Hello Everyone!
The apostle Paul once wrote, “It is no longer who lives, but Christ who lives in me!” (Galatians 2:20). That verse has always been in danger of becoming a glib saying, a cliché that is the proper thing for a believer to say but is not reflective of the believer’s actual experience. For Paul, his experience was one of exciting, enthralling, enraptured delight because he experienced the life of Christ developing inside him every day. This is a remarkable thing. The life of Christ in us. It is no longer my old life but the new life – that is sustained and empowered by the indwelling Spirit of God – that is my experience. The old has gone. The new has come. God is making all things new for me. That’s no cliché or proper thing to say – it’s real!
This is the excitement of the resurrection experience. It is not a religious cliché. This resurrection excitement was what characterised the early church. Those first disciples and followers of Jesus went from cowering, defeated nervous wrecks, to a fearless, evangelising people of God who were held in awe by the nation. The apostles dragged before the Jewish ruling council for preaching the resurrection were fearlessly unstoppable - even though they were on trial for their lives! The rulers and Pharisees conducting their kangaroo court stood in amazement as they listened to Peter who starts preaching Christ in their defence. This is what happened:
“When they (the courtroom) saw the courage of Peter and John and realised that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.” – Acts 4:13
What was happening?
They were living the new life of the resurrected Christ which was in them. This was not some religious practice or ritual – it was new life! The life of Christ. In them. And professional ministry people were astonished.
Luke wrote earlier in the book of Acts …
“And they (those first believers) were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. And everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. And all those who had believed were together, and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions, and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. And day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.”
- Acts 2:42-47
Two things here (out of many I could go on about!).
Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe, and they kept experiencing the favour of all the people. Remarkable! But, you see, that is exactly what the new life of Christ that is in you and me does. We begin to live in a state of holy awe as the Spirit of God does things that could never have been done before.
Here’s the thing. If we learn to live more and more in a state of reverent awe as the DNA of the new life of Christ in us continues to unpack itself and we develop and mature, then we fear nothing in this world – the one living in me, the new life of Christ living in me, is greater than he that is in the world causing havoc.
And we will know it!
We will marvel at this new life in us more and more, and our worship will change, our unity will be unbreakable, and our mission will be welcomed with joy by the world.
And Satan will fear us! Because he will know we no longer fear him!
Two verses to live by this week …
“This is how we know that we live in Him and He in us: He has given us of His Spirit.” - 1 John 4:13.
“You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” - 1 John 4:4.
You are loved so very, very much.
Ps Milton