Christ in You

March 25, 2016

Devotions:

        “And he left for Tarsus to look for Saul; and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. And for an entire year they met with the church and taught considerable numbers; and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.”  ‭Acts‬ ‭11:25-26‬ ‭NASB‬‬

        Why were the believers first called Christians in Antioch? Saul and Barnabus taught there for a whole year.  The implications from this passage is that it had something to do with what they taught.  The revelation that Saul (Paul) received dominates the whole New Testament.  That is the revelation of the work of Jesus in His death, burial and resurrection and Ascension to heaven to be seated at the right hand of the Father.  We were united  with Him in this and since we are one with Him we are one with each other.  The uniting factor is not that we all subscribe to the same doctrine but that we were all born of Him in the new birth, when we were born from the dead to newness of life.  Paul's revelation was:

        “to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”  ‭Colossians‬ ‭1:27‬ ‭NASB‬‬

        The word "Christ" is the Greek word for Messiah which means the anointed one and the anointing.  We have the anointing of resurrection life in us.  We have the holy presence of God within us, for we are His temple.  By His Holy Spirit we are indwelt by Him.  Our new nature is in total harmony with our Heavenly Father.  Our spirits have been made His righteousness and they cannot change. 

        “for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.”  ‭1 Peter‬ ‭1:23‬ ‭NASB‬‬

        It is not our efforts that saves us but Christ Jesus and what He did for us and in us.  It is Him living His perfect life out through us.  He just asks us to get out of the way and yield to His love in us.  We are Christians because Christ is in us not because we subscribe to a certain philosophy or a certain lifestyle.  Our lifestyle comes out of our life with Him.  Our life with Him does not come from our lifestyle. He began a good work in us and He will finish it.