WE COME NOW to four more “in Christ” passages, the last in Romans: “Greet Androni´cus and Ju´nias . . . they were in Christ before me” (16:7). Paul felt that the only thing that mattered was being in Christ, and the deepest regret was that he was not in Christ during those wasted years he spent out of Christ. The outstanding thing regarding Andronicus and Junias was that they were “in Christ before me.” Anything in Christ is fruitful, anything out of Christ is futile.
Another passage: “Greet Amplia´tus, my beloved in the Lord” (16:8). In a world where abnormality was prevalent and taken for granted, this phrase “my beloved in the Lord” was the most cleansing and consecrating phrase imaginable. It turned the sordid into the sacred, and made possible a deep, pure affection between those of the same sex.
Another: “Greet Apel´les who is approved in Christ” (16:10). This set up a new standard of approval—approved in Christ—the highest standard possible. One may be approved in business circles, in professional circles, in social circles, in political circles, in intellectual circles, and the approval may be comparatively worthless, for the standards may be low. Only in one place approval is worthwhile and vital—approved in Christ. Without being approved in Christ all other approvals are meaningless. Conscious of being approved in Christ, you can face all the disapprovals of men with peace and assurance.
The last: “Greet Rufus, eminent in the Lord” (16:13). If approved in the Lord is the only approval that matters, so eminent in the Lord is the only eminence. We may be eminent in our estimation, in the estimation of others, but the real and only question is, Am I eminent in the Lord? If not, my eminence has no permanence, a breath of questioning and it is gone. In the Lord, it is permanent.
O blessed Lord, I want to be approved in Thee, and eminent in Thee. Wash me from all insincerity, all pride, and all make-believe, so I can have an approval in Thee and an eminence in Thee. Then nothing else matters. I walk the earth with my head up. Amen.
AFFIRMATION FOR THE DAY: Approved in Christ—I look upon all other approvals or disapprovals as irrelevant.
