Learning to live by the indwelling life of Christ.
Now we can draw near to God with all the confidence in the world, knowing that we will only be met with grace and mercy. Never judgment or condemnation. Never rejection or retaliation. Only the very real active help in time of need of knowing that our salvation is secure, our future is with God, and our present is “to live is Christ.”
But when Grace appears in the flesh. When Grace is the lover of your soul. When Grace gives himself for us to redeem us. When Grace makes you his own precious possession. When Grace not only forgives you, but also places you into himself. Into his own life. His own glory. His own goodness. Then your heart’s desires have been trained to denounce all that would break his heart. Then you have been shown grace as godliness. Then you have been taught “to live is Christ.”
In “to live is Christ” we have not only seen the glory of God, but we have received the glory of God (John 1:12), his life of grace and truth, into our own lives.
“To live is Christ” is possible because the Word became flesh. Now it is this great paradox of the incarnation – majesty becoming mediocre, glory becoming grace, the sovereign becoming the slave, the high and exalted being humbled – that is our life’s course.
“To live is Christ” means that we, like Mary, have Christ in us. Christ is the humble one exalted by God to an eternal throne. Christ is the hungry one who desired only the will of God the Father. Christ is the faithful, dependent, and committed one that we, like Mary, allow to transform our souls into singing the songs of God’s magnificent salvation.
“To live is Christ” means we have the mighty rushing wind of God’s Spirit in us. But the incarnation tells us that that mighty whirlwind is now the simple breath of a baby.
To Live is Christ 