Discipleship is Christ in Us
“To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Colossians 1:27
Throughout the months of February and March we will be doing a message series on what it means to be a “disciple of Jesus Christ.” We will be focusing on these themes: adoption, covenant, confidence, process, intimacy, community, mission, and power. The goal of the message series is for us to better understand what it means for Christ to live His life through His saints.
This morning in my devotional reading I was reading Henry Blackaby and his insights on “Discipleship Is Christ in You”. It was exactly what I had been dwelling on, and I am convinced that his ruminations will help prepare us for the “Disciple” message series. Hear his wisdom this morning:
The heavenly Father’s plan from the beginning of time was to place His eternal Son in every believer. If you are a Christian, all the fullness of God dwells in you. Christ’s life becomes your life. When Christ lives in you, He brings every divine resource with Him. Every time you face a need, you meet it with the presence of the crucified, risen, and triumphant Lord of the universe inhabiting you. When God invites you to become involved in His work, He has already placed His Son in you so that He can carry out His assignment through your life.
This has significant implications for your Christian life. Discipleship is more than acquiring head knowledge and memorizing Scripture verses. It is learning to give Jesus Christ total access to your life so He will live His life through you. Your greatest difficulty will be believing that your relationship with Christ is at the heart of your Christian life. When others watch you face a crisis, do they see the risen Lord responding? Does your family see the difference Christ makes when you face a need? What difference does the presence of Jesus Christ make in your life?
God wants to reveal Himself to those around you by working mightily through you. He wants your family to see Christ in you each day. God wants to express His love through your life. There is a great difference between “living the Christian life” and allowing Christ to live His life through you. (Daily Devotional for Thursday, January 19th, 2012)
Dwell on these questions as you begin your week:
Am I living my life in a way that makes Christ known to the watching world?
Do I study His Word for information or transformation?
How will I seek to be “conformed to the image of Christ this week?
When others watch me respond in difficulty, do they see the risen Lord?
Does my family see the difference Christ makes in a believer’s life?
What difference does the presence of Jesus Christ make in your life?
Derek
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