Christians can walk in victory when we see the truth about ourselves ... in short seeing ourselves as God sees us.
It is an unfortunate thing that we are more noted for our ceaseless activity than we are for our patient waiting for the directions from God. Yet it is a fact that God is far more interested in the growth of our Christian character than he is in our feverish activity in doing good works for him. When we are the people that He wants us to be, then we will be fully equipped to do what He wants.
We haven't only been rescued from the dominion of darkness and brought into the Kingdom of God's Son, but we live in Jesus Himself. We live in Jesus Christ because that is where God has placed us. That is the only place where the Christian can live.
It is as vital for us to understand this today as it was for the Corinthians to grasp it when St. Paul told them, "It is because of Him (God) that you are in Christ Jesus" (1 Corinthians.1:30).
Paul speaks of "Living in Christ" 168 times in his epistles to refer to the position of the believer. He is speaking in a spiritual sense. The believer gives his old self up to be crucified and is raised in the new life in Jesus Christ.
God has placed us in Christ but that does not make us perfect. If we lose our focus on Jesus, we can fall and sin. That is not God's intention, but it happens. It is of critical importance to learn more and more about what God has done for us in Jesus and to build up a picture from the wonderfully positive truths of how God sees us, then it becomes clear just what 'Living in Christ' means.
We are to let God lead us through the life changing experience of walking the road of confession, repentance, forgiveness, restoration and renewal in the Holy Spirit. We then have become the 'new person in Christ'. There are more traps waiting now, prepared by Satan for those who look at their feelings, not at who God says we are. Here are some of God's words in regards to this matter.
Count yourself dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. (Romans.6:11).
For you were once in darkness but now you are light in the Lord. (Ephesians.5:8).
For the old self has died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. (Colossians 3:3).
If anyone is in Christ they are a new creature, the old life has gone, a new one has come. (2 Corinthians 5:17).
While it is true that we need to spend some time looking inside ourselves to deal with weaknesses and flaws, there is a danger that too much time can be spent this way and it can become obsessive. Looking at failures too much only makes it too easy for them to happen again. We need to change our way of looking at life. Our humanity causes us to see things with a kind of tunnel vision that looks at only part of the picture. We need the bi-focals of faith that lets us see ourselves as God sees us. We must understand that our difficulty is God's opportunity. It is not His intention for us to be trapped by fear, indecision, doubt or sin.
When we have been restored to grace through confession and forgiveness God expects us to stop looking through the eyes of our humanity and see ourselves through His eyes. He sees us as the New Creation People who have been cleansed and given a totally new life, which we are to live 'in Christ'. We are to see ourselves as the people who are to reflect His Glory and are being transformed into His likeness by the inner working of the Spirit.
This is not a question of mind over matter. It is seeing the spiritual truth about ourself and allowing ourselves to be changed in our bodies, minds and spirits into the person that God designed us to be.
God tells us in His Word:
Our bodies are the temple in which God lives by His Spirit.
Through Jesus, the law of the Spirit of life has set us free from the law of sin and death.
He has set His seal of ownership on us and has put His Spirit in us.
God anointed us with His Spirit so that we can live in victory.
He has given us His Spirit to speak to us and lead us in obedience.
We are to be a Spirit filled people, 'Living in Christ' - knowing that everyone who is born of God has overcome the world.
