Being in Christ
I’d like to pull three ideas from today’s reading… The first is that the idea that living in Christ means that I’m walking in union with God. I wasn’t meant to live independently. That not only means that I must come to salvation, but that I must live with an awareness of my dependence on Him every day of my life.
Dependence is a tough thing… Most of us like to be in control, right? God has given us all we need – intelligence, gifts, and abilities – to live a fruitful life. His intention, though, was for us to live at His feet, submitting our plans and circumstances, and waiting to hear His voice.
It’s a tough thing because it’s the exact opposite of what my flesh wants, and that is exactly the point. The closer I become to God, the more I have to say no to my old, sinful self. I may think I’m growing in my faith if I’m experiencing new things, but the measure of being more like Christ is that I become less of myself (the selfish me).
Second, eternal life isn’t something we will someday attain. We have it, in full measure, right now! What a concept. We don’t know what life beyond this earth will look like, of course, but God’s not waiting until we die to spring it on us. He’s already given us the full package!
And third, how does the fact that eternity has already started, spiritually speaking, impact me today? How do I live my life differently in light of this fact?
I can remember when my Grandma died, and I was faced for the first time with the immediacy of the question, is heaven really real? Of course, I knew it in my head, but I was at a point where I had to know for myself, because I was now living with the reality of someone I loved now living somewhere else. It sounds pretty abstract, but I had to expand my concept of heaven from something that’s a someday to something that’s important right now.
Knowing that eternity is just a few steps away is tough to wrap my head around, but it’s the reality I live with. It shifts my priorities and motivates me toward greater dependence on Christ. I appreciate what Neil wrote in his prayer: Help me live today with eternity’s values in view.
"It is God's eternal plan to bring human creation back to Himself and restore the union He enjoyed with Adam at creation. That restored union with God, which we find in Christ, is the essence of our identity."
ReplyDeleteWow, this was powerful for me! The essence of my identity is my restored relationship to God through Jesus' work on the cross. The particularities of my relationship with Him are based on how He has hardwired me. I think too often, our stuggle begins when when put the particularities of our relationship in front of the essence of our identity.
What in the world am I talking about? Good question, I almost got lost myself in all those big words. I'm reaching back to the January 7th blog. I think we too often put what we do (particularities of our relationship) before who we are (essence of our identity). Its the whole gift vs gift giver issue. Chicken vs egg.
Lord, "Help me live today with eternity's values in view." Holy Spirit, continually bring me back to the essence of my identity. Increase my understanding of that and allow it a much bigger place in my thought life and world view. Amen.
We are meant to be in union with God…I have been reading in Genesis this month and this time through I really feel the separation that Adam and Eve felt from God (their doing of course). First the nakedness they suddenly felt and they experienced fear and shame from being naked. When they had nothing to hide from God they did not notice their nakedness.
ReplyDeleteSecond, being thrown out of Eden, they would have felt angry at themselves and possibly God for having to leave such a wonderful place.
Third, the curses placed upon Adam and Eve for disobedience. To the man: Cursed is the ground, through painful toil you will eat from it. To the woman: I will make you pains in childbearing very severe, with painful labor you will give birth to children.
Ever since Adam and Eve were thrown out of Eden man has needed to come back to that close relationship with God. God understood and gave us Jesus, who paid for the sins of Adam and Eve and everyone including me, so that we could have that relationship restored. Now that I have it restored what will I do with it? I will pray the prayer Neil wrote for today and keep it in my heart.
Dear Father, I declare my wholehearted belief that my spiritual life – eternal life- is in You. Help me live today with eternity’s values in view.
"When you were born again, your soul was united with God and you came alive spiritually, as alive as Adam was in the garden before he sinned."
ReplyDeleteJesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live-- (John 11:25) We spiritually are resurrected when we believe in Jesus and give our lives to him--we then get to walk "in Christ" as if we are now "married" to him. How much deeper/stronger would my relationship with Christ be if i talked to/hung out with/ fellowshipped with Him as I do with my spouse??