11, and this is what I read: “That the life also of Jesus might be made mani fest in our body.” Verse 11. “That the life also of Jesus might be made mani fest in our mortal flesh.” You see this is the purpose. I’m a new creature. The Bible says so because I have a new quality of life. That’s the indwelling Christ and I’m a new creature for a new purpose and the new purpose is that the indwelling life of Christ the Sav iour who lives in me might be made manifest in our body or through our body. That the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. This is the whole point of being a Christian — that the Lord Jesus who lives in my heart in the person and power of His Holy Spirit might be seen working through me. Christianity is Jesus Christ who lives in me living out through me day by day. You see this is what these people had in the early chapter of the Acts. They hadn’t the men or the materials the plans or the program. They had nothing but the indwelling Holy Spirit of Christ, and Jesus Christ said to them, you’re going to be witnesses of me. I’m going to live in you and I’m going to live through you and you’re just going to be avail able to me and what I want is going to come through your life. And then notice how these people with nothing, achieved miracles because it was Jesus Christ within them living through them. That’s exactly what you or I can experience today. Jesus Christ living in you being made manifest in our mortal flesh. In other words Jesus Christ lives in me and His indwelling life should be seen in what my hands do, in what my feet do, through my lips, through my tongue, through my heart. He wants your availability. So often we want to do things for Jesus, and yet the whole theory and conception of our faith is that Jesus Christ wants our availability. He wants to do things through us. It isn’t that I’ve got to live for Jesus but that Jesus wants to live for me and through me. Whoever you may be, wherever you may be, whatever your problems and difficulties are if you’re conscious of
(continued from page 27) We see in II Corinthians 15:14 and Romans 8:9 and II Peter 1:4 this tre mendous truth of the indwelling Christ and that is that which makes me a new creature. If any man be in Christ. You’ll find that as you read the writ ings of Paul, this is Paul’s magnificent obsession. Over 120 times he talks of being in Christ or Christ in me. The whole of his thinking, the whole of the concept and thinking of the early church was based on this glorious con ception that they were in Christ and- Christ was in them. “Therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new creation.” I become a new creature for a new purpose. You see before I became a Christian, when I was just the old kind of person, there was only one person who mattered in my life and that was me and that was you in your life and everything you did radiated around yourself, revolved about yourself. You were the center. You were the person who was to decide. You were the per son who planned. You were the person who went ahead with living. You were the fellow on the throne. You were the king of your life. You planned and you just lived. You were the center but now you see according to our verse, if any man be in Christ he is a new crea ture and I’m a new creature because of the new quality of life, because Je sus Christ lives in me and He lives in me not only to be my Saviour but to be my Lord. And if I’m a real Chris tian Jesus Christ sits on the throne of my life. He is the Ruler. He is the One in control. He’s Lord for that’s His name, the Lord Jesus Christ. You know there are so many people who think that the word Lord is a term of affec tion. When they say Lord Jesus, they think that they are calling Him a nice name. They think they’re saying the same as dear Jesus or wonderful Je sus. No. The word Lord is not a term of affection, it’s a term of ownership, majesty, and control. If he is your Lord, then He is in control of your life. That is why I can go back from, this verse we’ve seen in II Corinthians 5:17 to II Corinthians chapter 4, verses 10 and
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