The Man Inside

"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.
Matthew 28: 19-20 NKJV

One of the most difficult teachings to grasp is the fact that our Lord Jesus resides today within these bodies of ours.  Believe me, with this I have struggled often.  Despite the evidence in sripture that this is indeed the case, we still struggle.  I find it interesting that in Matthew 28:19, as Jesus prepares to depart, at least physically, from the presence of the discipes he loved, that he tells lets them know that he will be with them until the end of the age.  Not to take anything away from the scriptures, but I've felt recently that perhaps Jesus would have been better off telling his followers that he would be "In them" until the end of the age, but that's just my take.  Either way, I'm sure there would be those who would continue to struggle with the truth.  One thing that I am certain of is that I know that I am not alone in this.

Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?  For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.
1 Corinthians 6: 19-20 NKJV

Here in 1 Corinthians 6, once again the evidence of the truth of Christ smacks us squarely in the face!  Yes, He is our risen savior who has paid our terrible sin debt in full, but that is only the first part of His story.  Indeed, we needed to be saved, to have our sinful past eradicated.  For the apostle Paul tells us in Romans that ALL have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.  Again, in Romans 3:10, Paul tells us that there is "None righteous."  It is against this backdrop that Christ gave himself for our sakes, to be the sin atonement that was required.  For the penalty He paid was our own.  Again, it is at this point in the story where we get lost sometimes.  For once that atonement for our sin was accomplished by Him on that cross, the issue of the sin spirit also needed to be dealt with.  THIS was accomplished through His resurection.  As it stands now, our sin debt has been satisfied as well as the sin spirit which we were born into, all though Christ!  At times it is a hard  truth to see, this Jesus living within us.

"I have been crucified with Christ; 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 for me."
Galations 2:20 NKJV

Again, the evidence is there in front of us if we seek it.  You may find it a little hard to accept, I did.  Others have as well.  That dosen't mean that it's not true, just that we haven't realized the full extent of the gift we've been given.

~Scott~