Christ is...?

As time progresses, I notice more and more in my own Christian Life how much I trust myself, and how at one point or another, this trust will ultimately bring me to frustration, anger and legalism. In my own blind, pathetic arrogance I attempt to produce, apart from the source, the fruit of the Spirit. In my pride I treat Christ like my sidekick, as if He is only around when I get myself into trouble. Recognizing some importance of Christ in my life I take the wheel and silently and destructively place Him somewhere in the backseat not to take control but just give me a word of advice when I want it.

Immaturity considers the Lord Jesus a Helper. Maturity knows Him to be Life itself.
-Miles J. Stanford

Galatians 2:2- I have been crucified with Christ; and 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…”

Col. 3:4, “When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.”

Philippians 1:20-21, “… Christ will even now, as always, be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”

John 15:5, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”

Still the utterly heart wrenching part of this is that while knowing Christ is life, I don’t live it out day to day! Man, do I really believe this? That apart from Christ I can do nothing? Do I truly get it? And this right here is the beauty of failing in life; It is but by the grace of God that He brings me to this failure, for it is at the point of failure and despair that I am able to yet again understand: I can’t do this, but God can as He works through Christ in me (Col. 2:19).

Though the Christian life is impossible to human strength, it is within the power of God; and He offers to supply all that He requires, even to the measure of a completely victorious life. Since it is necessarily a divine undertaking, the human part can be no more than an attitude of expectation or faith toward God- an attitude which reckon self to be helpless, and God alone to be sufficient.
-Lewis Chafer

Christ is… life.