CHRIST LIVETH IN ME

 

"I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I that live, but Christ liveth in me: and that life which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, the faith which is in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me." 

Galatians 2:20

Our lovely song "Christ Liveth In Me" reminds us of our walk with Christ. A walk that must be walked by faith so that Christ may live in us. There is great joy when we are crucified with Christ and allow Him to live in us. We have light when Christ lives in us. 

Our sins separate us from God and make us distant from Him. We were once far from God and dead in our trespasses and sins. When we were disobedient to God and living in darkness, our hearts did not have the light of God.

 "This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth."  (1 Jn. 1:5-6)  

Because of our disobedience, we were children of wrath. 

As a result, we were separated from Christ and the Father and without hope. But Christ's blood drew us closer to God and reconciled us to Him.

"And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.  Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— 12 remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ."  (Eph. 2:1-3, 11-13)

However, when we come to Christ and surrender to Him, we find the light we need through God's Word.

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." (Psalm 119:105)

We have life and love when Christ lives in us, for it comes from Him. 

God made the sun to give us light during the day (Genesis 1:14-18). God has provided light to help the flowers and the grass to grow (Matt. 6:28-30). Because of Christ, God gives us life and love, for Christ is the Light of the world.

"Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'" (John 8:12)

We have the Spirit of Christ when we crucify our flesh and allow Him to live in us. 

His Spirit dwells in us through His revealed Word.

"And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit." (Ephesians 5:18)

"By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit."  (1 John 4:13)

In the seed lives that power that produces a new flower, plants, or trees after its own kind.

"And God said, 'Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.' And it was so. 12 The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.'" (Genesis 1:11-12)

"You foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37 And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. 38 But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body."  (1 Cor. 15:36-38)

"His Son dwelleth in me."  

When Christ dwells in us by faith, ruling our hearts, we are filled with all the fullness of God and His glory.

"So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."  (Eph. 3:17-19)

For Christ to dwell in us, we must long to be transformed and shaped into His image, for this comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

"And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.  For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit." (2 Cor. 3:18)

Therefore, we must dwell on this wondrous thought that is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, worthy of praise, and excellent.

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."  (Phil. 4:8)

Christ lives in those who are His faithful children. 

Christ lives in us when we surrender to His will with complete obedience. Christ will lead our souls into all righteousness and salvation when He lives in us and rules our hearts. Therefore, I will rejoice because  "Christ liveth in me."

I hope this beautiful hymn may stir your soul the way it stirred mine.

Once far from God and dead in sin, No light my heart could see, 

But in God’s word the light I found–Now Christ liveth in me.

As rays of light from yonder sun, The flowers of earth set free,

So life and light and love came forth From Christ living in me.

As lives the flower within the seed, As in the cone the tree,

So, praise the God of truth and grace, His Spirit dwelleth in me.

With longing all my heart is filled That like Him I may be,

As on the wondrous thought I dwell, That Christ liveth in me.

The chorus,

Christ liveth in me, Christ liveth in me;

O what a salvation this–That Christ liveth in me.

Luci

WHEN I SURVEY THE WONDROUS CROSS

  

"But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world." 

Galatians 6:14

We sing a moving hymn based on Galatians 6:14.  The song "When I Survey The Wondrous Cross" is about the value of the cross that Jesus had to bear on which the Prince of glory died for our sins. God showed His love to us by allowing Jesus to die for us while we were still sinners. 

"But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."  (Rom. 5:8)

"For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures."  (1 Cor. 15:3)

• According to the Scriptures, Jesus our Lord and Savior, died for our sins. 

Like the apostle Paul, we must be motivated to survey and contemplate the wondrous cross and count our riches or “gain” as loss, to know and gain Christ. 

"But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus, my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ."  (Philippians 3:7-8)

• We surrender to God and His will when we know and understand the wondrous cross on which the Prince of glory died.

We have nothing in the flesh in which to glory before God except in the death of Christ, for by Grace, we have been saved through faith in Christ.

"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast."  (Eph. 2:8-9)

• We must sacrifice all the vain things that charm us.

We sacrifice all the vain things that charm us by dying to ourselves, denying ourselves the pleasures of this world, and taking up our cross to be living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God.

"I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship."  (Romans 12:1)

"Then Jesus told his disciples, 'If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me."'  (Matt. 16:24)

 

• We must be crucified with Christ to let Christ live in us.

Since Jesus loved and gave Himself for us, we must put to death all worldliness and ungodliness that may remain in us and no longer love the world. 

"I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."  (Gal. 2:20)

"Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry."  (Col. 3:5)

"Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world."  ( 1 John 2:15-16)

• We must sacrifice all things.

Since Jesus' blood was poured out to forgive our sins, we must also sacrifice all things to His blood.

"For this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins." (Matt. 26:28)

• We must remember God's Love and what Jesus did to redeem us.

As we reflect on the actual crucifixion of Christ, we must remember what Jesus did for us and how God's love saved us and made us alive together with Christ, even when we were dead in our trespasses.

"But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved."  (Eph. 2:4-5) 

• We can be saved from our sins through Jesus' blood, shed on the cross.

"But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34 But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water." (John 19:33-34)

 

• We can be saved through Jesus' suffering, sorrow, bitter grief, and death on the cross.

"After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), 'I thirst.' 29 A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. 30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.'" (John 19:28-30)

• God showed His wondrous love to us by sending His beloved Son to die for us.

And although we have nothing to give to Him, since everything belongs to Him, God has shown amazing love to us by sending His beloved Son to die for us so that we could be saved.

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)

Therefore, since God has abundantly given us His amazing and divine love through the wondrous cross on which the Prince of glory died, we must give our souls, lives, and all to Him. We must die to sin and no longer be its slave.

"For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For one who has died has been set free from sin. 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10 For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. 11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.  12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions." (Romans 6:5-12)

Are you willing to surrender and give everything to Christ (your soul, your life, and your all), the One who died for you on Calvary?  Are you willing to offer yourself as a holy, acceptable, and living sacrifice to Him, that is, be devoted to Him completely, the One who died to purchase your salvation?  Why not start surveying the cross on which the Prince of glory died with dedication and devotion to Him alone?

I hope this beautiful hymn may stir your soul the way it stirred mine.

When I survey the wondrous cross

On which the Prince of glory died,

My richest gain I count but loss,

And pour contempt on all my pride.

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,

Save in the death of Christ, my Lord;

All the vain things that charm me most

I sacrifice them to His blood.

See, from His head, His hands, His feet,

Sorrow and love flow mingled down!

Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,

Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

His dying crimson, like a robe, 

Spreads o’er His body on the tree;

Then I am dead to all the globe, 

And all the globe is dead to me.

Were the whole realm of nature mine,

That were a present far too small;

Love so amazing, so divine,

Demands my soul, my life, my all.

Luci