Christ - Our Life - Part 2

Welcome to this weekend's In Touch Podcast with Charles Stanley. If you wonder how to live in consistent godliness, you'll benefit from this study of Colossians. Let's learn about the foundational truth that for believers, Christ is our life. The average person, if you ask them, when does eternal life begin?

It begins the moment you die. But that's not true because the truth is that Jesus Christ is eternal life. There is no such thing as eternal life apart from the very presence of Christ. He's not just the source of it.

He is it. That which is within us that's going to live forever is that which is indwelt with the person of Jesus Christ, which is our spirit. So that every single believer begins living eternal life here and now.

Somebody says, oh, but I thought it was going to be better than this. Well, listen, I didn't say you're going to get everything you're going to have for eternity here and now because there are many things that God has provided for us in the gift of His life, some of which we can experience now, some of which we're going to experience later. For example, there are things about our body that we're going to be able to experience in the future we can't experience now.

For example, we're limited to the law of gravitation now, not after we have glorified bodies. There are many things about us that are going to change, many things that God has provided on the other side of this life, which we can only get a little taste of here, or we can understand the promise of it, but we won't experience until we get on the other side. But you see, eternal life doesn't begin at death.

That's man's thinking. When Jesus Christ came into your life, eternal life for you began right then and there. So that what He did was simply this. The Bible says He took you out of the stream of Adam, which was poisoned, and placed you in the stream of the life of the Lord Jesus Christ, so that every single one of us now who is saved is living in the stream of life eternal. We're a part of that life. That life is within us.

We're a part of that. We are eternally the sons and daughters of the living God. He came in order that you and I may begin now to live eternal life possessing it for ourselves, even in this moment in our life.

If you and I understand what eternal life is, it isn't a package I add to my Christian experience. It is my very life, the old life exchange, the spiritual life of living within you is the life of Christ. He has adopted you into the kingdom. He is the one who's made you a child of God. He's the one who's redeemed you.

He's the one who's pardoned you. He's the one who has given you all the hope. Our whole life is not only centered in Him, our very life is Christ. So that's the reason Paul could say, set your mind on things above, not on things on earth. Keep on seeking those things above where Christ is, see the Father's right hand.

Why? Because Christ is our very life. We live in this world, but we live with a whole new life. Our lifestyle is to be different because the source of our life is different. The nature of our life is different. The character of our life is different.

Everything about our life is different. Those who live in this world apart from God see this world as their place of existence. Our life to them is a life separated from God. They don't think in terms of spiritual life and hereafter, but we who believe us understand that we're living in this world for a short period of time, having been already invested with a wonderful, marvelous, unending gift of eternal life, and we're pilgrims down here on our way, learning and discovering who this Christ is, who is living within us, with whom we're going to live eternally forever and ever and ever, we're just pilgrims passing through.

That's who we are. And I want to say it again. As long as you think that He sent you something apart from Himself, you'll never comprehend what God intends for us to understand about life. Jesus is now your life, and you don't have any life apart from Him. In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. What is it that lightens and brightens and enlightens a man's mind? Christ shining the truth of His omniscience in and through your life, and you and I begin to comprehend who is this wonderful Christ who has become my life. My friend, let me ask you a question.

Why in the world should anybody have to ask you to read the Bible or to pray or to go to church and listen to the Word of God? Listen, if Jesus Christ is your life, you and I ought to be spending time every week attempting to discover who is this Christ. This man who is my life, this one who's radically changed me. You see, that's the reason oftentimes a person who's been saved late in life or a short period of time has a greater sense of appreciation for their salvation than those of us who've been saved for years and years and years because they're so astounded at what God's been doing. But the truth is, all of our life we ought to be astounded. Christ, not only my Savior, not only my Lord, but my very life.

He's condescended to come and live on the inside of me. Salvation is having Christ as my life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. Now listen, the Bible says in John chapter 1, but as many as received Him, to them gave He the power to become the sons of God, even those who believe upon His name. As many as received Him.

Now let me ask you this question. When you receive the Lord Jesus Christ, what did you get? Did you get His physical body?

No. As many as received Him, to them gave He the power to become the sons of God. When we receive the Lord Jesus Christ, what is it that we get? We don't get His body. What is it we get? We get His life. We receive His life. As many as received Him, to them gave He the power to become the sons of God.

You became a child of God because you received the person of Jesus Christ. How did you receive Him? In your spirit. Where did you receive Him? In your spirit.

Where is He living and abiding? In your spirit. That's why Jesus says I'm abiding in you and you in Me. When you are saved, you are inseparable from the person of Jesus Christ. Friend, Jesus is not there to coexist with your old self. He came to replace you in order that He could express Himself through you.

Christ, our very life. And this is what Paul is saying in this passage, that if you have Him, listen, to receive Him is to do what? It's to receive His life. So as many as received Him, to them gave He the power to become the sons of God. How do we have the power to become the sons of God? Because Christ is living within us. He's the one who sees to it that our name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life. And this is what Paul is saying here. Now, not only that, but one of the reasons that Jesus Christ came to be our life is that He knew that you and I couldn't live the Christian life any other way. All of us have tried to live the Christian life and we have blown it, we have failed, we have messed it up, you name it, and we've done it. Because we couldn't do it in our own strength. We couldn't do it in our own efforts. We look at the standard of God and say, no way. Fail, fail, fail. Sin, sin, sin.

Why? Because He never intended that you and I live the Christian life but that Jesus lived that life through us. What is the Christian life but the expression of the very life of Jesus Christ in and through us? You see, He wants us to live every day facing every circumstance and every situation, responding to life on the basis of who we are and who He is in us.

All of the energy, all of the strength, all the resources of heaven within us, Christ our life. And when you and I begin to understand that, we begin to respond to people and circumstances and situations and difficulties and needs and burdens and heartaches and persecutions and trials with a greatest sense of overwhelming comfort and assurance and confidence that no matter what happens, the living God and the eternal Christ who is indwelling me makes you and me sufficient to meet every single thing. That's why Paul said, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Why did he say it?

Was this an egotistical boast? Or was Paul reflecting upon the truth when he said, I've been crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live. Yet not I, but Christ lives in me. Because he says, Christ is our life.

What are you inadequate for if the supernatural living Christ is abiding and living in your life? Now you know, as long as you hold on to the old truths that you've heard and you say, well yeah, but I've got to do something, my friends, you'll never be freed and liberated to enjoy what God has. You see, some people are unwilling to change their attitude because they're afraid of where it's going to lead them. I'll tell you where it's going to lead you, joy. That's where it's going to lead you. Freedom, that's where it's going to lead you. Liberty, that's where it's going to lead you. You say, well that sounds like I could live in sin and get away with it.

No. That is one of Satan's most effective tools in the life of many believers who are unwilling to accept their position in Christ. That you're in him and he's in you and you're a part of his life and he's now become your life. And he knows we can't live it apart from him. He also knows that you and I can't serve him effectively apart from his life within us. Because when you share your testimony, what are you doing?

Somebody says, well that's part of my problem. I just can't seem to share my testimony if you'll think about this. When you give your testimony of what Jesus Christ has done in your life, if you will approach that from the basis that Jesus who is living within you is going to speak through you the truth about what He's done in your life, you don't have to worry about what you're going to say and how you're going to say it.

You know, what about all these training sessions? What may refine your ability to convey it and to communicate it? But if you have Christ living within you, He is going to express through you what's happened to you, how He transformed your life.

Listen to this. In Ephesians chapter 2, this is what Paul says is God's attitude toward us. He uses this word, for we are His workmanship, created how in Christ Jesus under good works. Friend, if you have a poor self-image, it isn't because God gave it to you. Here's what Jesus thinks about you. Here's what God thinks about you. He loves you so much.

He thinks you're so important. He in all of His holiness is willing to come and indwell your life on earth and to express His life through you and to work through you and to claim you as His own. Christ has become your life.

Man, live that. Christ is your life, living within you, living through you, expressing Himself through you. So as you and I live our daily life, what is our daily life? Our daily life is one of responses. We're responding to many things in life. How do we respond? On the basis of who we are and who are we?

We're the sons and daughters of the living God, indwelt by the person of Jesus Christ who has made you adequate for every single thing. And that's why Paul says when you have Jesus, you're complete. Why? Because you have His life. You don't have something He sent down from above. You have Him. You said, I received Jesus Christ as my Savior.

I want to ask you again, what did you get? When you got Him, you got it all. He didn't come to live His life in you and leave everything you needed in heaven and send up angels in an emergency to get something you need. When you got Jesus, you've got it all. Christ makes us sufficient because it is His life. Now some of you are struggling with that.

And my friends, you're going to struggle until you're willing to accept what He says. When Christ who is our life, no longer I, but Christ lives within me. I'm abiding in you. If you will not come to me, you will not receive life. He that hath the Son hath life, the life. He that hath not the Son of God does not have the life.

Now what is this the life? Because God never gives salvation apart from the presence of Christ. Christ is the life. What is the gift of salvation? The gift of salvation is Christ.

It is not something, it is somebody. And once you understand that, it's amazing what begins to happen in your life. And this is what Paul is saying. Can't live the Christian life apart from Him.

And then, let me give you one last reason, there are lots more I'm sure. One of the reasons that Jesus came to be our life is in order that He can continue to live on earth while seated in His sovereign capacity of authority at the right hand of God. Now how is Jesus living and walking on this earth? In the life of every single believer. While seated at the Father's right hand in His sovereign place of ruling omnipotence. Likewise, the Lord Jesus Christ is living on earth in your life and my life. This is His life.

If you still think in old life, you're going to miss it. And so that's why He speaks through you, loves through you, warm handshake through you, smiles through you. And haven't you met people that you didn't even have to ask them if they were saved?

Why? Because the life of Jesus is so evidently written all over them. All of us who are believers, who have any discerning spirit at all, know you can detect the life of Christ in someone else.

Now I want you to listen carefully. Here's someone who's hurting and hurting deeply. And you walk up to that person, Jesus Christ in your life, and you reach out and simply put your hand on the other person's shoulder. And that person bends down to you with a broken heart and says, I just want to tell you that God loves you and I love you too. What happens to that person?

It doesn't make any difference what's going on. Something inside of them feels the encouragement and the strength of that. You know why? Because Jesus said it through you. It is Christ expressing Himself through your voice and your eyes and your touch just the way He would if He were living in the here and now, in the flesh, and reached out and took you by the hand and said to you, I love you and I'm going to be interceding before the Father for you and I'm going to help you. Because we have a distorted view of the Christian life, we don't understand how God intends to use us. You don't understand how valuable you are in the eyes of God. You don't understand your potential as a child of God to be a help and a strength and an encouragement and a lift to somebody who's down. But if you understand who's on the inside of you, expressing Himself through you, you won't hesitate. A warm touch, a loving hug, a simple word.

But you know what? Even when you can't touch and you can't hug and you can't say anything, my friend, there is something about the eyes of a person who is in love with Jesus that knows how to communicate a message that needs no words and no touch. It is a message of loving compassion for people who are hurting.

You know why? Because it is Christ looking through your eyes and mind to somebody who is in need. That's what Paul meant when he said, when Christ who is our life. And my friend, if you've never trusted Jesus Christ as your Savior, I know that all this may be a little confusing to you or maybe you don't quite understand how that fits your life. The truth is it doesn't until you receive Him as your Savior. Then, my friend, if you have been saved by the grace of God, when you stand at your feet in a moment, maybe you just need to bow your head or just stand where you are and tell the Lord Jesus Christ before you take one step from that pew today that you want to reaffirm and accept by faith that Jesus Christ is your life and tell Him that from this day forward, by the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit and His power, you're going to respond to life on the basis of who is your life, Jesus. And that's what Paul meant when he said, when you stand at your feet in a moment, maybe you just stand where you are and tell the Lord Jesus Christ is your life, by the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit and His power, by faith that you receive Him as your Savior,