"In Christ" is the most repeated theological phrase in Paul's letters. He uses it (or its variants "in Him," "in the Lord," "in Christ Jesus") over 160 times. It is not decorative. It is the organizing principle of his entire theology. The phrase is the shorthand for union with Christ — the reality that believers are so joined to Jesus by the Spirit through faith that what belongs to Him is counted as theirs. The Reformer John Calvin called union with Christ "the highest degree of importance" because every other benefit of salvation flows from it. What blessings are ours "in Christ"? (1) Election — "He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world" (Ephesians 1:4). (2) Redemption — "In Him we have redemption through His blood" (Ephesians 1:7). (3) New creation — "If anyone is in Christ, He is a new creation" (2 Corinthians 5:17). (4) No condemnation — "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1). (5) Every spiritual blessing — "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" (Ephesians 1:3). (6) Adoption (Ephesians 1:5). (7) Inheritance (Ephesians 1:11). (8) Seated in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6). (9) Made alive (Ephesians 2:5). (10) Righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21). You cannot have any of these apart from Christ. All of them come to the believer because of and inside of union with Him. The Christian's deepest identity is not "forgiven" or "saved" or even "adopted" — it is in Christ. All the rest flows from that. When Paul wants to describe a believer, his most natural phrase is not "a religious person" or "someone who prays" but "a man in Christ" (2 Corinthians 12:2). When he wants to describe the dead, he calls them "those who have fallen asleep in Jesus" (1 Thessalonians 4:14). The phrase is not a slogan. It is the address at which every Christian lives.