Christ in me, the hope of glory

When I rode my spirited horse alone, I took risks and pushed the horse to its limits. When I had a child on with me, everything changed. I was still brave and full of daring, but the presence of someone else made a difference.

Today’s devotional is about suffering and the difference made by the presence of Someone else. It is also an affirmation of Jesus’ words, “Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20)

Jesus promised to be with His people forever. It isn’t just that He is standing nearby to share our lives with us — His presence goes beyond that…

But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. (Romans 8:10)

Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? (1 Corinthians 3:16)

This indwelling presence ensures a great deal. He grants us His holiness, wisdom, strength. Because Jesus lives in me (and He said this is a forever thing), I cannot be separated from His love.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. (Romans 8:35–37)

God did not set the world in motion and then stand back to watch what we would do with it. He is involved. If the cross of Jesus Christ says nothing else, it shows that God incarnate knows about suffering, even willingly entered our world to embrace it — that we might have the eternal life He offers.

God does not always let us know why we suffer, but Christians know that, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.” (Psalm 23:4) How different is suffering for those who know not just that God knows and sympathizes, but also that He dwells in them. That means everything I suffer, He suffers with me. My pain is His pain. I ought never moan or complain. Any accusations I make ought to be silenced before the agony of my God.

There is good news in this too. Because God shares my suffering, I also share His redemptive activity. For this to happen, I must yield to Him. This tells me my victory in suffering also comes by yielding to Him. I might not understand the why of my sorrows, but I can yield and trust, realizing that the mysteries of God are never revealed or discovered through raising my fist at Him.

Paul discovered that God’s strength is perfected in weakness. That is, if I’m going to be tough, determined, aggressive, then the One who lives in me waits quietly, letting me have my way, but remaining unseen and inactive. However, when I am weak, without ability, and yielded, He is freed to work in me. His life can shine in mine. This is why Paul also said, “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, that Christ’s power may rest on me.” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

That Christ is in me also ought to affect the way I live. In my prideful and sinful self, I have taken the indwelling Christ to places that are shameful instead of letting Him lead me into places of righteousness, holy places. It is one thing to be glad that He shares my pain and gives me grace to bear it, but quite another to take Him down the dark alleys of my life.

How to strengthen others

Yesterday, I thanked a woman for being a big encouragement to me. She gave me a hug then laughed, “It isn’t that I’ve tried. I’m just being who I am, the way God made me.” 

This morning, I read the conversation between Jesus and Peter just before the crucifixion and before Peter’s denial that he knows Jesus.

“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” Peter said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death.” Jesus said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me.” (Luke 22:31–34)

When you have strengthened your brothers. What does that look like? The devotional comments are about sharing the grace God gives us. God did not save me for my own sake but for His own name’s sake, that through me He might show his mercy and grace to others. 

I agree. What good is light from the Lord if it is hidden or hoarded? Jesus even said,

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 5:14–16)

In particular, if I fail as Peter did, the lessons learned in that crash are not just for me, nor are the lessons learned from God’s grace as He restores me. At the very least, others need to know that no matter the thud when I hit the ground, the Lord’s mercy and grace overcome any foolishness on my part. He picks me up and sets me on my feet, not once, but every time that I fail.

Although it can be, strengthening others is not necessarily done with specific intent. It can happen simply by being who we are. Like my friend, God creates us with certain personalities and gifts. Being true to that results in ministry to others. She is open, honest, and shares herself without trying to be anything to anyone. In doing that, she builds me up. My personality and gifts are not the same as hers. Imitating her words and actions will not work. Instead, God wants me to let ‘my’ light shine, letting others see what He has given me. 

In Peter’s case, he was gifted to lead the flock of God and teach them. After Christ had died and rose again, He gave Peter his job description…

When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” (John 21:15–16)

Based on how God made me, what is His challenge for my life? I’ve been told that my spiritual gifts are teaching and discernment. Several have challenged to write a personal purpose statement. It finally has distilled to this: Learn all I can from the Lord and pass it on to others. 

Whatever form that takes, from a casual conversation to leading in a classroom situation, God has given many opportunities to fulfill that purpose, just as He gave Peter many opportunities to strengthen his brothers and feed his sheep and my friend many opportunities to encourage others.

From these verses and yesterday’s experience, it seems clear that being and doing whatever God puts into our hearts produces a sense of living out God’s purpose, but also makes us a blessing to those around us.

He took my place

Harper’s magazine once carried a story about a woman with a good job who decided the only way to write a credible story about people living on the edge of poverty was to go there. She spent considerable time working a minimum wage job, living in the only place she could afford, and experiencing all that a poor person experiences. She didn’t steal or cheat to make things better for herself, but I’m sure she was tempted.

As I listen to political candidates who have more than enough personal income talk about what they will do for low-income people, I wonder if this woman ran for office would she wind up with the most votes?

Condolences and encouragement also come with more credibility from a person who has “been there” and knows what I am experiencing. Putting the shoe on the other foot, I hardly know what to say to someone whose loss or trauma is beyond the scope of my experiences. Shared experiences form bonds like nothing else can.

God knew this. When He devised a plan for our salvation, it had to include a mediator that had been there, One who knew what life is like for us who sin and are condemned by God because of it. This Savior must be able to relate to ordinary people who are tempted and who face the many other trials of living in this world. At the same time, He must not have any sin of His own lest He fall into the same condemnation as everyone else.

Toward the end of a passage that speaks of Jesus sharing in flesh and blood, Hebrews 2:17 says, “Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.”

Jesus had to be like us. He could not appear from heaven as a knight in shining armor with the power to slash sin out of our lives. He could not come as an angel or any other entity, for if He had done that, we would surely say, “But you don’t know what it is like to be a human. You have no idea how hard it is to resist all this temptation.”

Jesus was like us. Hebrews 4:15 says, “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.” He knows exactly what we struggle with. The only difference is that He refused to give in, and it was that difference that qualified Him to stand in our place before God and take our punishment.

Propitiation is a seldom used word with a meaning that focuses on God rather than us or the action Jesus took to save us. This word is about “the removal of wrath by the offering of a gift,” which is not a popular thought even among theologians.

The trend today is that “God is love” and no one wants to consider His anger. However, the Bible says He is “angry with the wicked every day” (Psalm 7:11). While a “gentle and mild” Jesus is more popular, that same Jesus also stormed into the temple with a whip and turned over the tables of the money changers. God still hates sin.

Propitiation is about the atoning death of Jesus on the cross through which He paid the penalty demanded by God because of my sin, thus setting me free from sin and death. The word means “appeasement” and expresses the idea that Jesus died to pay the price for my sin, a price demanded by a holy God. Jesus was free of sin Himself, yet He took all my sins upon Himself and redeemed me from the penalty of death that my sins demanded.

As I think about it, Jesus came to be like me and experience all that I experience, temptations for sure, but also hunger, fatigue, loneliness, being misunderstood, and so on. He didn’t stop there; He also went beyond that to experience something that should happen to me — the wrath of God over my sin — but because He did that, I will never have to experience it.

After more than thirty-five years of knowing this truth, the reality of what Jesus has done for me still brings tears of joy to my eyes and deep gratitude to my heart.