I have tried for years to get a list of all that Christ is and all that Christ does by stringing together names and titles from various places and it has proven to be a daunting task. Ephesians 1 is a starting place and I have found some Bible studies that help. Ephesians 1 is the great lesson on election that scares people or makes them go through all kinds of mental gymnastics. There two contributors to this offering today. One is a professor in preaching named Hans Wiersma and the other is one of the Old LCMS profs named Theodore Laetsch.
Those words “in Christ” are incredible. You ought to rejoice and be glad and be thankful every day that you can say that you are “in Christ”. You got to be “in Christ” in baptism and the Holy Spirit keeps you “in Christ” and keeps you in the one true faith. Christ is in charge and you are not should be the greatest most amazing comfort because Christ is the Mediator between God and man, 1 Tim. 2: 5; the body of all shadows, Col. 2: 17; the Captain of our salvation, Heb. 2: 10; the Author and Finisher of our faith. Heb. 12: 2; the end of the Law, Rom. 10: 4; the sum total of the believer’s life, Phil. 1: 21; Gal. 2: 20; the Cornerstone and Head of the Church, Eph. 1: 22; 2: 21; the Prophet and Revealer of God, John 1: 18; the Apostle and High Priest of our calling, Heb. 3:1; the King of kings and Lord of lords, Rev. 17: 14; the Director of all our ways, 1 Thess. 3: 11; the mystery of godliness, 1 Tim. 3: 16; the Victor over death, 1 Cor.15: 55-57; the Resurrection and the Life, John 11: 25,26; our Wisdom, and Righteousness, and Sanctification, and Redemption, 1 Cor. 1: 30; Christ is in charge and you are not. Rejoice and be glad.
