Christ is in Us

Galatians 2:20
"I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in Me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God".

This week we are working through 4 main truths about our union with Christ. Yesterday I worked through many of the Bible verses that teach about our relationships or union "in Christ". Again to be very clear, this is not a physical union and we are not becoming God. This is a theological and spiritual union "in Christ". Today I want to unpack a little the second point of our union with Christ, and that part is the reality that not only are we "in Christ" but Christ is also in us, if we are saved by God.

Jesus Himself spoke of this second aspect of our union with Him when He taught His disciples in the last supper, "He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit" (John 15:5). This means that not only then do we get benefits ad blessings becasue we are in Christ, but all of the power we have to live as believers, comes through Christ living in us. Yes, the Holy Spirit is very present in us and is bearing gifts through us as well as fruit through us. But when we are unified with Christ, when we receive our union with Christ, He now is also present in us. As Paul makes clear in Colossians 1:27 when he says, "Christ in you, the hope of glory".

These verses teach us then that not only are we going to become like Christ and agree with Christ (like we will see on Friday), but it also means that Christ in His full glory is now living in us, spiritually speaking. This means the power we have spiritually speaking to have faith, find strength, love others, love God, and to do God's will, is all found not only in the Spirit, but also found in the Savior Himself. As one of the most quoted (and at times misquoted) verses says, "I can do all things through Him [Christ] who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13). Paul is making it very clear that that because Christ lives in us, we now have the strength to withstand and have faith through any of life's problems and hardships. And this is the blessed hope we have as children of God.

So, once we are saved by God, He then unifies us with His Son, Jesus. This means that not only do we have all the benefits as the Son, being in Christ. But it also means that we now have Christ living in us. So we can take those benefits and share them with others. We can find the strength we need each day to glorify God. We can find the power to defeat temptation. And we can have the hope of glory, knowing all that is taking place in our lives is in union with Christ. The Bible is clear, Christ lives in us which is a blessed union that carries us from day to day into an eternity of glorious hope.