And we continue to build on this. Take Colossians 3:4, "...Christ who is your life." Who is my life!? This is so much more than the watered-down ideas of "Christ living in me" that so many of us learned in Sunday school. Coupled with the understanding of being a new creation and killing off the old man -- it appears that Jesus life has taken the place of my life. Wow!
He who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him - 1 Corinthians 6:17
What?! I am one spirit with Jesus? This is way beyond the Sunday school stuff.
By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. And because of this glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world's corruption caused by human desires - 2 Peter 1:3-4
Share his divine nature?! We've checked out of Sunday school completely! I have everything I need to live a godly life? What is it that I have? Jesus in me! He will live the godly life. If I had the ability to overcome sin (in my old nature) and live a godly life (by works and trying harder) I would have never needed Jesus in the first place. The Bible assures us that no one can live a godly life, "For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard" Romans 3:23 (NLT) At the same time, the Bible tells us that we have the spirit of Christ, we share God's divine nature, and Jesus is our life. Something dramatic has happened here! Far beyond simply salvation and renewed efforts to live a good life. For these things to be true I must have a new life, because they do not mesh with my old one.
So, how do we experience this new life -- Jesus in us? By giving up. By surrendering. By finally recognizing that my life died and Jesus' desire is to live his life in me, through me, as me. By coming to the end of self-reliance. Remember the definition of "flesh." God does not need me to do anything for Him -- after all, He is the creator of all the universe. He is inviting me to simply "be" and allow Him to take care of the "doing." Steve McVey writes:
Living the Christian life is similar to breathing. In fact, the Greek word translated "spirit" is the word "pneuma", which can be translated as "breath." (You have seen the root word in "pneumonia" and "pneumatic.") God never intended for the Christian life to be a struggle. The Holy Spirit should flow from the life of the Christian as naturally as breathing. But many Christians are hyperventilating trying to do something for God.
That's the bad news, but here's the good news -- Christ will live His life through you. God never intended for you to live the Christian life -- only Christ can live the Christ-life. He is willing to live it through you any time you will allow Him to do it.
That's the bad news, but here's the good news -- Christ will live His life through you. God never intended for you to live the Christian life -- only Christ can live the Christ-life. He is willing to live it through you any time you will allow Him to do it.
Is it hard? Is it a continual struggle? In Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus says, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." Isn't he saying, "Come on. Follow me. You can be just like me, it's easy. It can be light and restful?
If Jesus describes this invitation of a life with Him as easy and restful, should we believe Him? Why have we made it into that is often exactly the opposite? Because our flesh still plays a role in our life here on earth. Our flesh still wants to live in the world of the tree of good and evil even though our spirit is already living in the world of easy rest. How does God reconcile that?
Remember who you are in Christ. (Review Neil Anderson's list at the left if you need to.) Remember that feelings do not affect God's truth. This is where faith becomes the key to the door into truly experiencing an exchanged life -- have faith that what God says is true; ask Him to make it real in your life even though you are having a darn hard time understanding it; and remind yourself over and over, "I am a new creation and Jesus is my life."
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