THEN STOP!!!!
BEFORE YOU HIT THE DELETE KEY…..
How can any of us live the Christian life? I mean, we died in the waters of baptism (Romans 6). WE DIED! How can a corpse live the Christian life?
Before you hit the delete key….
2 Corinthians 5 says that we are new creations. So I can start over as David Bryant? So why does 2 Corinthians 5:16 say that we are not to regard one from a fleshly point of view?
When someone says “relationship with Christ”, what do you think? Prayer? Filling your day planner with Bible study and memorizing verses?
BROTHERS AND SISTERS, IT’S MUCH MORE THAN THAT!
Listen to Paul in Galatians 2:20 when he says that he was crucified with Christ and no longer lives, but that Christ lives in him and that the live he lives in the body he lives in the faith of the Son of God.
So did Paul live the Christian life? No, Paul was crucified. He named all his rights and honors in Philippians and then said they were all rubbish, that he would lose himself to obey Christ.
Next Paul said that Christ lives in him.
OK, perhaps you have heard that that theme before, “Christ in you” Is that just a figure of speech? Let’s read John 15, about Christ being the vine and we are the branches. What does a vine do? Bring life to the branches through its nectar, of course!
Next Paul says that the life he lives in the body he lives in the faith in the Son of God. So you see, Paul isn’t living the Christian life, but Christ is, through Paul’s body and heart and soul.
HUH?
Back to the vine and branches. The vine is Christ, the branch is Paul. Can a branch produce fruit without the vine? John 15:4 says no. Let’s talk agriculture…does a branch produce fruit at all? No, it only bears fruit. Christ produces the fruit.
Different illustration, same theme. Take a head growing some hair. Christ is the head, Paul is the hair. Hair grows, right? But the hair itself is dead flesh, it is the head follicles that make the hair grow.
Faith in Christ can also be translated “trusting Christ” You better believe we are placing a lot of trust when we die to self and trust Christ to live through us.
Christ died for us, so he can live through us. While on earth, He fulfilled the Old Covenant, and through us He will fulfill the New.
But surely some will object and decry, “You’re teaching ‘faith only’. Trusting Christ means Christ does all the work and you do none.’”
But the Bible says over and over that Christ lives in us through His Spirit. If you deny self, and give up your rights and honors as Paul did, what is left but a corpse and Christ? When we DO sin as Christians, it’s from not trusting Christ, so we revive those corpses!
Faith only is a true doctrine as all works come from trusting Christ to work through us. Christ does the works; you show the trust that He can work through your body and heart and soul.
Are you ready to stop trying to live the Christian life yet?
Now someone objects, “We are under law!” Yes, indeed, the law of love (Luke 10:25-28, Romans 13:8, James 2:8).
Now my debate opponent says, “How about Christ saying that if we love Him, we will keep His commandments?” He sees the verse as “Keep the commandments to show that you love me.” Perhaps it should be interpreted as “If you love me, then you already have fulfilled the commandments.”
BEFORE YOU HIT THE DELETE KEY………
John 15:26 says that the Spirit would testify of Jesus. Many consider the Gospels to be the biography of Jesus, and Romans-Jude to be a list of rules. Like we say, “Keep the Old if it’s repeated in the New.” While the epistles are not a biography of Jesus’ actions here on earth, I rather look at it as a biography of Jesus lifestyle and values, to help us get to know Him better and to love him.
IF WE ACT CONTRARY TO THE GOOD NEWS, CAN WE SAY WE TRUSTED JESUS TO LIVE THROUGH US? OR EVEN THAT WE DID IT OUT OF LOVE?
You may dismiss all of this as a matter of syntax and semantics so YOU can live the Christian life, but that is not what Paul said in Galatians 2:20! Shall I repeat the verse for you?
Jesus wants us to have a relationship with him, not his rules. That relationship has to be intimate and inward and void of self and rights of self, so that Christ’s love can control us (2 Corinthians 5:14).
I’m through with me trying to “living the Christian life.” I’m through with being unable to live above my circumstances, unlike Christ. Now I’m ready to mortify self and place my trust in Jesus to animate His life through through me. It’s the only way to avoid the “performance trap” of Romans 7:7-24 and the only way Romans 7:25 and chapter 8 makes any sense.
Everyone (I mean EVERYONE) who reads this please e-mail me at [email protected] and tell me about your feelings at this devotional. Let’s make this into a discussion, not just “good sermon.” Let’s grow from this!