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" Yet a little while and the world beholds Me no longer, but you behold Me; because I live, you also shall live." (John 14:19)
Jesus was speaking of His death, resurrection, and ascension.
Physically the world will behold Him no longer.
But definitely the believers with "behold" Him in a way of an inner realization.
Because He lives in resurrection and can come and live in them, they will live also.
Then Christian morals can more and more saturate them as they cooperate to let the Spirit of Christ subdue them and permeate their living.
Paul was a wonderful pioneer of this salvation and wrote to us how we can also get into this experience of living Christian morals.
"But I say, Walk by the Spirit and you shall by no means fulfill the lusts of the flesh." (Gal. 5:16)
Paul entered into this "by no means". And in maturity of Christian morals wrote on to us -
" I am crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.
I do not nullify the grace of God; ..." (Gal. 2:20,21a)
We Christians are thankful for brother Paul's experience.
And others have been trail blazers in this grace also.
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Originally posted by @fmf
This "utter udentification and union" with some supernatural being happens in the mind right? It's not an action in and of itself is it? It's stuff that a religious person THINKS. I'm not sure why you are reluctant to acknowledge this: it's quite obviously what you are saying.
This "utter udentification and union" with some supernatural being happens in the mind right?
The mind is certainly needed to be one with the Lord Jesus.
But it is the human spirit, which is deeper than the mind, to which the Lord Jesus is joined as "one spirit".
So the believer needs to be strengthened into this realm in which Christ is living "one spirit" with her. For example, Paul's exhortation -
" That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit into the inner man." (Eph. 3:16)
Here, surely "the inner man" must be the regenerated human spirit. The link between the believer's living and where Christ is in him is weak and needs ever to be strengthened.
That is not just bump occasionally into that realm of his being, but learn to abide there. Strengthened into that inner man which is "one spirit" with the Lord Jesus.
This is that salvation of Christ being dispensed into man.
The mind does not touch God directly.
The human mind must be SET upon the regenerated spirit.
"For the mind set on the flesh is death but the mind set on the spirit is life and peace." (Rom. 8:6)
The more the Christian practices to SET his mind on his regenerated spirit the more he will be strengthened with power by the Holy Spirit INTO his "inner man".
It's not an action in and of itself is it? It's stuff that a religious person THINKS.
At regeneration another Person comes and blends with the receiver.
Previously he led a life of two dimensions. Now another dimension has been added to his being.
But he is use to living in that two dimensional world. By practice the believer learns to live in the three dimensional world with a strengthening INTO that third dimension - the vital inner man.
Christ went through a process by which He could become dispensed into a man's innermost spiritual being. He became a divine life imparting Spirit in His resurrection.
"the last Adam became a life giving Spirit" (1 Cor. 15:45) [/b]
Another way to look at this is that the highest part of created man's being, his human spirit, has come out from under its suppression and been reinstated as the topmost part of his being - his fellowship with the living God.
The outsider hears all of this and often imagines that it is all in the imagination of the Christian. This cannot be argued away from him if he chooses to view the Christian life as merely a psychological phenomenon.
In this matter - "Is Christ in people REAL or just a fantasy?" for many people, only TIME will yield the answer. You see, outwardly we look like everybody else.
We believers in Christ of course should not continue to live unrighteously and unholy and ungodly as everyone else.
Take me for example. I am still a work in progress.
And no, I don't think I will boast for myself - pointing to this or that as Christ living in me.
You be the judge.
If someone wants to counter - "Well sonship ole boy, we don't see much Jesus Christ in you." That's their evaluation. But don't expect me to boast in myself.
Originally posted by @sonshipYou're willing to claim some sort of supernaturally enhanced morality "flows out" of Christians and yet you are not willing to offer any evidence of it?This "utter udentification and union" with some supernatural being happens in the mind right?
The mind is certainly needed to be one with the Lord Jesus.
But it is the human spirit, which is deeper than the mind, to which the Lord Jesus is joined as [b]"one spirit".
So the believer needs to be strengthened into this realm in w ...[text shortened]... e much Jesus Christ in you." That's their evaluation. But don't expect me to boast in myself.[/b]
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Originally posted by @fmf
You're willing to claim some sort of supernaturally enhanced morality "flows out" of Christians and yet you are not willing to offer any evidence of it?
You're willing to claim some sort of supernaturally enhanced morality "flows out" of Christians and yet you are not willing to offer any evidence of it?
I did not say I would not speak of evidence of Christ living in people.
I said that I would not boast in myself.
Christ said that He would build His church and that the gates of Hades would not prevail against it. The endurance of the Christian church through turmoil and persecution, attack from without and corruption from within have all attempted to prevail to wipe out the Gospel. These things have not.
I would say that this is evidence that the incorruptible one, Jesus Christ, has been living in men and woman. And the faith has been "torture tested" by these 20 centuries.
Consider, smart folks like you, and smarter ones too, have attempted to whittle away the Gospel into nothing. They cannot do it no matter how much they try.
This character of the endurance of the saints is, IMO, evidence of Jesus Christ living in people.
Originally posted by @sonshipGive me some evidence from now, this community for example, use pseudonyms if you must, examples, evidence, real life, not regurgitations from your religious literature.You're willing to claim some sort of supernaturally enhanced morality "flows out" of Christians and yet you are not willing to offer any evidence of it?
I did not say I would not speak of evidence of Christ living in people.
I said that I would not boast in myself.
Christ said that He would build His church and that the gates of Had ...[text shortened]... his character of the endurance of the saints is, IMO, evidence of Jesus Christ living in people.
Originally posted by @sonshipYou are not willing to either confirm or deny that you are claiming that "Christ is living" in you and that "Christian morals" are "flowing out" of you? You can't even assert that?
I did not say I would not speak of evidence of Christ living in people.
I said that I would not boast in myself.
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Originally posted by @fmfChrist lives in me more than you "use to be" a Christian.
You are not willing to either confirm or deny that you are claiming that "Christ is living" in you and that "Christian morals" are "flowing out" of you? You can't even assert that?
See what you can do with that one.
Originally posted by @sonshipThe relationship between Jesus and FMF and it’s future outcome has absolutely nothing to do with how you feel about FMF, how you feel he treats you in this forum, nor what he claims about himself. You do realise this don’t you?
Christ lives in me more than you "use to be" a Christian.
See what you can do with that one.
Originally posted by @sonshipSo why did you post this in the middle of our conversation? Who was it about? Who was it for? ...
Not by your feeble and weak attempts at inquisitions.
Don't bother flattering yourself.
A king wanting to persecute the Christians into oblivion was well advised by a colleague: " Sire, the church of God is an anvil that has worn down many hammers."
Originally posted by @sonshipIs this "character of the endurance of the saints" you talk about, then, "evidence of Jesus Christ living in", say, whodey, divegeester, you, Eladar, RBHILL, Suzianne, KellyJay, checkbaiter, and others. Do you have any evidence of Christ "flowing out" of any of them?
This character of the endurance of the saints is, IMO, evidence of Jesus Christ living in people.
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Originally posted by @fmfWhat evidence do you offer that you would recognize Christ in someone living if you encountered Him ?
What evidence are you offering that "Christ lives" in you?
For someone staking his destiny on Christ not living, what evidence do you offer that you would welcome Him if He did live in someone/s ?