Most of us know how to talk about the life that we have lived. We know all about our tests, trials, difficulties, and battles. We could talk about our varied life experiences. Most of us have had many highs and lows during our life span. Our history has been exposed to joys and sorrows, negatives and positives, life and death. God has made it possible for you to have new life in Christ. New life in Christ bears evidence or proof of Christ’s life of victory, peace and joy in us.
Galatians 2:20 NKJV 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.
This new life in Christ makes it possible to become partakers of the bounty and richness that is in Christ. Jesus said He came so that we may have life, and that we may have it more abundantly. It is a quality of life that only comes from abiding in Him.
In doing this, Jesus made it possible for us to cast all our care, anxieties, worries, concerns over on Him. We come to Him in weakness, distress, and with a history of our failures and sins. Through Christ, we are made strong, clean and righteous.
The impact of this change is amazing and dramatic. Think about the numbers of things that you are able to cast over on the Lord to receive His help and assistance. Has He cleansed you from your sins? Have you been blessed, refreshed and renewed in Christ? Has your body and mind been healed by His power? Has the Lord delivered you from the dominion and control of darkness into His dominion of light and love? In Christ, we have this new quality of life that is filled with His resilience, strength, and protection.
Because we receive Him, we are brought into this new dominion, (Colossians 1:12-14). His kingdom is ruled by His Own sovereign power. It is a dominion of victory, joy, and peace. It is a dominion of life. As a result, we have our redemption through His blood.
When we come into this new life in Christ, we begin to produce evidence of Christ’s presence in us.
That evidence is much fruit. It is evidence of our union and fellowship with Christ. In this new life in Christ, your race, culture, or history does not matter. Christ is all that matters, and He lives in us, (Colossians 3:11). During the spring of each year, trees and plants that have been dormant and show no evidence of life are renewed. There is something in them that produces evidence of this life.
The prophet Habakkuk gave a word about this help and life we have.
Habakkuk 3:17-19 NKJV Though the fig tree may not blossom, Nor fruit be on the vines; Though the labor of the olive may fail, And the fields yield no food; Though the flock may be cut off from the fold, And there be no herd in the stalls— Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer’s feet, And He will make me walk on my high hills.
The moment you come to Christ, God not only forgives your sins, He also gives what we need to live a victorious life. We cannot produce the evidence of Christ’s life on our own. For us to produce this evidence, we must be crucified with Christ and no longer live, but Christ must live in us.
What does that mean? Our strength is not in our own will, but in Christ.We have nothing that can produce this on our own, but Christ in us is the hope of glory. Christ in us is the source of life and strength. The life that we now live is through the power and victory of Christ. We are alive, but there is a greater life force that is working in us.
We have become a partaker of Him and His abundant life.
Romans 6:13 NIV Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to Him as instruments of righteousness.
We must learn to offer every part of our body and life to Him. Start yielding to the Lord. What does it mean to yield to Him? If a person gets into a river, they can fight its force or they can yield to the current and go where the river flows.
Have you recognized the life and force of the Spirit of Christ working in you? Yielding to the Lord is obedience and full surrender from the heart to His Spirit and will. It means to give up and fully trust and serve Him. It is confidence in His power, wisdom, goodness, riches, and greatness.
Psalm 37:3-4 NKJV Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
The key to this abundant life is to delight yourself in the Lord. Make the Lord your pleasure and set your focus on the Him.
Psalm 37:5-7 NKJV Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, And your justice as the noonday. Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him.
Commit your way to the Lord. Look closely at that. When we are committed to Him, we give evidence of His life, strength and power. Committing your way to the Lord is an act of trust and dependence on the Lord. The life and Spirit that is in Him comes into you and reproduces His strength and vitality in your life.
Think about this.
The natural resilience, strength, or toughness that is associated with the vine is developed in the branch. The vine is connected to the branch at all times. It is not just connected during the growing seasons. It is connected during the winter, spring, summer, and fall. To maintain a resilient overcoming life, we must be strengthened “in the Lord and in the power of His might”. (Ephesians 6:10)
Consider the implications of your connection and position in Christ. From Christ we receive life, strength of character, and the ability to endure and stand. In Christ, we are being made more than conquerors. In Christ, we are going from victory to victory. We have life and preservation because we are strengthened with the power of His might. In Him is the life.
We are looking for evidences of Christ’s life in us.
Everyone is exposed to varied situations, temptations, tests, and personal attacks that have the potential to destroy. When you are going through times of attack or personal weakness, remember that your strength comes from the Lord. Those attacks from the evil one are not just against you, they are against Christ in you. You can remain resilient and strong through the Lord Jesus Christ. God has given you the life and victory that was gained when Christ conquered death and the grave.
In Christ Jesus, you have victory over Satan’s schemes. You have been identified with Jesus Christ. You have the name of Jesus in you. When you were identified with Christ Jesus, you were given His authority and power to trample Satan. Through Jesus Christ, you have power to resist the devil and he will flee from you.
Jesus Christ has become our victory.
There are 5,000 varieties of grape vines. Some grape vines only prosper with very limited climate changes. Other vines are hardy and produce fruit in almost any climate or circumstance.
When we accept Jesus Christ and abide in Him, we receive His natural resilience, hardiness, or toughness that is associated with His life and victory. He has become our righteousness. Jesus is the Healer and Strength of our lives. He is our Shield against the enemy. He is our Strong Defense in times of need. He is our Vine that gives us life and nourishment, strength and health. He is our Head Who gives direction, guidance, and wisdom. His is our Foundation Who holds us up and makes us a temple for God’s presence to dwell in.
Think about this.
We did not belong to Christ. We were wild. That was our nature. Every aspect of our lives depicted our heritage. We acted up and behaved poorly.
We were destined for the fire. The fruit of our lives was not good. We didn’t like what we did, but we did not know how to change. We wanted to do good, but evil was always present with us.
Then Jesus came into our lives.
He took us as His very own and brought us to Himself. He loved, nurtured, and grafted us into His body. He infused us with life, His abundant life.
This is amazing grace.
By grace He incorporated us into His life. He took our death and poverty, and gave us life. We have been made to share and partake in the nourishing life from the Root. Now there is life and power coming up into you. Christ’s nature and victory are coming into you. You will spring forth with His fruit. If you continue to abide in Him, you are going to bear the fruit of the nature of Christ.
Can you see what the Lord is doing in you? The nature and character of Christ is being developed in you. A dramatic change is happening in you. It is natural for wicked men to do wickedly. It is unnatural for them to behave with mercy, grace, love and righteousness.
The nature and quality of life that is in Christ is flowing into your life. What does that mean? What we were is not what we are becoming. We have left that old life behind and have been brought into a new life. Victory is all around you. Joy is flowing into you. His peace is becoming your portion.
The nature of Christ is becoming your nature. The word nature means the emotional and intellectual attributes that determine a person’s action and reaction. Our nature is no longer like the OLD NATURE.
He is giving us His nature.
- His nature is mercy and grace.
- His nature is love and joy.
- His nature is kindness and goodness.
- His nature is patience and longsuffering.
- His nature is forgiveness and acceptance.
- His nature reaches out and helps others.
Something new is working in us. Something new has picked us up and is carrying us along. We have been brought into a new life in Jesus Christ.
