The Bible says that Christ lives in us. He is not with us or watching over us. We do not go to meet Him in church buildings or prayer closet. He is in us. He lives His life in us and through us.
This is the bigger picture salvation beyond forgiveness. Yes, Christ gave His life for us, but now He gives His life to us. We now have the Way and the Truth and the Life living in us. We are transformed by Him and now abide in Him and exhibit His fruit in our lives.
This is the reality of grace-living revealed in the Bible. So what are we supposed to do? We are to submit to Him and let Him live through us. The Christian life is miraculous. Why don’t we just let it be miraculous?
“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us…” (2 Corinthians 4:11)
Let’s say I want to play the piano. I’m not talking about just basic chording or child-like rendition of “Chopsticks.” No, I want to play the piano like Ludwig von Beethoven played the piano. How could I do that?
I could read about his musicianship. I could listen to discussions of his techniques. I could determine that I want to imitate him. No matter how diligently I practiced, I could never play the piano like him. But what if by some supernatural act of God, the spirit of Beethoven came into my spirit? What if Ludwig von Beethoven miraculously played the piano through my mind in my hands? I would be playing the piano like Beethoven, but it would not be me; it would be him.
“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20)
By a supernatural act of God, that is lessened by our attempts to understand or explain, Christ comes and lives through us. People see Him living in us. They see His gentleness. They see His kindness. They see His love. And we come to realize that living the Christian life is not about us; it is about Him. We realize that we don’t place our situations in His hands; we place our lives in His hands. We offer ourselves to Him and experienced His life being lived through us.
“And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.” (Romans 8:11)
There’s only one successful approach to living a Christian life. It is a supernatural approach. It is a God approach. We may not be able to explain it, but that’s okay. We can experience it. This one basic truth affects everything about the situations and issues of our lives. Christ-likeness becomes possible not as I make myself like Christ, but as He lives through me.
“For in Christ all the fullness of the deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ.” (Colossians 2:9-10)
That is an amazing statement. As the fullness of God lived in Jesus, the fullness of Christ now lives in us. Those who believe in Jesus enter into a unique relationship with him. They dwell in Him, and He dwells in them. As Jesus lived by the Father, we can live by Him. If we are to know the fullness of life in Christ, then we are to appropriate the truth and effectiveness of what He is just as we have already appropriated the truth and effectiveness of what He has done.
