Christian, is Christ Jesus your Life or just "in" your life?
Before you answer consider this; we have people in our lives that come and go based upon either our terms for their entry into our lives or their terms of entry of our lives into theirs. I could drop by unannounced but you would prefer I set up an appointed time of arrival and prefer I don't wear out my welcome.
Many people treat Jesus in this same way. They want Jesus in their lives, but only on their own terms; when it's convenient. They want to drop in for a visit with Jesus, when it is convenient for them & they'll call on Jesus when they want Him to come over and address some much needed issues, but only on their terms. They act as if Jesus has worn out His welcome in their life.
If your a Believer, a Christian, understand this; Christ is your Life. Christ moved in on the inside, He took up residence, and gave Life to your dead soul.
We were dead in our sins, helpless & hopeless. Christ died for our sins, He was buried and three days later He was raised from the grave to make our Salvation possible, This is the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Good News of God for all mankind.
By God's grace through faith if you have believed, turning to God and from your sin, and believed the Gospel, confessing Jesus as Lord of your Life and believing God raised Him from the Dead you are forgiven of your sins, given eternal life, given an eternal relationship with God and Jesus, whom He sent. Those dead in sins thru faith are given the Life of Christ.
Christian, you were dead in your sins. Now, as a believer, you have been crucified with Christ, you are to reckon yourself dead to your sin and dead to yourself. You have been bought by the Blood of Christ on the Cross. You have been raised to walk in newness of Life in Christ. He is in you and you are in Him.
Jesus said in John 14:6, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me."
The Bible in Galatians 2:20 declares the anthem cry of everyone who believes; "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me."
Christ does not tolerate the idea of being just some addition to the life you live, He demands your life be His life. Jesus said to His disciples in Matthew 16:24-27, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. "For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? "For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and WILL THEN REPAY EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS."
Is Christ in your life as a matter of your convenience?
Or, is Christ your Life as a matter of necessity?
Christian, I pray the latter for you?
Before you answer consider this; we have people in our lives that come and go based upon either our terms for their entry into our lives or their terms of entry of our lives into theirs. I could drop by unannounced but you would prefer I set up an appointed time of arrival and prefer I don't wear out my welcome.
Many people treat Jesus in this same way. They want Jesus in their lives, but only on their own terms; when it's convenient. They want to drop in for a visit with Jesus, when it is convenient for them & they'll call on Jesus when they want Him to come over and address some much needed issues, but only on their terms. They act as if Jesus has worn out His welcome in their life.
If your a Believer, a Christian, understand this; Christ is your Life. Christ moved in on the inside, He took up residence, and gave Life to your dead soul.
We were dead in our sins, helpless & hopeless. Christ died for our sins, He was buried and three days later He was raised from the grave to make our Salvation possible, This is the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Good News of God for all mankind.
By God's grace through faith if you have believed, turning to God and from your sin, and believed the Gospel, confessing Jesus as Lord of your Life and believing God raised Him from the Dead you are forgiven of your sins, given eternal life, given an eternal relationship with God and Jesus, whom He sent. Those dead in sins thru faith are given the Life of Christ.
Christian, you were dead in your sins. Now, as a believer, you have been crucified with Christ, you are to reckon yourself dead to your sin and dead to yourself. You have been bought by the Blood of Christ on the Cross. You have been raised to walk in newness of Life in Christ. He is in you and you are in Him.
Jesus said in John 14:6, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me."
The Bible in Galatians 2:20 declares the anthem cry of everyone who believes; "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me."
Christ does not tolerate the idea of being just some addition to the life you live, He demands your life be His life. Jesus said to His disciples in Matthew 16:24-27, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. "For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? "For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and WILL THEN REPAY EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS."
Is Christ in your life as a matter of your convenience?
Or, is Christ your Life as a matter of necessity?
Christian, I pray the latter for you?
Book Recommendations:
I don't often recommend books, because I fear far to many believers are reading recommended books rather than their Bibles. But, in this instance I will recommend two books, recommended to me by Dr. Ron Lynch of Life out of Death Ministries, I know that these have begun to change my time with my Lord, my Bible reading and my prayer time. I know they will change yours as well.
1) Bone of His Bone, by F. J. Huegel
- ISBN-10: 0875086896
- ISBN-13: 978-0875086897
ISBN-10: 0875085334
- ISBN-13: 978-0875085333
Blessings,
Pastor Eric
Galatians 2:20
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