John 8: 36 NKJV
We speak quite a bit to the truth of Christ Jesus in us. However, I was thinking this week that there are times where talk is cheap. How many of us have sat through many a sermon before losing interest? Usually my attention span does not last that long for such things. That being said, I can talk all day about Christ in me, but there may be those out there who will not see the truth I have found. So, what is my own experience of Christ Jesus in me? Well, as I was thinking this week, the first thing that comes to mind is freedom. My freedom to be the man that I know I am. That man, as Paul tells us, is Jesus living through us {Galatians 2:20}. This is the basis of the freedom I've found in Christ. That freedom encompasses many things. A friend spoke to me that freedom in Jesus means that we are no longer barred by "Falling short" theology. That is, we need no longer fear that that we will come up short in our attempts to "Be like" Jesus. Contrary to the teachings of the mainstream church, there is really no need for us to continue to challenge ourselves to simply resemble Jesus in some way. I don't want to simply be like Jesus. For being "like" Jesus does not make me one with Him {John 17:21}. Being like Jesus is simply a continuation of the lie the deceiver spoke to Eve in the garden. It was Satan who spoke the lie that by taking of the fruit which God had commanded not to that somehow Adam would "Be like God" {Genesis 3:5}. Well, I contend that the Fathers original creation was already like Him. It was God who created man in His image {Genesis 1:27}. It was God who breathed into man the breath of life {Genesis 2:7}. I would say that from the beginning Adam and Eve were very much like God. However, the issue which Satan capitalized on, was that they never realized that they were like God. Adam had known no other life than the life he was living in union with the Father. So, in order to appreciate what he had, Adam needed to see the opposite as well. Enter the lie of Satan. From that day forward it has been our struggle to "be like" Jesus.
They were at first unconscious expressers of God's other-love nature. Adam was in harmony with all creatures and could give each its proper name {Genesis 2:20}; they knew no opposite to other-love in union with the Father.
~No Independent Self, Norman Grubb~
The knowing of freedom in Christ is directly related to knowing that Jesus lives through us. If we believe that we need to strive to "be like" Jesus, then we are missing the point. I never found freedom in striving to be like Jesus, and my guess is that you won't either. However, once I came to the realization that I was one with Christ who is in me, a whole new world opened up for me. Gone were the days where I needed to compete for the Fathers favor {Romans 8:2}. Even sin took on a entire new meaning for me. Instead of seeing sin as a wedge between myself and God, I now see it for what it truly is. It is Jesus who has done away with my old nature, my old man, so that He could take its place in me {Romans 6:6-11}. As Paul tells us, "he who has died has been freed from sin" {Romans 6:7}. Who is it that died? Well, in essence, I died at Christs side on that cross {Galatians 2:20, Romans 6:6}. That part of me which was sin was put to death by Christ Jesus on the cross. What now remains is Jesus living His life through me. So, how is it that I can "be like" Jesus when in reality I already am? Once we come to realize our own freedom in Jesus, we begin to live a life of freedom in Him. Freedom from condemnation, freedom from a life struggling to be like Him and, most importantly, freedom from the rejection which always comes from not knowing that we no longer need to strive to attain His favor. The freedom to be Jesus.
~Scott~
1 comment:
One important note to add to this post. Just because we have not yet had the "realization" that Jesus lives through us does not mean that He is not in us. It simply means that we have yet to see Him in us. :)
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