The simpleness of Christ in you.

We can focus on very superficial things in Christianity, things that mean nothing when it comes to the vast, eternal weight of glory that we're faced with in Christ, it's just nothing. That's our majors most of the time, is the nothingness of our superficial pursuits, when there is all the time an eternal, universal truth that encompasses and borders the soul and makes it secured in something that never changes, that has not even the momentary threat of changing. We are not strong enough to change it. We're not strong enough to make a variable in this. It holds us when we cannot, well, we never can, but in the midst of our being weak and not able to hold ourselves, it holds us, anchors us, keeps us.

What abides in us is an ever-abiding, keeping, functional, effectual power, and it is without a doubt greater than any word can just convey. You can't put it in a nutshell, and in a cleverly devised turn of phrase, this salvation. This is actually Christ in us, Christ in us who are born again is actually what Paul describes as that which is exceedingly, abundantly, above all that we can ask or think. That's who He is, and we conflate other things with it, and we confuse it, and we try to add to it to make it sound even greater, but there's nothing greater than just the simpleness of Christ in you, and we've talked about this already. Christ in you, Paul's warning was in his, really the trouble that was in his heart was that the Corinthians and all the church really would be swayed away and deceived and deviated from the simplicity that is in Christ. Christianity lives in the multiplicity of religious activity.

We don't focus on the simplicity, and the beauty of that is that the word simplicity in the Greek actually means singleness, but it also simultaneously means bountiful, and you think how in the world does a single thing also equal bountiful because we're talking about Christ. We're talking about one in whom all is realized, all things of God is found, so in Him dwells the fullness of God. In that one, God's fullness makes its permanent home, and it pleased God for such to be the case, and the grace of God toward us is that that's the one He has gifted to the soul, and given to your soul the one He is satisfied with. He's not turning to us and saying, satisfy me. That's what religion does. That's what men will do. That deviates your heart from a gift that God has given, and we're so busy trying to pursue the stuff that we're told to pursue. We don't focus on the singleness of a gift so that our soul would grow in the comprehension of a gift that's greater than ourselves, a salvation that is greater than us. It is because it is not of us at all.

It's called the Christ life for a reason and that's not even a scriptural term, but let's use that phrase. I'm not here to teach you how to live the life that is of God. I'm not here to look at you and judge you and say you can't live this or you're not up to this yet, you're not living this fight yet. Guess what? It's never going to happen and the people who think they have arrived, you need to repent. If it's about you and what you do. I'm not here to tell you how to live the language that we know and this true language, the crucified life, I'm not here to teach you how to live it. Christ lived in you. No instruction can make that more certain than it is.

God has to make known in your soul the absoluteness of what He wrought in it. If you read in the context of, and this is not what I'm doing, this is just what's been on my mind this morning. In the context of where Paul says that statement, the foolishness of preaching is in 1 Corinthians chapter 1. And he says, for after that in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. Why is it foolishness? The preaching, the gospel you're preaching, that we're preaching is not foolish. It's foolishness to those who hear it because look who he's talking about. The Jews require a sign. That's the next verse. Why is it foolishness to them?

Because they want a miracle. That's what the word sign means. They want a manifestation like God did under the old covenant. The Jews are still looking for that. That's what's going to prove it to them. Well, guess what? Christians are the same. Christians want to see externals and signs and evidences and proofs and all of those proofs and evidences, they come and go and that means they are transient at best. The problem is when we're wanting that to be the constant proof and evidence of reality, the only constant proof and evidence of reality is Christ in you.

And that's the need to understand the presence of Jesus, not the presence of these proofs and evidences and the miraculous healings and miraculous works and things like that. The miracle took place. And the Greeks, he said, they looked for wisdom. What wisdom? Not the wisdom of God, the wisdom that is man's wisdom. The wisdom, intellectualism, the understanding that proceeds out of man and is therefore familiar to me. The wisdom that would tell a man that if he's going to be closer to God, he's got to do this and do that. And we've split this up. Christianity is split between those, basically those two camps. Some that look for externals and some who just want intellectual stimulation.

Some who want just to be inspired and others who want to be touched in some way, spiritually. And the foolishness of preaching runs in contradiction to both of those expectations of men. They want to tell you how to live it. They want you to produce all of these manifestations. They want to tell you how to live the life so that they can be a full reflection. Let me tell you something. We've come to a life that there is no natural reflection of. Divine reality that is defined in the person of Jesus has no natural reflection. That's old covenant. There's your reflection if you want one. Now we stand before the face of the one that that reflected.

And all that to say, the foolishness of preaching is necessary, but it's still to some foolish. Because we proclaim Jesus and nothing else. We proclaim Christ sufficient and not ourselves. And that flies in the face of man. But it liberates the soul of those who are desperate. Those who have not looked at themselves and say, I've arrived, it actually calls the desperate ones to him and says, I can't do this anymore. Because that's where we all are, whether we know it or not. That's where we are. That's where man is. That's his state. Before he is born again, his state is you can't do it, you never will, it's not possible. So what do we do? We cry out for one who makes it so. Not makes it possible, makes it so.

He performs it, not gives the possibility of it, he performs it in you. That's salvation. That's salvation. That's who He is in you. It's complete. That's the simplicity and purity of gospel that we preach. And the moment we put something else in the way and say, here's another hurdle for you to jump over, here's another obstacle for you to peek around, we have done a disservice to the purity of the gospel that says He is all and in all. Again, I'm not here to tell you how, I'm here to tell you who. And that's all I can do. And I can pray based upon that simple, pure directive. I can pray for God to show you the one I'm declaring to you.

Vern,

Good posts.

Just some comments:

What abides in us is an ever-abiding, keeping, functional, effectual power, and it is without a doubt greater than any word can just convey. You can't put it in a nutshell, and in a cleverly devised turn of phrase, this salvation. This is actually Christ in us, Christ in us who are born again is actually what Paul describes as that which is exceedingly, abundantly, above all that we can ask or think.

Amen.

The doctrine certainly can be put in a nutshell.

But the riches of Christ are unfathomable (Eph.3:8).

1 Kings 8:27 ”“
Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain You, how much less this house which I have built!

Even to the endless ages of eternity, we will still be receiving of Christ’s riches, grace upon grace (John 1:16, Eph. 2:7).

He's not turning to us and saying, satisfy me. That's what religion does. That's what men will do. That deviates your heart from a gift that God has given, AND WE'RE SO BUSY TRYING TO PURSUE THE STUFF THAT WE'RE TOLD TO PURSUE. We don't focus on the singleness of a gift so that our soul would grow in the comprehension of a gift that's greater than ourselves, a salvation that is greater than us. It is because it is not of us at all.

(My emphasis in caps.)

There IS a pursuit. We must gain Christ, more and more. Not by our own might or power but by the Holy Spirit, by grace through faith. It is possible to be sluggish and fail to inherit the promises. It is possible to fall away from faith in Christ. The Bible says so.

Col. 3:7-14 --
…………that I may gain Christ………… that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

2 Pet. 3:18 ”“
………be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness, but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Heb. 12:1-2 ”“
……let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Heb. 6:11-12 ”“
And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

1 Tim. 6:11-12 ”“
But flee from these things, you man of God, and PURSUE righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

2 Tim. 7:7-8 ”“
For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.

It is faith that will always be under attack. When faith fails, all fail.

The believer’s commitment to faith is required. Our own faith will surely be exceedingly weak. But Christ’s grace is sufficient for us. His power is made perfect in our weakness (2 Cor. 12:9).

"A feeble faith in an Almighty Christ will become the great faith that can move the mountains” ”“ Andrew Murray.

"I have a Christ Who not only waits to give the full possession of the heavenly life and the blessings of the covenant, but a Christ Who secretly works in me the faith that can claim it all” ”“ Andrew Murray.

We cry out for one who makes it so. Not makes it possible, makes it so.

He performs it, not gives the possibility of it, he performs it in you.

The One who is the Truth and the Life is also the Way. Christ makes it possible and makes it so.

And the moment we put something else in the way and say, here's another hurdle for you to jump over, here's another obstacle for you to peek around, we have done a disservice to the purity of the gospel that says He is all and in all.

The hurdles and the obstacles are of "flesh” and of the world.

Believers still live in the world. The body/flesh is not yet redeemed.

Believers can still be drawn away from Christ and into the world through the body/flesh.

The command to not love the world was given by John to Christians in his day and still holds for us today.

1 John 2:15-17 --
Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.

Christians are still able to live according to the flesh and must by the Spirit put to death the deeds of the body.

As Paul said to the Roman brethren:

Rom. 8:12-13 ”“
So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh”” for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

Believers must still be overcomers re: Messages to the 7 Churches in Revelation. They can still lose the tree of life (Rev. 2:7). Their names can still be erased from the book of life (Rev. 3:5). They can still be vomited out of God’s mouth (Rev. 3:16).

The Good News is that we overcome by grace through faith in Christ.

1 John 5:4-5 ”“
For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world””our faith.
Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

Phil. 3:3 ”“
for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh,

But it is not just the initial conversion faith. It must be a continual abiding faith and trust in Jesus Christ, by the Holy Spirit, in the New Covenant (John 15, 1 John 3:23-24, John 6:55-56, Luke 22:19-20).