Learning to live by the indwelling life of Christ.
“To live is Christ” means you are no longer separated from God. And it means you are separated from those who are not yet in Christ. But not so that you can stay separated. We have been brought out of the world so that we could be sent back into the world. Not hiding behind our convictions. But living from the conviction that the gospel alone can unite all mankind.
“To live is Christ” is to be the Jesus that loves others and it is to love Jesus as you love others.
“To live is Christ” is worth repenting for. Turning to God through faith in Jesus is the wisest choice a person could ever make. Only union with Christ offers this beautiful triple blessing – sins blotted out, the refreshing presence of God, and the restoration of all things. You won’t find these three graces anywhere else. So stop looking everywhere else and turn back to Jesus.
“To live is Christ” is never isolation, independence, or individuality. It is always a shared experience with the body of Christ. Sharing the word of Christ and the life of Christ. Full devotion to Christ and therefore to his church. Resting in his full devotion to us, allowing his Spirit to both satisfy and transform our hearts daily in his presence. Together.
“To live is Christ” is made possible by the indwelling Holy Spirit and the unending flow of Christ’s indwelling love, joy, and peace. The love, joy, and peace that surround our hearts when we trust that Jesus Christ has done it all in our place. The love, joy, and peace that propel our hearts forward into a decaying, broken, and sorrow filled world. And the love, joy, and peace that will tear down every wall of separation in the world when we allow him to fill the house with his presence.
“To live is Christ” is to live in all the power of the ascended Christ. To receive his Spirit. To receive God’s presence into our very being. And then to share that presence with one another as we stop gazing into heaven and start sharing the greatest story ever told with our Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and even the ends of the earth.
