Christ Our Life

The truths of Christ in us and as our life are not easily assimilated and understood but are vitally important to a steady and stable walk with Him and service to Him. The struggle and the seeking, the desire and the frustration are all a part of our growth and receiving of Christ as our life. However the newest Christian has access to all that is in Christ just as the matured saint has, according to Ephesians 1:3, but we do not appropriate all that is Christ except through the process of growth in Him and our understanding of our position in Christ and our sanctification. Much time and desire are required to enter into the realization of our great possessions in Christ. We do not enter into a full orbed life in Christ until we become aware of the futility of doing all in the power of the flesh which is dead, and realize the life that is Christ. Life giving service will be the result and the cross is the secret of it all. What He did is what counts.

We must be brought back to the two basic, freed from the penalty of sin by His finished work; freed from the power of sin by his finished work." ....justified by faith...." Galatians 3:24 "....we walk by faith...." II Corinthians 5:7 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him. Miles Stanford

I have often puzzled about the declaration of Jesus in Luke 14:26 If any man come after me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. I believe that in John Bunyan's book "Pilgrim's progress" we have an illustration of what Jesus is trying to teach us in this scripture. Pilgrim is under deep conviction of sin concerning his salvation and tries to hide this from his family for a time. When his conviction becomes greater he finds that he cannot keep this to himself and shares with them his great consternation of mind. They began immediately to try to turn him from the burden and away from what the Spirit of God is doing, thinking that this is some mental aberration that has come upon him because of life pressures. Being unsuccessful in appeals, they began to use more aggressive tactics by harsh words and surly treatment. Pilgrim will not be consoled by any of this and leaves the presence of his family to seek after God and His salvation.

In a situation where family members see one of their number prompted to take a spiritual step by the Holy Spirit and they are under deep conviction, whether it be for salvation, or a new dedication, or a in a time of deep contrition and soul seeking and are laying themselves out in fasting and prayer, the family many times will protest and try to compel the one who is seeking to "take care of themselves." The same is true of the man who is living a fleshly life and begins to become disenchanted with his own actions and attitudes and is convicted by the Spirit for a change. The hatred that Jesus speaks of is that which says to his family, I will go on with God no matter what, even if it means forsaking the counsel and care from my family. To the man who is prompted by God's Spirit to be different, who is responding to the admonition to reckon himself dead unto sin and alive unto God and permit Christ to live His life through him, will only do so when he has become so sickened by his old life that he is ready to turn it over in preference to the life that is Christ. He comes to the place of "hating his life."

Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin (unto the law) but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. For sin shall not have dominion over you for ye are not under the law but under grace Romans 6:11. Law says do or die -- grace says done! He that is dead is freed from sin...Romans 6:8a. If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God for ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry. For the thing's sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: in which ye also walked some time, when you lived in them. Colossians 3:1-7.

One truth leads to another as Romans 6 through 8 leads us to the truths in Colossians 3. No one truth stands alone in God's precious word. I must by faith receive the fact that I have died unto sin, Romans 6:11 and that I am now alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Having considered this and asserted it by faith before God, as I did my salvation by faith, I must then realize that I am dead to the law, which says do or die, and that I am alive to grace which says done! Romans 7:4

I must not stop here because I have a new life and a new perspective as given in Romans 6:19 which teach of service. This perspective is further dealt with in Colossians 3 where we are instructed to put off the old man and to put on the new man. This is where many Christians break down not realizing that what Jesus told His disciples at the very last verse of Matthew gives us the ability to be doing because He is our being. We can truly do His work because His power is in us. Now there is another aspect of this that we fail to recognize as well. The thought here actually continues in Acts chapter one verses eight and nine. He said this just before He ascended back into heaven and after the statement in Matthew 28:18 and 20. In Acts 1:4 He commanded them to not depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith He, ye have heard of me.

Now we know that He is referring to the initial presentation and enduing of the Holy Spirit on His church, but this is also a lesson for us as Christian workers, soul winners, preachers, teachers, missionaries and what ever else God has for us to do. We must wait before Him and then go equipped to do HIS work. This is what makes the statement, "work for God" weak and misleading. We cannot do anything for God and nowhere in the word do you find this expression. Rather we are workers together with God; we do God's work; we work the works of God, because God is in us motivating and empowering us.

Now I also know that there is an aspect of this that must be by faith. When I do not feel like going soul winning or attending church, or teaching, or anything else that I am committed to and know that it is God's will, if I do not act apart from my feelings and do the thing anyway, I disobey God and miss His blessing. I like what Dr Jack Hyles referred to which he had hanging on his office wall. It was a plaque which said, "Don't despair, but if you do, work on in despair." We are all human and will have negative feelings and despair and depression. Someone said, "The only thing that does not get depressed is a crystal." We are flesh and blood and no matter how difficult it is to admit, we often come to times of depression, if only briefly and passing. The depression that we should be concerned about is that which stays around.

Depression is actually anger that is turned inward and there is always an answer for it. Probably the best defense against depression is an open and truthful communication skill. Being able to "speak the truth in love" and eliminate hurt feelings and broken relationships by a kindly attitude of openness and understanding. If rifts do come in our relationships, the mature action is to do what ever is necessary to reconcile, whether it is I who must ask forgiveness, or to go to a brother who has offended me and, for the sake of maintaining the relationship, to be truthful about; "how I was hurt."

Remember, God always has the answers for us and expects us to seek Him for the answers. If you are serious about having His blessing you will find the answers. He cannot, and will not, help a lazy or a rebellious man. Let's determine in our hearts to seek God as He has instructed us and to know His victory.