God gives His kind of Life
From God’s eternal perspective
the believer in Christ is already a finished work.
From our human perspective in time and space, He is
continuing to work the truth deeper and deeper into
our hearts so He can conform us to the image and
likeness of Christ.
The tension is always there:
perfect and yet not perfect, holy and yet sinners,
righteous and yet, unrighteous.
Since the day we put our faith
in Christ God sees us complete in Him (Col. 2:10).
We are already holy in His presence (Col. 3:2). We
are already perfect in His eyes (Heb. 10:14). We are
His righteousness in Christ (2 Cor. 5:21). There is
nothing else to be done to achieve a right
relationship with God. When we accept those truths
by faith we will live it out each day. God makes
what is already true in the eternal, unseen
spiritual reality, a reality in the seen and
temporal realm. We live out what is already true. We
live in union with Christ. We rest in Him and He
lives His life out in us. “Christ in you” means God
has permanently joined Himself to you. He lives in
you and you in Him.
“I am the Way, the Truth and
the Life.” Jesus says to you and me, “I am the
Life.” I am your life. You take Me into you, and you
have life. I live My life in and through you. I live
my life as you. The Christian life is He in you, and
you in Him. He will live His life in you if you will
let Him live as He chooses. Christ lives the life
that is impossible for us to live. Christianity is
Christ, and it is Christ in you.
Do you experience the life He
gives with a sense in which you are content with a
knowledge of God’s grace that is more than
sufficient for your personal needs, that nothing in
this life can suppress it, and that God’s favor
toward you is unending? Do you live in the reality
of your unending unchanging eternal position in
Christ Jesus?
Our life in Christ is a life
with a surplus. We have it in Christ in
superabundance. Jesus said, “I am come that you
might keep on having life, and might keep on having
it abundantly” (Jn. 10:10b).
How do you characterize this
life that overflows in Christ?
The apostle Paul described it
as love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness,
goodness, faith, meekness, self-control, etc. (Gal.
5:22-23).
Just the opposite
is a life without Christ in control of your life.
“Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are:
immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery,
enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger,
disputes, dissensions, factions, envying,
drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of
which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you,
that those who practice such things will not inherit
the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:19-21). Jesus is
not the source of that kind of life. Which life
would you rather have?
The only source of God’s kind
of life is Jesus Christ. He said, “I am the Way, and
the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father,
but through Me” (John 14:6). Jesus puts His finger
on what we most need as human beings in life.
In the presence of Jesus Christ
we have received God’s answer to our individual
problems. Instead of being alienated, there is “the
way” to God the Father. Instead of ignorance and
error, there is “the truth” of God. Instead of
death, there is “the life” He gives. Only in the
person and work of Jesus Christ is there the perfect
way from man’s total ruin in sin to the Father.
Jesus is the perfect and only way to God, and He
promises to give His kind of superabundant life to
all who will come to Him. The life Christ gives is
God’s kind of life. Therefore, the Christian can no
more perish than God the Father can. The normal
Christian life is a superabundant life in Christ.
Have you put your faith in Him and received the gift
of His life?
Selah!
Message by Wil Pounds (c) 2006
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Unless otherwise noted "Scripture quotations taken from the NASB."
"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE" © Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation Used by permission." (www.Lockman.org)Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible copyright ©1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://www.bible.org/. All rights reserved.
Wil is a graduate of William Carey University, B. A.; New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, Th. M.; and Azusa Pacific University, M. A. He has pastored in Panama, Ecuador and the U. S, and served for over 20 years as missionary in Ecuador and Honduras. He had a daily expository Bible teaching ministry head in over 100 countries from 1972-2005. He continues to seek opportunities to be personally involved in world missions. Wil and his wife Ann have three grown daughters. He currently serves as a Baptist pastor and teaches seminary extension courses in Ecuador.
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