In that day you shall know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you
Johns Account 14: 20, Concordant New Testament
Mention your "Life" to the ordinary Christian and you'd more than likely a pretty sticky response. For many believers, their life here in this world revolves around the misguided belief that they are somehow separated from God. Even those who claim to enjoy a "Christ" centered life suffer from this delusion. Growing up in the mainstream church, this idea was pounded into me each and every Sunday. From sermons to Sunday school lessons, the separation theology of the church was all too apparent. But why is it that I refer to this as living a delusion? Well, first off, I suggest that we as Gods creation could never have been separated from He who created us. Indeed, we're told that we have been created in the very likeness of God {Genesis 1:27}. And not only that, the scriptures tell us that upon creating man in His own image, that He breathed into him the breath of life, that the man would become a living soul {Genesis 2:7}. He has formed us in His image AND imparted Himself into His creation. From the beginning, the Father has been an intimate part of who we are. Our life has never truly been our own. Yet many apologists and those within the church continue to cite the scripture from the book of Isaiah in which the prophet claims that "Your iniquities have separated you from your God" {Isaiah 59:2}. To this I ask the question, what about Jesus? Has Jesus not given Himself for the forgiveness of those iniquities {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}? Despite this truth, those within the church continue to preach to the fact the our sins have distanced us from the Father. They have seemingly ignored the forgiveness given unto us through the work of Christ Jesus on the cross. They cling to the words of Paul who speaks to the fact that all have sinned {Paul to the Romans 3:23}. Yet Paul, in the following passage, Paul speaks to the fact that we have been "Justified gratuitously in His grace, through the deliverance which is in Christ Jesus" {Paul to the Romans 3:24}. Yes, Paul admits that all have sinned, but then asks the same question as I have, what about Jesus? For it is Christ Jesus who has laid waste to the lie of the deceiver which falsely claims that we have been separated from God.
Contrary to what has been spoken from the pulpits of the mainstream church, I have come to know the truth of my life in Christ Jesus. That is, my life WITHIN Him and not of my own volition. Jesus speaks to this union in the book of John {Johns Account 14:20, Johns Account 17:21}. Therefore, I can confidently say that this life is not of my own, but is lived in the love and grace of the Father. God is not just an overseer looking down upon us from heaven, but has always been an intimate part of our life. Remember, we have been created in His very likeness. He has breathed into us the breath of life. This is our life in Jesus and the Father. Unfortunately, the theology of the church constantly speaks of our "Coming nearer" to God. Modern Christian music speaks to a seemingly distant savior as we invite Him to "Come Lord Jesus." The truth of the matter is that we have always been intimately connected to the Father. We need not ask Him to draw near to us. He is already there. What existence would we have apart from him? A life in Christ is based on the truth that our life has never been independently our own. Yet it seems that those within the church feel the need to keep the sin issue alive that they can continue to keep their pews filled with those seeking the Lords forgiveness. But Paul has spoken to the truth that Christ Jesus has died to sin "Once for all time" {Paul to the Romans 6:10}. I am no longer a church declared sinner, but confident in my life in Him.
There is no independent, self-operating self in the universe, except the One who calls Himself the I AM {Exodus 3:14} and says, "I am the Lord and there is none else, there is no God beside Me" {Isaiah 45:5}.
No Independent Self by Norman Grubb
~Scott~
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