April 10, 2002
Reading
“It is no longer I
who live, but Christ lives in me” (20)
“To them God willed to make known
what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is
Christ in you, the hope of glory”
“Christ in you” is the “mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations” Col 1:26. This is the mystery that no longer is hidden from the people of God. This is the “open secret” that lies at the heart of the victorious Christian life. Yet, to many Christians, this glorious truth remains a mystery.
I try to live for Christ. I try every day to “resist the devil” but frequently find myself failing in my quest. I continually commit myself to God but soon have to admit failure and confess my sins – again. The problem is a one letter word – “I.” The problem is “I” try to live the life of Christ, but I am not Christ! Is the Christian life supposed to be a perpetual roundabout – victory, defeat, victory, defeat, ad nausea? Tragically, this is the experience for most of us.
Watchman Nee suggests God has a duel remedy - the blood and the cross. Our sins have been forgiven through the blood of Christ (Justification), but the cross deals with our sin nature. “The blood deals with what we have done, whereas the cross deals with what we are. The blood disposes of our sins, while the cross strikes at the root of our capacity for sin.” This latter aspect causes us so much trouble.
The power to live the Christian
life is in the cross of Jesus Christ, not in our own will, resolutions, or
determinations. All the time we live with the understanding we have to be “crucifying”
ourselves, we will not enjoy the victorious Christian life. The Bible tells us
we “have been crucified with Christ” Gal
No, we do not have to keep crucifying the “old man,” but accept that he was crucified in Christ. “For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord” Rom 6:10-11. It is not a case of “dying” to sin, but of “reckoning” ourselves dead to sin. The deed is accomplished; it must now be accepted and acted upon. “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts” Rom 6:12.
The joy I search for is His joy. The peace I so desperately need is His peace. The love I have to show to others is His love. The victory of Satan that seems so elusive is His victory. The longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control I strive to exhibit in my life describe His life. How discouraged we become when, try as hard as we can, we fail to live up to the standard we know is required of us as Christians. The attributes listed above are the “fruit of the Spirit,” not the fruit of the Christian.
I’m just a suit of clothes that Jesus wears,
My body is the house in which He lives.
My voice is His to talk, My feet are His to walk,
I’m just a suit of clothes that Jesus wears.
As life goes on I fear not what come what may,
He carries all my burdens and my cares.
For me the battle’s done, He has the victory won;
I’m just a suit of clothes that Jesus wears.