Christians have many special characteristics. The most evident is that they have Christ within them. This understanding must remain deeply and firmly in all Christians. Do not regard this matter as something ordinary; rather, consider it as something very special. We are saved ones before God because Christ has come into us. We grow in life because Christ has gained more ground in us. We are also knowledgeable, spiritual, and pious before God because Christ has increasingly gained ground in us. But how many Christians know thoroughly and clearly that Christ dwells in them and thus live in Christ? The fact is that not many Christians pay attention to this matter as much as God does.
From the day we were saved, God has wanted us to completely put ourselves aside. His intention is that we would let Christ live in us. In other words, formerly the Lord Jesus and we were two persons. The day we were saved, however, the Lord Jesus entered into us. Thus, He and we are no longer two but one. This is what God intends and hopes to accomplish. From the day we were saved, Christ and we are no longer two persons. Our desires, our thoughts, and our will have all been lost in Christ. Previously we lived and considered everything by ourselves. Christ was Christ, and we were we; He and we were two separate persons. The day we were saved, however, we received the Lord Jesus into us; indeed, He has come into us. Thus, we have become one with Him. This is God’s desire. Unfortunately, this matter has long been neglected and even today has not been given sufficient attention by Christians.
Formerly the Lord Jesus and we were distinct and separate, but now we have become one. It used to be that Christ was Christ and we were we, but now Christ has come into us and has been joined with us. One thing happened immediately after He and we were joined together-we became Christians. Once we are saved and become Christians, we possess the life of Christ. However, even among the saved ones, there are two categories. One category consists of Christians who know that their sins have been forgiven, that Christ dwells in them, and that one day they will be with God forever. Moreover, they know that God answers their prayers and that the Spirit of God is moving in them. These Christians know that Christ is in them. The other category consists of Christians who are truly saved yet do not know that Christ dwells in them. If you ask them whether their sins have been forgiven, they will say that they have been forgiven and that they have the inner peace and joy that come with the forgiveness of sins. Furthermore, they will tell you that they have been accepted and justified by God. They also know that one day when they die, they will be with God forever. However, one thing they do not know is that Christ lives in them.
Consider our own situation. We may have already been saved for a period of time, yet we think it strange when asked if Christ is living in us. We all know that our sins have been forgiven and that when we die we will be with God, but we may have never heard about Christ living in us. Perhaps some have told us about it, but their words quickly faded away. Regardless of how long we have been saved, while many of us have the assurance of our salvation, we do not necessarily know that Christ lives in us. This is a serious matter because the center of God’s salvation is that Christ lives in man. Every saved one must clearly understand this matter.
Thus, Christians are those who have Christ in them. For example, we cannot call a cup a teacup unless it contains tea. A teacup must have tea in it. Before we were saved, we were merely human beings, but on the day we believed in the Lord and were saved, Christ came into us. Thus, we are no longer merely men; we are “Christ-men.” A person who is saved has Christ living in him. We must consider this an important matter.
God has a hope and a purpose in the saved ones. God’s hope is that the more Christ lives in us, then the more He will gain ground in us, the more God’s life will be expressed through us, and the more we will be lost in and assimilated by Him. God’s intention is that Christ will gain us, saturate us, and completely assimilate us, so that we may be filled with Christ within and express Christ without. This is God’s expectation. However, from the time we were saved, we have been preoccupied with improving ourselves, hoping that we will be better than before. For example, after having been saved, someone who previously sinned resolves not to sin again. Another one who likes to gossip decides to be more careful in his speaking. Still another one who has a bad temper is determined not to lose his temper again. These hopes are good but quite contrary to God’s hope. This does not mean that we want to be good and that God wants us to be bad. Instead, this means that God is hoping for a goal which is higher and better than the goal we hope for.
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