Complete in Christ

Although we are simple clay jars, we contain God’s greatest treasure, Jesus Christ, who actually lives within every Born Again Believer (2 Corinthians 4:7-9; Colossians 1:27). We are in Christ, and Christ is also in us (Galatians 2:20; Colossians 1:27; Romans 8:10; 2 Corinthians 13:5; Ephesians 3:16-17).

Jesus, who knew no sin, took on the sin of the whole world; so that we could become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:20-21). Christ’s light shines in our hearts.

When we follow the Spirit’s leading rather than our flesh, we no longer experience condemnation and guilt (Romans 8:1-21). We minister in righteousness by the Spirit according to the will of God (2 Corinthians 3:7-9).

We discover that God's love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and self-control replace the carnal nature and attitudes in our heart (Galatians 5:22-23). 

Satan wants us to focus on our failings, and he tries to make us feel like failures - not good enough. However, if Christ is in us, although our body is dying daily, God’s Spirit gives us His life (Romans 8:10).

We are no longer a separate entity from Jesus. We quit struggling, stressing and striving to be more spiritual (2 Corinthians 5:18-19); and we enter into God's rest. We cease from all of our efforts (Hebrews 4:10).

God’s grace draws us to Jesus, keeping us pursuing holiness and finishing our perfection as God’s Spirit transforms us through sanctification into God’s divine nature (1 Corinthians 6:17; 1 John 3:2).

God fills us with His Spirit to complete us in Christ. We are so united with Christ that His thoughts fill our mind (Philippians 2:5). He has our new life, our perfection and our character in His capable hands.

Prayer:

Father God, thank You for giving us Jesus as our advocate with You (1 John 2:1), and Your Holy Spirit who makes constant intercession for us before You (Romans 8:26). Help us to decrease so that Christ can increase within us (John 3:30). You give us our true identity in Christ, because our human “self” is dead and buried with Christ in You (Colossians 3:3).

We live in and through Christ, and He lives in and through us. We are complete in our union with Christ (Colossians 2:10), having all of Your power working in and through us. We never even have to fear death, because the moment we leave this earth, You take us home to live with You for eternity (Philippians 1:21).

Thought for the Day:

Christ is our life (Colossians 3:4), we are complete in Him (Colossians 2:10), He puts His mind within us (1 Corinthians 2:16), and He gives us His abundant life now and forever (John 10:10).

Christ - Who is Our Life

Even though we are now strangers and pilgrims on this earth, it is through our relationship with Christ that He empowers us to live the Christian life (1 Peter 2:11).

When Christ, who is our life (Colossians 3:4), comes to dwell within us, He wants to live life for us and through us. We follow the Proverbs 3:5-6 principle and seek God's guidance for each moment of the day.

As authentic, Born Again Believers, our life is an extension of and inseparable from the Lord Jesus Christ (John 15:5). Every choice we make comes as the result of prayer and the leading of God’s Holy Spirit (Colossians 3:1; Galatians 5:16, 25).

The reality of our union with Christ is that we are already dead to the bondage of worldly influence, to the lure of sinful pleasures and to the lofty ambitions of our old life.

We yield to the Spirit’s direction throughout the day as we submit to Him, and He transforms us and renews our mind (Ephesians 4:30; Romans 12:1-2; 2 Corinthians 3:18). God replaces our old nature with His new life.

Christ in us will actually direct our preparation and then teach the class, preach the sermon, write the article, witness to our lost co-worker, deal with that rude person, supervise in the workplace, take our tests, clean the house, care for the children and overcome any situation in our life (Colossians 3:17).

We cast our crowns and our burdens at His feet and follow His Holy Spirit's direction through every moment of every day (Proverbs 3:5-6). Where He leads us, we will follow.

As we live as He leads, God gives us His abundant life, eternal in the heavenlies, with more peace and joy than we can ever imagine (John 10:10; Ephesians 2:6).

Prayer:

Father God, seeking You is the passion of our life. We desire above everything else to walk in Your ways and to be an expression of You in the earth (1 John 3:1-3, 9). Our life is hidden in You in the same way that a seed is hidden in the earth.

We too will bear much fruit as we live life totally empty of our self and in surrender to Your Lordship within us. We are transformed by renewing our mind, rather than by allowing the world to conform us into its mold. Then, we will be able to test and discern what Your good, pleasing and perfect will is for us each moment of every day (Romans 12:2).

Thought for the Day:

The abundant beauty and holiness of Christ dwells within us. He captivates our attention and removes from us all distraction in our life.