Though I had written on this subject on September 21, I realize that I should not have been hasty in posting it; for in the subsequent days I found God impressing upon my heart a deeper teaching. I earnestly hope you would be willing to give a little time and inclination to go through this post. It could challenge you as it has done me.
The gospel through Jesus Christ is filled with numerous and very precious privileges. Each promise in the gospel is so great and full of honour that it would be difficult to place them in an order of importance. There is one privilege however that I found the Lord, in His mercy draw my attention to—a glorious privilege that has captivated me.
“Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Col. 1:27)—the last four words of the verse aptly summing up our earnest expectation to share in this glory—is a mystery that is filled with the richness of God’s glory and grace. It is a mystery that God chose in His wisdom to hide from past ages and generations but to make known now to the saints in the Church (Col. 1:26). Paul who understood and experienced this great privilege first shares his longing for the Galatians, "...I am again in labour until Christ is formed in you" (Gal. 4:19). He then prays this very thing for the Ephesians. He asked that they be strengthened in the inner man with power by the Holy Spirit; and for what reason? “So that Christ would dwell in their hearts through faith” (Eph. 3:17). It is possible that this privilege can be confused with another glorious honour—that of having the Lord God make His abode in us; for are we not the temple of the Holy Spirit? Yet when this great bondservant of God prayed for the Church in Ephesus, he made it clear that it was something they could have only by being strengthened with the power of God.
In this connection the Apostle wrote something profound to the Philippian Church—text that is not easy to understand and often read through quickly. He first started by telling them how all his so-called trophies are worthless in comparison to knowing Christ (Php. 3:7, 8)—this is yet another great privilege that we can enjoy in the gospel. He then continued to tell them of the righteousness of Christ that is attained through faith (Php. 3:9). It is to attain this that he speaks of his earnest desire to experience in a greater way the resurrection power of God and the practical participation of the sufferings of Christ. I understand the latter to mean denying one’s self-life (also referred to as carrying one’s cross) and putting one’s fleshly desires to death. Paul now discloses his profound end goal—“in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead” (Php. 3:11). What is this resurrection from the dead? I believe the Apostle is referring here to the life of Christ where the ‘dead’ is our crucified self-life and the resurrection, our Christ-like life. This understanding is further reinforced when he says that he hasn’t obtained it yet nor has he become perfect, but “I press on in order that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus” (Php. 3:12). He further takes this insightful teaching to its conclusion where he tells us that when our Saviour comes, He will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory (Php. 3:21).
Hear now his declaration to the Galatians: “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me…” (Gal. 2:20). Is not this ‘life of Christ revealed in me’ a great and wonderful mystery that God has purposed for us to experience? We can draw encouragement in the fact that it is the very thing that Christ Jesus desires for us. It is one of the reasons why He has laid hold of us.
Now to experience such a privilege, the starting point must be a life of faith, obedience in righteousness and the fear of God. From scripture we will quickly learn that God has called us to live lives that are set apart for Himself. The terms ‘holy’ and ‘sanctified’ used numerously with regard to the Church emphasises this importance. We know well that Christ shed His blood to cleanse us of all sins so that we would lay aside the old self which is being corrupted with lusts of deceit (Eph. 4:22); be renewed in the attitude of our mind (Eph. 4:23 NIV); and put on the new self—and here lies the characteristics that has the necessary ingredients for the life of Christ to dwell in our hearts—which in the likeness of God has been created in true righteousness and holiness (Eph. 4:24 NKJV).
Paul repeatedly cautions us that such a life cannot be achieved with one’s own strength or our “own righteousness”. He never ceases to remind us that it is possible only by faith. It is futile to strive to achieve a Christ-like life of righteousness and humility and love on our own. Such attempts end up with failure, frustration and discouragement. But when we depend on God for His resurrection power, His rich favour and His overflowing mercy the life that our Lord has purposed for us to experience in the gospel can be realized. God who has given this privilege for us to lay hold of is faithful to guide our thirsting hearts.
This mystery of the life of Christ in us is what our Saviour the true Light, meant when He said, “You are the light of the world” (Mt. 5:14). When Christ’s life is in us, our fruit abounds to the glory of the Father and it proves our allegiance as His disciples (Jn. 15:8). It is vital to note that our Lord spoke of this while commanding us to abide in Him, the true Vine. It is only through such abiding that we branches draw our life and sustenance.
I recognize my own inadequacies as I write this for I am painfully conscious how much God still has to do in me so that the life I live is no longer I but Christ in me. What then does “Christ in me” mean in my daily living? I confess that I am not qualified to answer this but I pursue with God’s help what is already revealed to us of the life of Christ.
The Messiah showed how important He considered the will of God (Jn. 4:34; Mt. 12:50). His faith in and obedience to the Father is clearly seen throughout the four gospels. Selfless giving and overflowing love characterized His life (Eph. 5:2). Humility and not looking at personal interest was another quality that defined our Saviour (Php. 2:3-5). Patience, kindness, gentleness, goodness, keeping no record of wrongs (Gal. 5:22; 1Cor. 13:5)—the hallmarks of agape love are what He commanded us to emulate (Jn. 13:34; 15:12). Two terms Paul uses to describe Christ’s love for the Church: ‘nourish’ and ‘cherish’ (Eph. 5:29). To cherish is to protect and care for lovingly (as one would a precious treasure). It may be possible to summarize in one verse the above qualities of Christ: He died for all so that we who live might no longer live for ourselves but for Him who died and rose again on our behalf (2Cor. 5:15). May we be faithful to increasingly imitate these characteristics first. When God sees us faithful in these little things, He can lead us further into experiencing the fullness of this mystery.
Help us O God of all grace and mercy. Strengthen us in the inner man with Thy mighty power by the Holy Spirit so that Christ may dwell in our hearts through faith. Unless Thou build O Lord, all who labour, do so in vain. There is nobody else that can help us experience this amazing privilege in the gospel except Thee. In the richness of Thy grace Thou didst purpose that the life of Thy Son Jesus Christ dwell in us. Now lead us and work in us to experience its fulfilment.
