THE LIFE OF CHRIST WITHIN US
The heart of the Christian life is not imitation alone, but participation. God’s great purpose is not merely that Christ should be admired, but that Christ should dwell within His people as their very life. The Word of God speaks plainly: Christ in you is the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27). This is not poetry meant to inspire; it is truth meant to govern the soul. Christianity does not begin with what we do for Christ, but with what Christ does in us.
Here the soul must learn the grace of quiet dependence. The believer’s strength is found in surrender, not striving. We are called to abide, to remain before the Lord with an open heart, trusting that divine life flows where self-effort has ceased (John 15:4-5). The vine does not strain to produce fruit; it simply receives life. When the soul rests in Christ, obedience becomes natural and holiness grows without force.
Yet this inward life is not vague or passive. We must never allow devotion to drift away from the cross. The Christ who lives in us is the Christ who was crucified for us. Our old self was judged there, put away, and rendered powerless, so that a new life might rise in union with Him (Galatians 2:20). The believer does not improve the flesh; he agrees with God’s verdict upon it. Life flows only where death has already done its work.
God’s aim is fullness of Christ, not spiritual comfort. The Lord is steadily removing all that competes with His Son, patiently arranging circumstances so that Christ alone remains sufficient. God is conforming His people to the image of His Son, not by flattery, but by transformation (Romans 8:29). Much that feels like loss is actually divine gain, as Christ becomes larger and self becomes less.
This is the deep simplicity of the gospel life. Christ is not added to us; He replaces what could never live. He is our wisdom, our righteousness, our sanctification, and our redemption (1 Corinthians 1:30). The Christian life flourishes not by constant self-examination, but by steady Christ-attention. When the eyes remain fixed upon Him, the soul finds peace, power, and purpose without strain.
Let us then yield fully to the Lord’s intent. Let Christ be more than a doctrine we defend or a memory we cherish. Let Him be our present life, reigning quietly yet decisively within. When Christ lives freely in His people, God’s purpose is fulfilled, and the church becomes what it was always meant to be: a living testimony to the sufficiency of the Son.
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Lord Jesus Christ, bring us to the end of ourselves and into the fullness of Your life. Teach us to abide, to trust, and to yield, until You are all in all within us. Form Yourself in us for the glory of God. Amen.
BDD
