Christ Lives in me

*Christ Lives in Me*

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”   Galatians 2:20

This verse in Galatians 2:20 has three fundemental aspects:

1. The Death of the Old Self

2. Christ Living in me and

3. New Life in Christ.

 *1. The Death of the Old Self* 

Paul in 2 Cor. 5:17 says, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation, the old has gone, the new has come.” So what does it mean, the old has gone, the new has come. We still sin don’t we?

In one sense it refers to our standing in the presence of God: We are new, justified by Christ’s death on the Cross, his sacrifice once and for all, Christ died as a substitute for us. He paid the penalty on our behalf. Romans 8:1 says, “There is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.” This new standing brings with it responsibility as Sons of God. A changed lifestyle.

This new standing has brought with it new creation. This new creation is the new life that Christ gives us when we receive the Holy Spirit in us the moment we accepted Christ into our lives. Paul put it well in Rom. 6:5-8 “For we know that our old self was crucified with Christ so that the body of sin might be done away with that we should no longer be slaves to sin.” Christ died not just that we could be saved but that we could also "live a new life".

 *2. Christ Living in me* 

Let us look at John 15: 1-17. This passage speaks of two relationships. Our relationship to God and relationship to others. 

If we love Christ we will abide in Him. Here Jesus likens himself to a vine and we are the branches. Look at the close identification Christ has with us. The vine provides all the nourishment for the branches to bear fruit. So it is with us. The Holy Spirit provides the LIFE that we now have. 

John 15:4 says, Abide in me and I will remain in you. John 15: 9-17 then goes on to tell us how we abide in Christ.

a. By remaining in his love

b. By doing what Christ commands.

Then it talks about about our relationship to others in the Church. His command is to love each other. Abiding in Christ is twofold and affects our relationship to God and to our brothers. And it bears Fruit in our lives. Jesus wants us to bear fruit to the Father’s Glory. Col. 1:27 talks of our hope of Glory being Christ in us.

 *3. New Life in Christ.* 

In John 5:30 Christ said “for I seek not to please myself but Him who sent me.” 

The emphasis on our new life not on our selfish will but on God’s Will. Remember in Luke 22.42 that Christ submitted Himself to the Will of God the Father for our sakes.

John the Baptist said in John 3:30, “He (Christ)) must become greater, I must become less.

We read in Ephesians 2:10, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared for us in advance.”

His will is that we do the works he has for us. Works don’t save us but it is the result from salvation. The church is called to be his witnesses. How can we hope to effectively witness unless we know Christ and this comes when He abides in us and we abide in Him. And this will cause an effect on our attitudes, behavior and the way we live.

 

 *Question to Ponder:* 

Is Christ lives in me? Have I been crucified with Christ?