Obedience by Faith CHRIST'S OBEDIENCE IN US
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. Gal. 2:20.
Since we are sinners by birth and by nature, and because there is no such thing as righteousness apart from Jesus, we can come to only one conclusion. In order to be trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, we must have accepted of His grace and forgiveness initially, and we must continue the relationship and communion with Him. "Sinful man can find hope and righteousness only in God; and no human being is righteous any longer than he has faith in God and maintains a vital connection with Him."--Testimonies to Ministers, p. 367.
The real issue in sin is not in doing bad things, but rather in living our lives, good or bad, apart from Christ. All our deeds, whether outwardly good or bad, are done for selfish reasons if we are not in dependence upon Christ and abiding in Him.
Since we are sinners by nature, we of ourselves are never going to be able to produce any obedience. If we are the ones doing the living in the Christian life, we can produce only thorns and thistles. If we are the ones who are working the works, what we produce will always be imperfect.
Which brings us to a crucial question. In the Christian life, do we do the living, or does Christ do the living in us? The Bible teaches plainly that Christ wants to live in us, to work in us, "to will and to do of his good pleasure" (Phil. 2:13). It is possible for Christ to dwell in our hearts by faith (see Eph. 3:17).
If we are depending on our own obedience we can never hope for anything but imperfect obedience. But if Christ is living in us, His work in us will not be imperfect. Through His indwelling presence and control, we can obey perfectly. We obey, yet it is not us, but Christ living in us.
The just shall live by faith. If those who have been pardoned and justified through the righteousness of Christ are living by faith, they can obey. As we live the daily Christian life by faith in Jesus only, and with Him dwelling in us, we can have obedience that is real.
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. Gal. 2:20.
Since we are sinners by birth and by nature, and because there is no such thing as righteousness apart from Jesus, we can come to only one conclusion. In order to be trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, we must have accepted of His grace and forgiveness initially, and we must continue the relationship and communion with Him. "Sinful man can find hope and righteousness only in God; and no human being is righteous any longer than he has faith in God and maintains a vital connection with Him."--Testimonies to Ministers, p. 367.
The real issue in sin is not in doing bad things, but rather in living our lives, good or bad, apart from Christ. All our deeds, whether outwardly good or bad, are done for selfish reasons if we are not in dependence upon Christ and abiding in Him.
Since we are sinners by nature, we of ourselves are never going to be able to produce any obedience. If we are the ones doing the living in the Christian life, we can produce only thorns and thistles. If we are the ones who are working the works, what we produce will always be imperfect.
Which brings us to a crucial question. In the Christian life, do we do the living, or does Christ do the living in us? The Bible teaches plainly that Christ wants to live in us, to work in us, "to will and to do of his good pleasure" (Phil. 2:13). It is possible for Christ to dwell in our hearts by faith (see Eph. 3:17).
If we are depending on our own obedience we can never hope for anything but imperfect obedience. But if Christ is living in us, His work in us will not be imperfect. Through His indwelling presence and control, we can obey perfectly. We obey, yet it is not us, but Christ living in us.
The just shall live by faith. If those who have been pardoned and justified through the righteousness of Christ are living by faith, they can obey. As we live the daily Christian life by faith in Jesus only, and with Him dwelling in us, we can have obedience that is real.
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