says.

His glory is filling His temple, There’s light in the face of Christ, In sons there is coming expression, Of the indwelling Prince of Life, We’re beholding the King in His glory, In the light that the Spirit brings, All the heavens and earth shall worship Him, For He is the King of Kings.

Sons in The Son doing the will of our Father. May He alone very be glorified, for Christ is indeed our life, our glory, our all.