Jesus in the life of a believer

Confused as to what role Jesus Christ ought to play in the life of the believer...

I know that He is savior, friend, lord, intercessor, high priest and etc...

But in living the Christian life, we are commanded to live as Christ lived, that is, to say, "Father, your will be done," through the empowering of the Holy Spirit.

So... I am to live according to the will of the Father, through the empowering of the Holy Spirit, where does Christ come into the picture? I know it is Christ's blood that redeems, and that He is the way, the truth, the life, but it seems as if He is the furthest from my walk in the faith.

Is this normal / abnormal? Is this bad theology? :-?

Greetings
I read over your post and it reminded me of a short note that I read not to long ago. I hope that you will not mind if I share it with you.
__________________________________________________

So, do you realize that when you gave Jesus your life and promised Him that He’d have all of you, forever... and trusted Him to wash away the darkness of your sin, forever... DO YOU REALIZE that He came to live INSIDE of you? “Christ IN you, the hope of GLORY!” (Col. 1:27).”We will come and make Our home IN you!!” (Jn. 14:23). A PERSON, with ANOTHER mind and emotion and will than your fleshly, natural one... NOW LIVES IN YOU! That is VERY good news. “JESUS, TAKE OVER! PLEASE! We don’t care much for OUR mind, emotions, and will, apart from you.”
__________________________________________________

Dear Brother how can Jesus possibly be the furthest from your daily walk if He is living inside you?? Please consider this gentle reminder.
God bless you
mj

IWantAnguish wrote:
Confused as to what role Jesus Christ ought to play in the life of the believer... So... I am to live according to the will of the Father, through the empowering of the Holy Spirit, where does Christ come into the picture? I know it is Christ's blood that redeems, and that He is the way, the truth, the life, but it seems as if He is the furthest from my walk in the faith.

Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.
Col 4.5-6

To me this means we who have Christ are to walk towards them that are without redeeming the time with love…

If I have /the gift of/ prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so that I can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing... Love is patient; love is kind. Love does not envy; is not boastful; is not conceited; does not act improperly; is not selfish; is not easy provoked; does not keep a record of wrongs; finds no joy in unrighteousness, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. [b]Love never ends.[/b]

Where does love end in your life? It is not supposed to end!

I am convinced that no one will remember yours or my doctrine but they will remember the love of Christ in us that we had for them.

[b]Purse love…[/b] (1Cor 14.1)

PS: Read My Utmost for His Highest today! (10/29) It's a good one!

In nearly all the Epistles the Apostles say they are the Bond Servants (Slaves) of Jesus Christ. He is our Lord in whom we willingly submit to. Romans 1:1; Philippians 1:1; Titus1:1; James 1:1; 2 Peter 1:1
Note where the KJV says 'Servants', this is not a good translation. It is actually 'slaves' in the original greek. Some translations say 'bond servants', which is closer.

In the same way that a slave is totally dependant upon his master and submits to His authority in all things we are to ahve the same attitude to Jesus Christ. It is He who tells us what to do; what is right and acceptable and what is wrong.

I know that Jesus lives in us by the Holy Spirit, but the Holy Spirit takes from Jesus and reveals it to us. The ministry of the Holy Spirit is not to speak of His own, but to communicate the will of our Lord (Jesus Christ) to us. John 16:13-15

John McArthur has a great teaching on 'Slaves of Christ' which is a must hear for all Christians. You can download on www.gty.org.uk.

Here is a better link to the John Mc Arthur sermon.
http://www.gty.org.uk./Resources/Sermons/80-321

Jesus is our Standard and He is our perfect example.
Our standard of comparison in the flesh and our example of how we should live every aspect of our life.

We must live as He did; speak as He did; act like He did, and love like He does.

We overcome sin and the world as He did, by loving our Father who art in heaven.

He is our Goal.

I hear a lot of this 'Jesus Christ in you' language, but I really don't find a theological basis for it in the word.

Jesus says in the Scripture that He must leave, and that He will send another. It also says in Scripture that Jesus is seated at the right hand of His Father in heaven.

I have trouble picturing a miniature action figure Jesus running around in my heart. I think a lot of this imagery came around from recent evangelicals, and the misinterpretation of the text in Revelation. "Behold I stand and knock..." The message was to a church, not an individual believer. "Just ask Jesus into your heart," has no basis in Scripture.

The Spirit of Christ may dwell in us, which is the Holy Spirit... but this does not help me understand how I am to integrate the person of Christ, as a person, into my life everyday.

I depend on the Holy Spirit (to be like Christ), I bow my knee to the will of the Father (which is to be like Christ), I __________ to Jesus Christ.

Is Jesus Christ nothing more than a gateway to heaven? Nothing more than a standard of what to be? It seems so impersonal, and has little inroad into a believers everyday walk.

What is the relationship in you guys' lives?

[i]Jn 15:12-13 [color=CC3300]My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command.[/color][/i]

This is the aspect of Jesus' life that we must emulate - to love others as he loved us. This is where we can achieve righteousness and sanctification before God, by living the love of Christ.

It is not his holiness, not his sinlessness, not his good works, and not his miracles that we should try to follow, for in these we will always fall short. Because love is the supreme proof of our faith in Jesus. It is his foremost and greatest command. Is is the greatest possible "work" that is evidence of true faith, as sought by James.

He has already shown us the best way - not the miracles of faith, not the holiness of faith, not the perseverance and prayer of hope, but the power of love:

[i]1Co 13:13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Mt 22:37-40 Jesus replied: [color=CC3300]“ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”[/color][/i]

For in following the greatest commandment (to love), all the will of God embodied in the Law and in the Prophets are fulfilled.

Many are lost in trying to live the life of Christ because they ignore or forget the greatest commandment - the best and most excellent way. They should stop trying to live the LIFE of Christ, and start living the LOVE of Christ.

Dear IWantAnguish,

I was probably typing my previous post when you made you last post. The sentence you provided with the blank should read: I love Jesus Christ.

The culmination of our rebirth is obedience and compliance with the greatest commandment: To love the Lord Jesus, our God, with all our hearts, with all our souls, and with all our minds. The changed life and the renewed heart of the true believer is anchored on a life-changing love for Christ. It is this love that gives us the power to deny ourselves and to seek only to please the Lord. Without such love for Jesus, one has not yet been reborn, but is probably still on the way to rebirth.

It is Jesus who is to be the focus, the goal, the meaning, and the essence of our lives. Both God the Father and the Holy Spirit point us always to Jesus Christ.

Brother, I agree 100% that we 'should' love Jesus Christ.

But honestly, I don't think I do... if I do, I fear it is for the wrong reasons.

I have accepted the gift of the Holy Spirit, and shunned the Giver... The reason Eliezer gave so many gifts to Rebbecca was to show the riches of her husband to be, Isaac.

In the same way, the Holy Spirit enriches us, to point us to Christ. But should Rebbecca turn and love Isaac because of gifts?

What motive should cultivate our love for Jesus Christ? What He did for us? Or who He is?

I believe my mind may be ruined due to growing up in fake church. I know nothing about the attributes of God revealed through the cross.

"You need to love Jesus." Yes... but how?

Greetings
Maybe your not seeing that Jesus is a person who wants and desires to have relationship with you. He longs and desires to know your heart and for you to know Him. The Holy Spirit gives us understanding on who Jesus is, He points us to Jesus and gives us understanding. The only reason that we can even have fellowship with God is because of Christ who lives in us. Its not me that God sees when I come before Him, it is His son. Jesus who lives in me that God sees and accepts. Apart from Christ I could never have fellowship with God, I could never be in His presence. I must have Christ living in my every minute of every day in order to have fellowship with the Lord. You have life because of Christ! A thought shared below written by another believer sums up who Jesus is in my life!

God Bless
maryjane

Jesus Is Our All In All

“And the Father put all things under Christ’s feet, and gave him to be head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. And you he made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins!” (Eph. 1:22-2:1).What does it mean that Jesus is our “all in all?”? It means, I am not qualified to be my savior. “He is my Savior. He is my life. He is my relationship with myself. He is my relationship with the Father. He is my relationship with sin. He is my relationship with the flesh. He is my relationship with the world. He is my relationship with the devil. He is my relationship with the law. He is my relationship with all the saints. Christ is my life!”

I hear a lot of this 'Jesus Christ in you' language, but I really don't find a theological basis for it in the word.

'I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives IN ME'.
Galatians 2:20

'If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.
A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also.At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, AND I IN YOU'. John 14:15-20

This is a mystery! We are 'in Christ' and He is in us'

I have trouble picturing a miniature action figure Jesus running around in my heart.

'But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His'. Romans 8:9

IWantAnguish wrote:
Brother, I agree 100% that we 'should' love Jesus Christ.

But honestly, I don't think I do... if I do, I fear it is for the wrong reasons.

I have accepted the gift of the Holy Spirit, and shunned the Giver... The reason Eliezer gave so many gifts to Rebbecca was to show the riches of her husband to be, Isaac.

In the same way, the Holy Spirit enriches us, to point us to Christ. But should Rebbecca turn and love Isaac because of gifts?

What motive should cultivate our love for Jesus Christ? What He did for us? Or who He is?

I believe my mind may be ruined due to growing up in fake church. I know nothing about the attributes of God revealed through the cross.

"You need to love Jesus." Yes... but how?

I feel for you, and will be praying for you.

Jesus Christ is also "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us". He told us to "eat my flesh and drink my blood" otherwise, we can have no part in Him.

I urge you to read the Word, not for the sake of academics or to prove a point in a discussion, but to know the Lord Jesus. Read prayerfully for the Holy Spirit to open your heart to the truth in the Bible. In my walk, it had been a big help reading the Books of John and 1 John, the disciple beloved of Christ.

Turn off everything else for a while: no sermonindex, no listening to human preachers, no listening to "Christian" songs - just dwell in the Word of God for a while with a mind focused on knowing Him who loved you more than himself.

Greetings

I just posted then saw your reply to Leo. I think the answer is this, we are drawn to Jesus in the beginning of our walk because of what He has done for us. He is the only one that can save us. However as we sit at His feet and come to know Him personally and have relationship and fellowship with Him daily we begin to fall in love with Him not only for what He has done for us, but because of who He is. The motivation to love Him should be because He is worthy of all our love, devotion, worship, and heart! You asked how does one love Jesus...we love Jesus with the very love that He supplies us in our heart. He is there inside you, He gives you all that you need to walk in this life and to walk with Him. That is why He is your all and all! Spend time in the Bible, don't read it like a book to gain human knowledge read it as the spoken words of God concerning His son Jesus.

God Bless
mj

Jesus Himself answered your question; "If a man love
Me, he will keep My commandments. Obedience is the proof of your love for Christ!!

John 15

1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.

2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.

4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

How do we keep His commandments? Just like we love Him, not by my works but by His. 1 John 4:17-19 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. We love him, because he first loved us.

His love in us will never fail. We love Him because He first loves us. Now is His love made in us perfect, that we NOW can love Him back as He first loved us. It is He that is in us that gives us all the attributes of the God Nature, which God the Father intended us to live with that nature from the beginning, even before the foundation of the earth.

Ephesians 1:3-14 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

What is His Glory? Colossians 1:26-29 Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.

Christ in us is the Glory and His working in us that works in us mightily.

Nothing of self, but all of Him, because, "as He is in this world so are we." This is NOW NOW NOW, not future or past, but NOW.

In Christ: Phillip