Christ in You, the Hope of Glory - Edited

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.

God's Plan for Us

God does not need a Plan B.
His Plan A is perfect. 

It needs no upgrades; no updates; no bug fixes and no corrections. 

It is not one-sided, but factors all things. That is why His wisdom is called, "manifold". 

Its workings are not only for the temporal but for the eternal. 

His plans are dependable. They are trustworthy. They are for our welfare; to give us a future and a hope. They are the best we can have. No one can plan better. 

Let us trust God completely and unwaveringly. Through Jesus Christ we are truly blessed.

I Have this Against You

I was reflecting on the words of our glorified Lord when He asked John to write to the church in Ephesus. For the first time the strong warning that the Lord Jesus gave them made me afraid. He said, “But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you, and will remove your lampstand out of its place—unless you repent (Rev. 2:4, 5).

Jesus first commended the church for their deeds, their toil, their perseverance and their intolerance towards false apostles (Rev. 2:2). He also approved of their hatred towards the Nicolaitans—those who advocated false doctrines and teachings (Rev. 2:6). Yet despite all this, the Lord warned them that He would remove the church—they would be no more—if they did not repent from their half-hearted devotion to Him. This brief yet strong warning shook me because it showed me how seriously God looks at our love and devotion to Him. The risen Lord reprimanded the church in Laodicea for this same reason saying, “I would that you were cold or hot” (Rev. 3:15). In simple words: It’s all or nothing. Here again the warning of the faithful and true Witness was powerful: “So because you are lukewarm and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth” (Rev. 3:16).

When Paul wrote to the Corinthian church, he sought to secure from them “an undistracted devotion to the Lord” (1Cor. 7:35). The Amplified New Testament elaborates this so well saying: “…to secure your undistracted and undivided devotion to the Lord.” Another term that beautifully brings out this meaning is single-minded devotion. When writing to the same church in his second letter Paul said something similar, “…I betrothed you to one husband, that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin. I am afraid, lest as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds should be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ” (2Cor. 11:2, 3). We have heard God say that He is a jealous God (Deut. 4:24). What do we learn from these verses? That our Redeemer is looking for us to be true to our part of the covenant by loving Him with a sincere undistracted love and devotion.  

Coming back to the church in Ephesus. Here were Christians that Paul had spent three years with (Acts: 20:32). Day after day in this period (from around 53 AD) he laboured with them. He never ceased to admonish each one with tears. 40 years later when the Apostle John was writing the revelation of Jesus Christ (around 90 AD), the Ephesian Christians were still faithful to their work and toil for the kingdom of God; conducting several activities for the glory of God. All these spoke volumes of the strong foundation Paul had established in them. They persevered in the things of the gospel. They tested every teaching that so-called false apostles taught. From all this it appears that despite the city itself being an idolatrous, corrupt business hub they were an 'active', 'vibrant' church. Still the Lord Jesus told them that He would remove the church from its place if they did not repent and get back to that simplicity and purity of undistracted devotion to Him.

Oh that each of us, members of the body of Christ, would love God with all our heart and all our soul and all our mind (Mt. 22:37). Oh that every stone in the living temple of God would be firmly established in the truth of righteousness knowing well that each one is sanctified for God alone—a people for God’s own possession (1Pet. 2:9). Oh that every branch in the living Vine would recognize that apart from Jesus we can do nothing (Jn. 15:5b). There is such a crying need in the Church today to get back to our first love for Christ—a love that clings to Him in faith; a love that submits wholeheartedly to His will; a love that says to Him in sincerity, “the world behind me; the cross before me.” We need to awaken. We need to arise that Christ will shine on us (Eph. 5:14). It is imperative that we hearken to the warning of the Spirit of God for if the glorified Saviour was willing to take away the “lampstand from out of its place”—and we know that God does not lie but always keeps His word—will He treat us differently?

I believe that the church at Ephesus took the warning of Jesus seriously and repented; for history tells us that 20 years later (around 110 AD), Bishop Ignatius of Antioch wrote a letter to the church to encourage them. May we learn from these examples the things that are important to God. May we be preserved from deceiving ourselves; satisfied with leaves only and bereft of fruit. “For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it” (Mt. 7:14).

Christ in You, the Hope of Glory

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—one that has captivated me and is fast becoming in me something of an obsession.

“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). I have read this and several similar verses in the past but it is only now that God has opened my eyes to see the glory of this mystery. I used to pray and sing, "let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me." I knew that God's will is for us to reflect the life of our Saviour. But I have suddenly been made more conscious of this truth than ever before. Paul who understood and experienced this great privilege prayed for the Ephesians that they too would be strengthened in the inner man with power by the Holy Spirit so that Christ may dwell in their hearts through faith (Eph. 3:17). The fact that the Apostle experienced this glorious mystery is evident when he declared, “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me…” (Gal. 2:20).  

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 are fully aware 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); and 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).

We won't need long to realize the futility of striving with our own strength to achieve a Christ-like life of righteousness and humility and love. Such attempts end up with failure, frustration and discouragement. But when we depend on God for His power, His favour and His 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 meant when He said, “You are the light of the world” (Mt. 5:14). It is through this life of Christ in us that our fruit abounds to the glory of the Father and proves our allegiance as disciples (Jn. 15:8). It is vital to note that our Lord said this while commanding us to abide in Him, the true Vine. Such abiding helps us branches draw its life and sustenance from the Vine, Jesus Christ.

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 does it mean, “Christ in me”? I confess that I do not have the full answer 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—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). May I be faithful to increasingly imitate these characteristics first; for he that is faithful in a very little, is faithful also in much (Lk. 16:10).

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 carry out and lead us to the experience of 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.

Why God Tests Us

Lessons from Deuteronomy 8:2-5

While reflecting on what God spoke to the Israelites in chapter eight of Deuteronomy, I could identify four aspects that brought out God’s purpose and heart in His working in us. The more I meditated on each of these aspects, the more it helped me understand God.

Now part of the passage reads like this:

And you shall remember that the LORD your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not (Deut. 8:2).

So one of the first aspects I could identify in God’s working is His reason for testing us. Two phrases stand out—humble you and test you. The verse then identifies the intention of the test—to know what is in your heart, whether you would keep the commandments or not. Without exception, each one of us can testify of trying times that we have gone through, whether at home, or in our work place; whether with finances or health or relationships. The Bible records for our own instruction (1Cor. 10:11) the various times the Israelites were tested in the wilderness—at the crossing of the Red Sea (Ex. 14:11-14); or before God provided manna (Ex. 16:2-4); or water from the rock (Ex. 17:2-7); or at other times in the wilderness. They had already witnessed the power of God and had no shortage of reasons to trust Him at each test. Yet they failed.

Before the crossing of the Red Sea, they had seen the wrath of God on Pharaoh and the Egyptians and how each time he miraculously kept the children of Abraham safe. Before the manna, they were witnesses to the phenomenal power of God not only in making a way (where there was no way). He also showed them that He was their Defender by destroying the Egyptian army and their chariots when they pursued the Hebrews. They had no dearth of personal testimonies to show at each test that their God was powerful and He was caring; that He was their Defender and that He was their Provider. Yet each time they grumbled (1Cor. 10:10). Each time they displayed unbelief and disobedience (Heb. 3:19; 4:11). God used each test to humble them and reveal what was in their heart.

“Today, if you hear His voice,” the writer to the Hebrews now warns us, “do not harden your hearts as when they provoked Me.” (Heb. 3:15; 4:7) Can we, through learning from Israel’s mistakes, now humble ourselves in times of testing? The fruit of true humility at such times is a spirit of trust and dependence on God. I call these fruits of humility because we are so full of ourselves that we run to God only when all that we've tried fails. Can we, in each difficult situation, cease from grumbling and complaining? Can we rest in the fact that our lives and circumstances are safe in the hands of our God who is in control and that He is able to cause all things to work for our good (Rom. 8:28)? Can we lean not on our own understanding (Prov. 3:5) but lean on Him in total dependence, our hearts crying, “My help comes from Thee, O Maker of heaven and earth” (Psa. 121:2)?

I strongly believe that if in the time of testing, we are open to the conviction of the Holy Spirit as He shows us what is in our hearts, His working would allow us to submit easily  when our faith is tested—that it may come through as more precious than gold refined in fire (1Pet. 1:6, 7). By that same working, God would teach us to persevere—for the testing of our faith brings perseverance (Jas. 1:2, 3).

The second aspect in the passage I reflected on brought out God’s care and protection. The Lord had repeatedly in the previous chapters and in the verses that followed this passage, made it amply clear to the Hebrew wanderers that He was going to take them into the promised land and was going to, with a mighty hand, give victory over those that were known to be undefeatable (Deut. 9:2); and grant to them great and beautiful things that they never laboured for (Deut. 6:10-12). But He also kept repeating the importance to love Him with all their hearts and obey Him (Deut. 8:6). So while giving these instructions, God now reminds the Israelites how He fed them with manna which they did not know nor did their fathers know (Deut. 8:3); how their garments did not wear out on them—their clothes did not tear nor did they become short (Deut. 8:4). God reminded them how through all their journey in the hot desert of Sinai their feet did not swell in all of the forty years (Deut. 8:4); and how through the great and terrible wilderness, He kept them safe from the fiery serpents and scorpions and provided for them from a hard rock in a thirsty land where there was no water (Deut. 8:15).

Oh that we can, in each of our own trials, constantly remind ourselves of the unfailing goodness of God and the inseparable love that He has for us in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:38, 39). If we could only fully grasp the meaning of Paul’s statement—"He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?” (Rom. 8:32)—would then learn to rest with the peace of God in each trial and in every testing situation.

The third aspect that I could identify from the passage in Deuteronomy 8 was God’s desire for us to depend on Him not only for earthly blessings; but rather to lean on and cling to His all-wise, dependable, infallible word. This aspect comes through when God says, “He let you be hungry and fed you with manna… that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD.” (Deut. 8:3) I can witness from my own life that no one who trusts in God’s word—making all one’s life’s choices and decisions on the basis of God’s leading, His will and His word—has ever been put to shame. I have sought to live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God and I have seen how faithful God has been to keep me safe in His perfect path. He has gently guided my steps and kept me from the ways of error. Even when at times I was uncertain, God never failed to confirm His constant involvement in me by speaking to my heart; using His word.

Then there is the fourth aspect that clearly comes through in verse 5—the Father-heart and love for His children. He says, “You should know in your heart that as a man chastens his son, so the LORD your God chastens you.” (Deut. 8:5). We are all familiar with the verse in Hebrews that says, “For whom the Lord loves He chastens and scourges every son whom He receives.” (Heb. 12:6) Now I ask a question converse to the one that the Bible poses. Just as God disciplines us when we need correction (Heb. 10:9), would He discipline us if we stay true to Him and His word? Would He rebuke us if we walk close to Him with faith and obedience in undistracted love and devotion? Would an earthly father spank his son if He is doing the right things? Then why would our heavenly Father need to chastise us unnecessarily? We can be certain that He takes no pleasure in disciplining us if we do what is right. This infers then that, it is possible, when we are chastised or disciplined—and this can come in various ways, by way of sickness, or by any other way—that there must be an area in our life that needs attention. The quicker we are to identify it, repent and seek God’s face to sin no more in what He has convicted us, the sooner we are free from that period of chastisement. Of course, there are others areas of testing that God takes us through, though these are not because of sin, but because the Father is seeking to do a greater work—a work that makes us stronger and takes us deeper in our walk with Him. Yet whatever the circumstance or reason for discipline, God reveals His Father-heart by, in effect, telling us: “I love you. I want to lead you from glory to glory. I know what needs to be done. Trust Me. Submit to My working. My grace is sufficient for you.”

Four glorious aspects in as many verses bring out what our good, good God and Father wants to achieve in times of testing. May He find in us submissive, trusting, obedient hearts. In doing so we will witness the great grace of God when He says, “Do not be terrified of them (our enemies, our difficulties or our circumstances); for the LORD your God, the great and awesome God, is among you.” (Deut. 7:21)