EXCERPTS FROM THE MINISTRY

CHRIST DWELLING IN US SUBJECTIVELY

The book of Colossians presents both the objective aspect of Christ and the subjective aspect. On the one hand, this book reveals the extensive, all-inclusive Christ objectively. On the other hand, there is the definite indication that this Christ dwells in us subjectively. We have already referred to 1:27, where Paul says that Christ in us is the hope of glory. The extensive, all-inclusive Christ is actually dwelling within us. How subjective this is! According to Paul, the Christ who is the mystery of God’s economy is not merely the Christ at the right hand of God in the heavens, but also the Christ who is within us. According to God’s economy, Christ must be dispensed into us for our subjective experience. If He were only on the throne in the heavens, we could not experience Him. We could look to Him, trust in Him, pray to Him, and rely on Him, but we could not experience Him. Praise the Lord that the extensive Christ lives in us to be our hope of glory! This is the focal point of God’s economy, the center of God’s dispensation.

Some Christians do not believe that Christ is in us. They claim that He is on the throne and is represented in us by the Holy Spirit. This is a twisting of God’s holy Word, which clearly says that Christ is in us. What right does anyone have to say that Christ is only in the heavens and not also in the believers? What ground does anyone have to twist God’s Word to mean that Christ is merely represented in us by the Spirit? Those who deny that Christ actually dwells in us oppose us for teaching that Christ today is the life-giving Spirit (1 Cor. 15:45; 2 Cor. 3:17). The Bible clearly and definitely says that Christ is in us. If Christ were not the life-giving Spirit, how could He indwell us to be our life?

HIDDEN WITH CHRIST IN GOD

In 3:3 and 4 Paul says, “For you died, and your life has been hidden with Christ in God. When Christ our life is manifested, then you also shall be manifested with Him in glory.” Colossians 3:3 says that our life is hidden with Christ in God. To be with Christ in God means that we are one with Christ. In the words of 1 Corinthians 6:17, he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit. We are with Christ in God because we and Christ are subjectively one.

Colossians 3:3 is a deep, mysterious verse. With Christ we are hidden in God. Is it not a mystery that we are with Christ and that we are hidden in God? This is not something merely objective; it is also very subjective.

CHRIST, OUR LIFE

In 3:4 Paul goes on to say that Christ is our life. Nothing is more subjective to us than our life. Our life is actually we ourselves. How can you separate a person from the life of that person? It is impossible! A person’s life is the person himself. Thus, to say that Christ is our life means that Christ becomes us. This is subjective to the uttermost.

WALKING IN CHRIST

In 2:6 and 7 Paul says, “As therefore you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in Him, having been rooted and being built up in Him.” After we receive Christ, we should walk in Him. This is to live, act, behave, and have our being in Him. This also is subjective. If Christ were only on the throne, how could we walk in Him on earth? We can walk in Christ only if He is subjective to us in our experience.

Colossians 2:7 speaks of having been rooted in Christ and of being built up in Him. These expressions are related to our walking in Christ. We walk in Him, having been rooted in Him and being built up in Him. This implies that we are plants rooted in Christ. We need to see more of what it means to be rooted in Christ and to be built up in Him in order to walk in Him.

Our burden in this message has been to point out that Paul’s intention in Colossians is to help the saints realize that there should not be any replacements for Christ. Rather, everything else must be replaced by Christ. Christ is in us as our life, and we need to walk in Him. If we have been rooted in Christ, and if we are being built up in Him, we shall walk in Him. We shall live, behave, and have our being in Him. This is to live Christ.