THE INWARD GOVERNMENT OF CHRIST
That which is outwardly Christian and that which is inwardly governed by Christ are not the same. Much may bear His name, speak His language, and yet remain untouched in its deepest springs by His life. The Lord does not first seek to improve the exterior, but to establish His throne within the heart. For it is written that the kingdom of God is not coming with observation, but is within you (Luke 17:20-21). Until Christ has His place in the hidden man of the heart, all else remains uncertain, unstable, and ultimately unsatisfying.
The tragedy of so much spiritual experience lies here, that men take up things about Christ without yielding themselves wholly to Christ. They embrace teachings, adopt practices, and contend for truths, yet the Lord Himself does not possess the ground.
The apostle speaks of Christ dwelling in our hearts through faith (Ephesians 3:17), and again of Christ being formed in us (Galatians 4:19). These are not figures of speech only, but point to a real inward work, a deep and patient operation of the Spirit, bringing every part of our being under His rule. It is one thing to know doctrines, but quite another to be inwardly mastered by the Lord.
God’s method is always inward before it is outward. He begins in secret places, dealing with motives, desires, and intentions. The Word of God is living and active, discerning the thoughts and intents of the heart (Hebrews 4:12). We may be occupied with what we do for God, while He is concerned with what we are before Him. The pressure of His hand is often felt in ways that strip us of our own strength and wisdom, leading us to a place where only Christ can be our sufficiency (2 Corinthians 3:5). This is not easy for the natural man, but it is essential if the Lord is to have that which satisfies His heart.
There comes a point where the Lord will not allow us to go on with a divided life. He presses for fullness. He requires that every chamber be opened to Him. If He is resisted, there will be a sense of limitation, a lack of rest, a consciousness that something is not complete. But when He gains His place, there is a new sense of life, a quiet authority, and a deep inward peace that cannot be explained by outward circumstances (Colossians 3:15). This is the fruit of His government, not imposed from without, but established within.
The Cross stands at the center of this work. It is by the Cross that the self-life is brought to an end and room is made for Christ. Those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires (Galatians 5:24). This is not merely a truth to be believed, but a reality to be experienced as the Spirit applies the death of Christ to all that is not of Him. And yet the Cross is never an end in itself. It always leads to resurrection, to the release of His life within us (Philippians 3:10-11). Where the Cross does its work deeply, Christ becomes all.
What the Lord is after, then, is a people in whom He Himself is expressed. Not in word only, nor in activity alone, but in nature and character. He must increase, but I must decrease (John 3:30) becomes the law of such a life. And as He gains ground within, there is a testimony that goes beyond what can be spoken, something that carries the fragrance of Christ into every situation (2 Corinthians 2:14-15). This is the true ministry, the outflow of an inward union with Him.
So the question comes to us, not how much we know, nor how much we do, but how much room the Lord has. Has He reached the deepest places. Has He dealt with that which resists Him. Has He established His throne within. These are the matters that determine everything in the sight of God. For in the end, it is not what we have held, but what has held us, that will stand.
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Lord Jesus, bring me under Your inward rule. Search the hidden places of my heart and remove all that resists You. Lead me by Your Cross into the fullness of Your resurrection life, and make me wholly Yours. Amen.
BDD
