Valor & Scribe

Not just forgiven by him, or following him — you are in him.

The Most Overlooked Phrase in the New Testament

If you had to pick the single most common phrase Paul uses to describe Christian identity, it wouldn't be 'saved,' 'forgiven,' or even 'loved.' It would be 'in Christ' — or its equivalents: 'in him,' 'in the Lord,' 'with Christ.' This phrase appears over 160 times in Paul's letters. It's so frequent that scholars have called it 'the heart of Paul's theology.'

And yet most Christians, when they describe their faith, talk about following Jesus or believing in Jesus — phrases that suggest a distance, a follower keeping pace with a leader. Paul's language is far more intimate and far more disorienting: you are in Christ, and Christ is in you.

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."

— Galatians 2:20

God didn't just forgive you from a distance — he brought you all the way home.

Why Adoption Changes Everything

Of all the metaphors the New Testament uses to describe our relationship with God — servant, friend, citizen, soldier — adoption might be the most radical. Because adoption isn't a role. It's a family status. And in the ancient Roman world, that carried weight that most modern readers miss entirely.

Roman adoption wasn't a sentimental act. It was a legal, social, and economic event with permanent, binding consequences. To be adopted in the Roman world was to be completely transferred out of one family into another — with full rights, full name, full inheritance, and (crucially) no possibility of being disowned. 

It's not like these days when someone adopts a pet and then decide "hmm thats not working out for me" . Its a permanent Adoption. No refunds, no exchange, no take backs nothing.. You are now Adopted and thats that.

"In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will."

— Ephesians 1:5

Slavery is over. You were purchased — for freedom and for sonship.

When Paul writes 'You were bought with a price' (1 Corinthians 6:20), his original audience knew exactly what that language meant. The Roman world ran on slavery. At its peak, roughly one in three people in Italy were enslaved. The agora — the marketplace — was where slaves were publicly bought and sold. Everyone Paul wrote to either knew someone enslaved, had been enslaved themselves, or owned slaves.

So when Paul reaches for the word redemption, he's not using vague spiritual language. He's evoking a visceral, concrete reality: the act of purchasing someone's freedom.

"You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies."

— 1 Corinthians 6:19–20

A Devotional from the Story of Leah

“When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb…” — Genesis 29:31

There are seasons when you do everything right— You show up. You work hard. You stay faithful. You carry the weight others don’t see.

And still… you feel overlooked.

Unchosen. Unacknowledged. Invisible.

Leah knew this feeling intimately.

You are a new creation - free bible study download

The Problem with 'Trying to Be Better'

A lot of us approach the Christian life like a self-improvement project. We take the old self — habits, patterns, wounds, tendencies — and we try to sand down the rough edges. More discipline. More willpower. More guilt when we fall short. The result, usually, is exhaustion with a side of shame.

But Paul doesn't describe the Christian life as renovation. He describes it as resurrection. A new creation isn't improved raw material — it's a different category of thing entirely.

"If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come."

— 2 Corinthians 5:17

📖 Scripture Inspiration “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” – Psalm 147:3 “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” – Romans 5:8 “For your Maker is your husband—the Lord Almighty is his name.” – Isaiah 54:5

🙏 Prayer Lord Jesus, thank You for loving the broken and healing our shame. Thank You for covering us with Your blood, calling us Your bride, and restoring our joy. May every listener who hears this song encounter Your peace, Your mercy, and the eternal hope of being Yours forever. In Jesus Holy Name we pray Amen and Amen.

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💬 Let’s Worship Together What part of this song spoke to your heart the most? Drop a comment below—we’d love to hear your testimony!

Devotional: When the Day Feels Too Heavy 📖 Scripture: Matthew 11:28 "Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."

Some days feel like they come with too much. Too much to carry. Too much to fix. Too much to feel.

But not too much for Him.

Jesus isn’t asking you to fake strength. He’s not impressed by your hustle. He isn’t measuring your worth by your productivity today.

He simply says: “Come.” Not with your best. Not with your polished smile. Come with your mess. Come with your sighs. Come with the tears you don’t talk about.

🕊 He promises rest—not just for your body, but for your soul.

So breathe. You weren’t made to carry this alone. Lay it down. Let Him hold what’s been holding you hostage.

There’s holy peace waiting in surrender. And He never turns away the weary.

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