Christ In Me

On Tuesday, I wrote of the need to make room in our hearts for Jesus through the act of confession. We need to empty ourselves of sin and brokenness in order to create space in us for more of him. Confession of moral wrongs committed, however, is not the only thing that needs removal if Christ is to fully occupy our hearts.

In Galatians 2:20, Paul declares, “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, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

Death to self is a key aspect of fully embracing the Christ life. The very first sin of Adam and Eve was to choose self over God, and that act of rebellion is now at the center of what Paul calls our “flesh.” Our natural tendency as humans is to choose ourselves, our desires, our dreams over God. The only way to live fully in Christ, according to Paul, is to consider your natural self dead and to yield fully to “Christ in me.”

This is a key theme of Paul’s theology. Here are two other similar statements from Paul:

“Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.” – Philippians 3:8

“For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” – Romans 8:13

This same concept was at the center of Jesus’ challenge to the rich young ruler. Jesus knew that just one thing stood between that young man and truly following Jesus: his wealth. And given the choice, the young man choose himself - his desires, his wealth - over Christ.

So, is there anything you’re unwilling to part with for the sake of following Christ? Your job? Your dream life? Your house? Your influence? TV? Sports? Your Facebook account?

What if Jesus asked you to give one of these up? Could you?

My purpose here isn’t to induce guilt, but to encourage us to honestly assess ourselves and our idols, to open the door for God to empty us of one more thing that may be taking up space in us that Jesus wants to occupy. Emptying ourselves of distractions and idols allows us to submit more completely to God’s will and to more fully experience his presence in our lives.

Come Lord Jesus to our hearts.

CityAlight: Yet Not I
I included this as my pick about a month ago, but it fits so perfectly with today's topic that I had to choose it again. This songs speaks of all the amazing that that are ours in Christ, things that far surpass the things this world can offer us. To spice it up, I chose a different version of the song for you to enjoy. This one includes the lyrics on screen. As you listen, read and reflect on the words being sung.