Part 4
I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me;
and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God,
who loved me and gave Himself for me.
Galatians 2:20
If you have surrendered to the sovereign Creator/Redeemer in faith then He has granted you life in His Son – everything that Christ is dwells in you. It is God’s purpose to develop and demonstrate the character of Christ in you since He is the one who has fulfilled perfect humanity fully obedient and pleasing to the Father. Christ has demonstrated the best humanity and has given us an example of what we in Christ were designed (created in Christ) to do. For this reason the apostle Paul stated that his ambition was for Christ to be magnified in his body – by life or by death – it did not matter to him. The only point to him was that the goodness and righteousness of God be manifest through him.
You may struggle with the question: “If Christ lives in me, why is He not noticeable in my life?” Remember that becoming like Christ is a work in progress. God is in the business of forming the character of Christ in the believer, but this requires surrendered faith daily – a long obedience in the same direction. A human infant does not demonstrate the marks of maturity the day after his birth. A child grows through nurture and discipline – so it is with the child of God. The Father has granted us His Spirit (divine nature and power), His Word (divine transforming truth), and His church (divinely established community of His people) to fulfill that need in each of our lives.
Sometimes you may get distracted (off track), but the heavenly Father is faithful to gently prompt you in a God-ward direction. He knows that your fellowship with Him and pursuit of Him is, bar none, the best thing for you because of your design – you were made for Him – He is your highest good and deepest satisfaction.
Children love to measure and chart their physical growth. It is a milestone when a son grows to be taller than his mom. Just as physical growth is the product of physical life, spiritual growth is the product of spiritual life. Your spiritual life requires spiritual nutrition, discipline, and exercise. Clarify your diet and the necessary disciplines along with the community of God’s people. Set goals for your spiritual life; then mark and celebrate your spiritual progress with God’s people. All who are in Christ are on the same path headed toward the same goal: the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.
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