The Urgency and the Way of Spiritual Reality (continued)
The Second Effect of the Spirit's Coming is Power (continued)
The secret of Christ dwelling within us is something that the Holy Spirit wants to make real. And if that secret by the Holy Spirit is made real, we shall be a people at rest, a people with balance, a people with strength to meet the days as they come. However, is the day to be met: a day of darkness, a day of clouds, a day of weariness; unless we know the indwelling Christ as an abiding reality we are going to be defeated on every turn.
The Apostle Paul would be the first to tell us that he cannot face life, let alone serve God, without this mighty fact, that Christ has come to dwell in his heart through faith. Oh, how great Christ is! You see this One, Who is the fullness of God, in Whom is all the qualities that we need, taking up residence in our puny frames, why that ought to become a mighty source, not only of our own satisfaction, but of influence and power and reality.
And dear friends, if Christ is not really living, if we are not really living by faith in Him, day to day, well, there is not much reality. We are talking about spiritual reality, and I believe this is the first key to it. It is the indwelling Christ. I believe otherwise, we present to the situation that word - empty shell - of what we are in ourselves. Really, Paul just calls himself an earthen vessel, he says that does not do it, it is This Treasure in the earthen vessels that is the secret. It is Christ in us that is the hope of glory, is it not? The only hope of any glory during the day is Christ in us, is it not? What a pity that we should have an unglorious day. Every day should have something of glory about it, whatever be the calling of each one of us in practical terms. It may be the home. It may be going out to work. It may be a hundred and one things; but glory ought to mark the children of God, because Christ is dwelling within us.
Yes, and that is where we come to this word about the Holy Spirit. I believe that though we believe as it were about the Holy Spirit, and believe about Christ being in us, that something is needed of a putting forth of a Divine Power to make things real: "That you may be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell" (Ephesians 3:16, 17). And I believe the practical application for everyone of us, and do try and get this, in order that it may be really Christ, dear friends, I believe that we need a new appropriation of the power of the Holy Spirit, a new appropriation. You have the Holy Spirit if you are a child of God, but a new appropriation and trusting the Spirit of God to make Christ very real as our life. Perhaps, you do not think that matters, I believe it matters very much. And this is the cause of why the Apostle Paul bowed his knees unto the Father, that the saints might know this Great One as their indwelling life. Well, we must leave that, but it leads to the next thing: "That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; to the end that ye, being rooted and grounded in love."
~T. Austin-Sparks~
(continued with # 26 - (The Love of Christ)
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