The true Christian life means Jesus lives His life through you
The overarching and primary purpose of Jesus Christ coming to earth goes well beyond what many have been commonly taught. Many emphasize that Jesus came as a means to forgive humans their sins and provide a way for them to be blessed in this lifetime as children of God and go to heaven when they die. This is true, but it is a starting point of much more. Humans however have a natural tendency to shift the emphasis of God’s purposes towards what is in it for themselves first, and unwanted consequences follow.
The whole thrust of the New Testament speaks of much-higher multifaceted purposes of God which Christians are supposed to be on board for, and all rowing the proverbial boat in the same direction for.
This is that the true God may be served and glorified HIS way, not as man presumes to do it. The idea behind Christianity from GOD’s point of view is He explicitly asked for a people “of His name.” These are to be model citizens, living ambassadors to Christ’s kingdom “on earth as it is in heaven.”
God previously asked the Jews under the law of Moses to love, obey, and represent Him. He asked them to be on their best behavior, and if so, He promised to bless them.
God wanted the Jews to be a WITNESS AND TESTIMONY to the One True God.
The Jews were told by God to become the gateway for all people to find God. They were a nation and a bloodline. But God says they failed, and fell short.
Christianity was to do what the Jews did not and go beyond!
In God’s purpose of seeking a people of His name, He sent Jesus to produce Christians – and to equip and empower the true ones with spiritual abilities and giftings.
A Christian in right fellowship with God sees things God Himself has shown him.
All Christians are called to receive Jesus’ and stop serving self, ahead of God. They are to cease dictating their own course of life and action and learn to be solely dependent upon God. Jesus said He Himself would live His life through them and certain outcomes would follow if this really happened. The net result of Jesus living inside a person would be everyone would see the Christians as the true people of the true God.
JESUS’ WORDS CALLING FOR A WITNESS TO THE WORLD …
Mt 5 – 13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. 14 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
Jn 13 – 34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Jn 17 – 20 “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who [j]will believe in Me through their word;21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.
JESUS WANTS RESULTS–NOT THEOLOGY THAT DOES NOT GET THE JOB DONE.
A verse on Jesus living His life inside a Christian:
Galatians 2:20 (Paul the apostle writing) – 20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
Paul said he was “crucified” meaning his old self was done away with. He has written also we are “new creations” and “as alive from the dead.” Paul said “It is no longer I who live” speaking of the OLD PAUL. He said “Christ lives in me.” This speaks of SPIRIT POSSESSION, by Jesus (by the Holy Spirit of God). Paul is saying Jesus co-lives His life through him. Thus, Jesus shapes Paul’s thoughts, inclinations, desires, acts, and so on. The Holy Spirit (of Jesus) lives inside Paul and influences and flavors all he does.
THIS IS GOD’S NORMAL for ALL Christians. Every Christian is supposed to live this.
If God is REALLY living through a person, this is supposed to be powerful, not barely perceptible, or imaginary and to no effect. Jesus is all-knowing, and only good. He was instrumental in creating all things, and He wrote the Bible. He knows good and evil, right and wrong in every circumstance.
Think of the effects of Jesus truly living His life inside a person to the extent Paul speaks of: If Jesus is living His life inside of a person – and the person can hear His VOICE and is united as “one” with Jesus – that person may know God’s will moment by moment. Jesus (living His life inside a person) knows what is the appropriate or inappropriate action in every circumstance. He can never sin.
A person under the influence of Jesus can never bring himself to sin.
A Christian will only sin if they ignore or reject Jesus, or if they never have entered into this close intimate union with Jesus the New Testament calls for as God’s normal.
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God commanded every person who names the name of Christ – all Christians – to enter into this reality. In so doing their good deeds and righteous ways would all point back to God. This is the witness of the people of God.
At the same time, God prophesied that “MANY” would not make the grade. Jesus said “MANY” would clamor for the BENEFITS of the Christian faith but avoid the RESPONSIBILITIES. The New Testament prophesies wolves in sheep’s clothing would create counterfeit narratives to redefine the Christian faith and provide assurance of eternal life to people who were not in the place God has called for. What has God called for? As noted already, a true follower of Jesus is first called to come to know Jesus personally, intimately. Jesus must reveal Himself to them.
Jesus: Jn 15 – 15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. …
20 At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. …
23 Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. 24 He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.
Jesus spoke repeatedly of God living inside a person in an undeniable and powerful way. He said those who do not enter in are those who do not love Him to His satisfaction. Jesus defines “love,” and who really loves God, humans do not.
Jesus stated no one may of their own will find this way of eternal life. He said only those who meet His conditions enter a “narrow gate” leading to heaven that only a “few” find.
Jesus: Mt 7 – 13 “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 [c]Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
The “broad” way speaks of ways of counterfeit or shallow Christianity and “many” take that way. A parallel passage in Luke’s gospel adds dimension saying “many” will even try to become God’s followers but fall short and be unable.
Jesus: Lk 13 – 24 “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able.
This reference to “many” purported Christians is repeated in a few other passages. There is the “many,” and the “few.” There are numerous New Testament prophetic verses saying the Christian faith will be infiltrated by false teachings to create false Christians. This we can see has happened. Basically, all humans in their right mind want what God stands to give them. They want His blessings and want to go to heaven when they die. Jesus said many wanna-be Christians will clamor for what they want – heaven. But they will redefine the faith, and lower the bar, lower the barrier to entry. They will change the rules of the game. They will grade themselves on a curve. These are characteristic of false ways God predicts.
Jesus: Mt 7 – 15 “Beware of false prophets [or false teachers], who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
Jesus said look for fruit. This is not to be confused with any idea to “not judge.”
With regard to fruit, Jesus said discern, and do judge …
False ways of practicing the faith are known by their “fruit” (results – or lack thereof).
Jesus and the writers of the New Testament told us what results God said to look for.
False or shallow ways satisfy man, but do not satisfy God. Pseudo Christianity gives man what he wants (hope of salvation) but does not give God what He wants (a people who all love Him and know Him and do all He says; those He lives His life through).
The test of all things is FRUIT – the results. For example, if a man says he is competent in a thing but never does anything right, you would be right to suppose he is wrong about his competencies. The results are always the test. If a man says he is a master carpenter, and cannot perform carpentry well, you would be right to doubt him.
Or, if a woman says she is a proficient cook, but she cannot make good food, you would be right to doubt her. Likewise, if a Christian says Jesus lives His life in them, but he routinely sins, lives his daily life with little moment-by-moment regard for Jesus, and is very unlike Jesus in his ways, you would be right to doubt him.
Warning: The chief argument of pseudo-Christianity is to play up God’s forgiveness as though that is all there is to being a Christian. False narratives place greater emphasis on God’s forgiveness for our shortcomings, and His love and grace – and deemphasize what God says He will do in a person whose life is really given over to Jesus in truth.
False and shallow Christian teachings make excuses for non-Christians or the lightly committed so they can believe they are devoted and sufficiently committed Christians.
False teachings in Christ’s name do so by taking Bible verses out of context to create subtly different pictures of the Christian life – i.e., what we may hope and believe God for, and what God hopes for and expects of His true followers.
The rules of the game were prophesied to be changed. God said so in the first century. We can see in hindsight they have been changed. Many do not know this.
This idea from Scripture about Jesus living His life in a person is called “walking according to the Spirit.” It is mandatory, not optional because it is the only way to get God’s job done.
Paul: Gal 5 – 16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
Paul: Rom 8 – There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walkaccording to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
The flesh is the natural person apart from Christ’s influence. Paul said the flesh is supposed to be “crucified.” Paul never made excuses for people who walk according to their “flesh” (old self). In Gal 5:18 Paul did not say those who walk according to the flesh are “not under the law.” He said this only to those who are “led by the Spirit.” In Rom 8:1 Paul did not say there is “no condemnation” to those who walk according to the flesh only to those who walk according to the Spirit. These can do what God wants - with Jesus inside of them –
Paul: Rom 8 – 4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
It is by Christ actively dwelling in a person that this becomes a living reality. It is required. It is what the New Testament really calls for to get the results God wants.
Jesus wants people who show Him they love Him by their actions – by ceasing to live and think and be apart from Him, and only giving Him lip service while otherwise being their own masters while declaring Jesus “Lord.”
Jesus will judge us all by His standards. It does not matter what fallible preachers may declare. Only God’s word will stand. I give you God’s unadulterated word.
We all must know Jesus as deeply as He knew the Father, and obey God with all our heart. We must have Jesus living His life inside of us, or else all we have will be from our self efforts apart from Christ. No one who takes Christ’s name should accept that.
