Christ in me

This thought has been lingering in my head for the past couple of days now. What Louie Giglio said in his message that was included in the "How Great Is Our God" DVD. He picked out his message from Colossians 1:27, which reads "To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory."

Louie pointed out that the Christian walk is not hard, nor difficult but rather impossible. We make promises after promises to God to "get it right" with our life. We tell God: "This will be my last time God", only to commit the very same sin we vowed to repent from. That's why many Christians lead defeated lives. We continue to walk in shame. And Louie made it clear that no sermon, gathering, conference, book, self-discipline can get us out of our bondages. No matter how sincere we were when we made that promise to God, it still doesn't cut it, because here's the point: It's not about our efforts. It never was, and never will be.

That's why this "mystery" that Paul is talking about, which even patriachs such as Abraham, Moses and David not know about it, will set us free. This mystery? Christ in us. When we start to realize that the day when we invite Christ into our hearts, we are literally inviting Him to come in to our body, this temple of the Holy Spirit, to dwell, and ultimately, to take full control of it. Louie pointed out that it is not inviting Christ into our hearts, and they try to live the Christian life. If we could that in the first place, that Christ dying on the cross would be pointless.

Anyway, instead of spilling the whole sermon out, how it affected me is that I now walk with a new confidence, that is, I put my trust not in the knowledge of Christ, nor in the identity of Christ, nor in the fact that I'm his friend but rather, I put my trust in Christ that is living in me. With this, when I walk in the world, I have Christ with me all the time, and as long as He is in me, I am a saint. Oh yes, I can still sin. No doubt about it. But sinning won't make me a sinner because I'm a saint. Just as doing good won't make a sinner a saint. However, it's Christ in me that's gonna sustain my faith, not my will power, not my discipline, and definitely not my efforts.

These 2 days has been incredible as I confessed this truth in my heart. I got stuck in a traffic jam for 1.5 hours today. Imagine after an hour and a half, and you're just 1 kilometer away from where you started. And yet, there was an incredible sense of peace in me. I didn't get agitated. I used to get annoyed pretty fast with jams, but having my music turned on and having this truth in my heart, I just took the time to praise God. I've tried doing that before, but it felt like I was "forcing" myself, but this time, it came naturally. I wonder how long this will last...

Anyhow, if you're reading this, I hope that in your own issues, trials, bondage, and sins, that you will find this truth liberating. Read and meditate the first 2 chapters of Colossians, and try to understand it. This is definitely not the "ultimate fix" for all your spiritual problems, but it's a start. I pray that in your struggles, you will ultimately find Christ as your savior.

"Jesus, I thank You that You're the Lord of all. Above my trials and fears, above my hopes and dreams, You triumph gloriously by destroying the works of the enemy with Your truth. Lord, I know that many of my brothers and sisters are going thru some difficult times right now in their spiritual walk. Many of them find themselves alone, even when you're right there with them. I pray that You will open their spiritual eyes so that they can see You in all Your glory, and have their faith and hope renewed in Your presence. Father, shower them with Your mercy. Let them know how much You love them, even in their brokenness and weaknesses. Break whatever sin that's in their lives and give them the victory that they so desperately desire. In this I pray, that Your kingdom will continue to be established in their hearts just as Your will be manisfested in their lives. In Jesus' name I ask and pray, amen."