To live the Christian life is to allow
Jesus to live His life in and through us.
Every
parent at one time or another has seen their child struggle with something they
so desperately wanted to free them from.
Whether it’s the struggle of the teenage years or just the process of
growing up. We have all seen those who
we dearly love, struggling and some how we would like to have been able to walk
into their life and release them from their struggle so that they could again
enjoy life to the fullest.
But
this very thing is what Jesus Christ offers to every one of His followers. Many Christians however, miss out in living
an abundant (John 10:10) and victorious (1 John 5:4) life because they are
hanging on to their life!
They
attend church and read their Bibles occasionally and pray from time to
time. They may even be moved to take on
a ministry assignment at their church.
They’re going through the motions of a Christian but deep within they know
that they are missing out in the joy, peace and power they know should be
there. This is not the life that Jesus
envisioned for His followers. Rather it
was to be a life lived above the world.
A life of joy, faith, hope and trust.
A life of abundant living as a victor.
So
what is the problem? They have not come
to that place in which they themselves have been crucified and thereby allowing
Jesus to live in them and through them!
For they are still in control and have not come to that place of surrendering
it completely to Christ! They in essence are living the desert life. (see
Deuteronomy 2 ff) They were God’s people, He looked after them but they never
experienced the promised land life.
When
the Christian places self will, self desires, self assurance, self dependence
and every other self upon the cross of Christ; He then becomes their life. It is no longer their life; it’s His
life. In this life relationship you now
listen to Him; live for Him and walk according to His will. It’s a complete passing of control from
yourself to Him!
If
self continues to rule your life then you will be in bondage to it. It remains your master. Jesus Christ calls us to give it over to
Him. Christ is calling us to crucify it
so that a new resurrected life of Christ would rise up in us!
The Apostle Paul was able to
say, “I
have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives
in me;” Galatians 2:20a (NKJV)
In
your life today is it still “I not Christ’ or are you able to say “Not I, but Christ”. If you cannot yet say the latter; then pray
now and ask Him to show you and help you to die to self and to the notions of
what you think the Christian life should be so that you can experience promised
land life in Him!
Read: Colossians 3:1-11 & Galatians 2:20
