When Altha and I first got married, it took me awhile to transition from “I” to "we." As “two become one,” I was no longer the individual and independent “Greg” I had been. Easier said than done—I was accustomed to working alone! Similarly, Paul’s often-quoted words “it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me” (Gal. 2:20) can be mystifying. You ask “where am ‘I’ in this new relationship?"
If you read this blog regularly, you know that the “no longer I” is the “old self” that was crucified with Christ (Ro. 6:6). However, “Christ lives in me” can be perplexing. Rightfully, you ask what the “me” in this relationship is. Is this like the aliens in the “Invasion of the Body Snatchers?” Can Paul mean Christ has taken over his body, destroying free will and thought, obliterating his personality?
No, Paul is expressing that “I” has become a “we.” It is the unique partnership expressed by Paul in Ephesians 2:10. “We” work together: He in me (“I” am His workmanship) so that “I” can do what He created me to do. Unless His Spirit works to bring me to the end of my ‘self,’ I can do nothing.
The “old self” is dead. The “new self” is born. We do not exist independent of Him anymore. Paul explains: “For to me to live is Christ” and “Christ is our life” (Phil 1:21; Col. 3:4). “No longer I” does not mean you have lost your identity; it means you have found a new one—from “I” to “we.” And “Christ in me” means He is filling your life increasingly with Himself until you have no life apart from Him.
Are you consciously making the transition from “I” to "we"?
Greg,
ReplyDeleteIt can only be by design that we don't fully comprehend the HOW of God's ongoing, creative process of re-creating us into the Image of His Dear Son. Having a new spirit and having our heart of stone replaced with a heart of flesh is indeed illusive to imagine, though it is still just as true.
Missionary Norman Grubb tried to explain it by saying we are all merely "containers" of God's Person, unique in our "shape" and "purpose" but still containers. Watchman Nee simplified this in telling us we are "living the life of another." I think you did a masterful job of tackling the subject at hand, as well!
We can all look forward to greater revelation as we spend time in His Presence both now and throughout eternity where we will know, even as we are known! But for now we must content ourselves with possessing the revealed things as they are unveiled to us and waiting
patiently for the secret things to be metered out to us as we grow in our capacity to receive grace and apply our current knowledge of the Lord!
But even this process causes us to stand in awe and reach our hands up in joy! It can only be so for the One Who fills us with Himself will always exceed our capacity to praise Him and magnify His Name! Yet He still chooses to indwell us and calls us His Own!
My standing has changed to bowing.
Stan
Stan
Greg,
ReplyDeleteApparently I was beside myself in the above response. There are two signatures.
Stan
Thanks Stan, and talking about the process of our union with Jesus, what in the world (or shoud I say, out of this world) is our 'honeymoon' going to be like??!!, speaking of the marriage supper, etc. Whatever it is will be glorious when we are actually ONE with Him! Amazing thought!
ReplyDelete