- 174. Christ lives in Me
Galatians 2:20 For I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
The simple promise that Christ lives in me must be believed because we cannot see it and we definitely cannot understand it; so faith is necessary, for the promise is real and true. Christ lives in me. But the eternal question remains: Who is doing the living? Is it Christ or is it me who is doing the living? How are the two of us combined? I live, yet not I: What does that mean? The life I live on earth I live by the faith of the Son of God; What does that mean? It means that Christ lives and I livein some kind of mixed way. Who does the thinking and the deciding and, ultimately, the doing?
It is not for me, the creature and the new creature, to understand or explain it or to make the distinction. What I can know and believe is this: when I sin, I do itand not the life of Christ in me; when I do a good work, Christ is doing it, and yet I am the one doing it with my body and soul at the same time. For sins, I take the blame; for good works, Christ gets the credit, but I get the rewards. This is the promise and this is the way it works. My job is to focus on Christ and my faith in Him; this is pictured as “abiding” in the vine. My responsibility is to abide in Christ, and His responsibility is to produce fruit that remains. I maintain my faith that Christ is living in me and He is actually doing good things in me and through me and out of me. It may look like I am doing the good works, but He gets the credit while I receive the blessing. All I know is that I live by the faith of Jesus. He loved me and gave himself for me and now He is living in me. What do I do? What is my responsibility? My part is to thank and praise Him, trust and believe Him.
I leave it all up to Him to work it all out together for good. I believe He is good and He is doing good things through me. Nevertheless, I live, and I enjoy His living in me. This I understand and this is as far as I can go: “The just shall live by faith.”