Christ -- in you

It's burning deeper and deeper into my mind: "Christ in you...", "Christ in you...", "Christ in you..."

Not only is Christ revealed in the New Testament, but an unspeakably great mystery involving Christ, which was "hid from ages and from generations", is also there revealed: which is, "Christ in you" (Colossians 1:26-28).  Do you realize that, throughout 4,000 or so years of human history (from the Creation until Christ), no one knew that God's plan of Redemption involved the living Spirit of Christ INDWELLING the soul of man?  Not only the appearing of the Son of God in the flesh was a tremendous new thing (of Cosmic significance).  But by Christ's death, burial, resurrection and Ascension--he made it possible not only for man to be reconciled to God but, furthermore, Christ thus made (every regenerate) man fit to become the eternal dwelling place of God, in and by His Spirit!

Christ -- in -- me!

But do I really believe it?  Do I at all perceive the implications of that incomparably great truth?  Do I understand it well enough that I am thus inspired and even eager to meditate upon the meaning and the possibilities of that reality in my own life?  Really?  How often, and how much, do I purposively contemplate that supremely great reality?  I need -- and you need -- to confront that question, honestly.

Or, am I content to go on thinking of myself as a "Christian"?

A "Christian" is what I am -- by reason of my faith and my obedience to Christ (at least, if we will be honest with ourselves, that's probably characteristic of most of our thinking).  But God wants to raise us up into a much higher consciousness.  Notwithstanding our well-developed theological reasonings (we really do 'know' better), and our utterances concerning the high truths of Scripture; yet, in our day-to-day lives, it appears to be the case that very, very, few "Christians" actually live in that "consciousness" which the Apostle Paul expressed, when he wrote these famous lines of Scripture:

"I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God" (Galatians 2:20)

I want to go beyond being a good "Christian", 

to be the temple of the living God.

That last phrase, "by the faith of the Son of God", always used to puzzle me.  I couldn't quite get a good grip on its meaning.  But, now, I think I better understand what it means.  I believe it is a kind of two-way correspondence, whereby Jesus Christ's faith becomes operative in me, in order as I receive Him; and, so, I may then live according to, and act upon, that faith of Christ's, which I receive in and through Him.  In the strictest sense of the word--as best I understand, it is never a matter of "my" faith (as if that originates with me); but it is more a matter of me receiving Christ's faith, and then acting in accordance with that.

Or, in other words: Christ's "faith" may be thought of as the spiritual power (of Christ) to do the will of His Spirit.  If Christ wills it, and if I will be in agreement with Him: then, my agreement with His will puts me in position to receive His "faith" (spiritual power), which thus becomes "my" faith, by which I act according to His will.

And if I can attain to walk continually in that state of mind which seeks to bring "every thought captive in subjection to the obedience of Christ"; it will thenceforth no longer be "me" that lives, but Christ will indeed live in and through me.  For, my life will then no longer serve to satisfy my own desires and will, but Christ's.

That is what the Bible means when it speaks about being "crucified" with Christ: a surrender of one's life to Christ that is so thoroughgoing and so complete that, from then on, there is an uncompromising and unwavering commitment to do not one's own will, but Christ's only.  Yet, I am certain that that kind of commitment cannot be upheld by the strength of one's own will.  It must be an ongoing work of the Holy Ghost.

As I am writing these words, I believe God is showing me some things.

Before Jesus, no man ever willingly surrendered his life in this world--who was not under some or another kind of duress.  Even for the sinless Son of God--who had the most compelling reasons (God's promises of unspeakably great reward) for doing so; still, it appears to have been the most difficult thing he ever did, that is, to lay down his (earthly) life.  But after his resurrection, the man, Jesus, entered into a dimension of life and reality infinitely larger than anything he had known--before the cross.

Now, we are called, by God, to follow in Jesus's footsteps.  Sure, we are perfectly willing to "kneel at the cross".  But how many are willing for themselves to die there, at the cross--just like Jesus did?  No, of course I don't mean to suggest that we can, nor that we must, thus atone for ourselves.  What I do mean, though, is that Jesus didn't merely die in our stead, to atone for our sins.  But in so doing (by surrendering his earthly life), Jesus showed us the way to enter fully into the reality of what it means to be "born again".  (NO! I do not even remotely intend to suggest suicide!)  For, was not Jesus, in a sense, "born again" in his resurrection?  (No, I do not mean Jesus had to be "saved".)  In fact, the Bible speaks of his resurrection in just such terms ("the firstborn from the dead"; "the first begotten of the dead").

When Jesus laid down his earthly life, he ceased to live on the plane of mere human existence.  After his resurrection, we find that everything was radically changed, concerning Jesus.  Is that not a picture of what God wants to do in the life of every Christian?  If I will be willing, for Christ's sake, to lay down my earthly life--as fully as if I actually died; then, will God not then be willing to fill me with His Spirit and, so, raise me up to walk in newness of life?  But if I continue to live my life as if I have some continuing interest in this present world (excepting, of course, to win and to nurture souls); how can God then use me as an ambassador of heaven?  (No, I do not mean to suggest that a Christian man can thus abdicate his duty to work and provide for his family.  And why do I feel I need to keep making such disclaimers?  Is it because Christians really are so weak in their faith?)

Christ dwells in me, because he wants to, and because I want him to.  Christ dwells in me, to the extent that I will yield myself to him.  But does he dwell in fulness, in me?  Here is how the Apostle Paul, by inspiration of the Holy Ghost, prayed (for you and me):

"For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend [perceive, understand] with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God."  (Ephesians 3:14-19).

Do I really believe that I can be "FILLED with ALL THE FULNESS OF GOD"?  Do I know how that can happen?  Here is one of my favorite verses of Scripture:

"He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things" (Ephesians 4:10).

Don't you just love the book of Ephesians?  Wow!  Jesus Christ ascended up far above all heavens!  Why?  So that he might -- if I will allow him -- fill ME.  FILL.  ME. 

In the passage quoted (Eph. 3:14-19), here are the main points:

• strengthened with might by his Spirit in my inner man
• the Holy Ghost will give me the strength I need, to do God's will
• YIELD
• Christ may dwell in my heart by faith
• I must believe, in order for Christ to indwell me fully
• BELIEVE
• I may "comprehend...the breadth, and length, and depth, and height"
• God wants me to have great understanding; so must I seek that
• SEEK
• "with all saints"
• God wants every child of God to likewise be "filled" with Christ
• AGREEMENT
• I can "know the love of Christ"
• that is the pinnacle of knowledge and experience
• LOVE
• I "might" (depending upon me) be "filled with all the fulness of God"
• that is the great prize which I may attain unto
• LIFE and POWER

I often have before my "eyes", as it were, a large (and still growing) number of heroes of the faith.  Their lives inspire me to reach ever higher in God.  They are my role models in life.  When I think about how intimately they must have known the Lord, and how greatly those men and women were (and yet are) used of God, it provokes me to jealousy: I want what they had--and more.

I want some day (soon) to be able to look into a mirror . . . and see only Jesus staring back at me.

And wouldn't it be something, if we could see each other in that way, too?