Dear Ones:
The story is told of two Australian soldiers, on leave in London, England. They got lost in the fog, and decided to just lean up against a lamp-post until the fog lifted. A British general comes looming out of the fog, and offended that the Aussies did not solute him, stormed up to them and said: “Do you KNOW who I am?” At that point, one soldier turns to the other and says, “You know, we do not know where we are, but he does not know who he is?” I’m afraid that in our day, there are many Christians who neither know where they are, or WHO they are…from God’s perspective. The knowledge of WHO we are will determine WHERE we live.
Often in Scripture we find the Lord revealing Himself to individuals, and this by declaring WHO He is. For example, he declared to Abraham, “… I am the Almighty God…” Elsewhere, He declared: “I am the Lord, your Holy One, the creator of Israel, your King.” (Is. 43:15) What God IS will determine, not only what He does, but WHERE He dwells…and this, by His choice, and pleasure. The Lord follows the same protocol in addressing Israel, but this time, it is to declare WHO she is: “But you, Israel, ARE my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham, my friend.” (Is. 41:8) Jesus will bring both ideas of identity together when He declares in John 15, “…I AM the true vine, and my Father IS the husbandman…(vine-dresser). (v.1) He goes on to say, “…I am the vine, you ARE the branches.” (v.5) Because of WHO God is, WHO Christ is, He chooses to dwell with men, and by the Spirit to LIVE in the heart. The believer, according to the word of God, has been put into living union with Christ…having been placed IN HIM, in the Vine. “But of God are you IN Christ Jesus…” (1 Cor. 1:30) Now the question: Where do we live? Do we live IN Christ, in this living union with Him, or do we “think” that we are separated, Christ only available to come to our aid when we need Him?
The Psalmist declares: “Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.” (Ps. 90:1) Jesus said, “Abide in Me, and I in you…” (Jn. 15:4) We ARE in Christ, called to LIVE in that union by faith, according to the word of God. This is why Paul could, and would say, “For me to LIVE is Christ…” And, “…I live by the faith of the Son of God.” Paul learned well WHO he was IN Christ, and lived by faith in the reality of it.
Dear Father, enable us to grasp the enormity of Your work in Christ whereby we have been placed in the Son of God, to live by His life, by the Spirit. Strengthen us to live by faith, so that the reality of this blessed union with Christ, who IS our dwelling place, will result in much fruit, the very fruit of His life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Love, Dad