A Better Practice of the Christ Life

The Mystery Revealed: Christ in You

The apostle Paul unveiled one of the greatest mysteries of the Christian faith:

"To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus." (Colossians 1:27-28 NKJV)

God's Abundant Care and Our Response

My Heavenly Father can do exceedingly abundantly in taking care of me. He CAN and WILL take care of me. Jesus confirmed this truth:

"If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!" (Matthew 7:11 NKJV)

Having been so blessed, there is an expectation on our lives. God expressed this expectation through the prophet Isaiah:

"And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge, please, between Me and My vineyard. What more could have been done to My vineyard that I have not done in it? Why then, when I expected it to bring forth good grapes, did it bring forth wild grapes?" (Isaiah 5:3-4 NKJV)

The Extent of God's Blessing

I am so blessed because:

"He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?" (Romans 8:32 NKJV)

There is nothing that God has that He has not given to us, and there is an expectation on our lives because of this incredible generosity.

Living the Christ Life

The foundation of better practice lies in understanding our new identity:

"I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." (Galatians 2:20 NKJV)

Paul further declared:

"For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain." (Philippians 1:21 NKJV)

The Transformative Nature of Christ Within

The kind of things that Christ inside of you wants to live out are the kind of things that ordinarily your mind cannot fathom. There should be telltale signs of who is at work in you.

People should be able to learn Christ by looking at your life. Your plans are only correct when they are subsets of God's plans. Your life is not about what you like but about what He likes. He dictates the affairs of your life.

No man in whom Christ dwells will talk or look down on the body of Christ.

Authority Through Christ

Christ teaches with authority. Anyone in whom He dwells also has the authority. Step up with boldness and own the stage.

"And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes." (Mark 1:22 NKJV)

His pre-eminence is inextricably linked to His sufficiency. The problem for many Christians at times is not lack but covetousness.

Learning Christ Properly

As you learn Christ, you will realize that everything is at the instance of Christ. All other things will surely be added unto you.

"But you have not so learned Christ." (Ephesians 4:20 NKJV)

"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." (Matthew 6:33 NKJV)

The Practices of Jesus: Keys to Success

The secret to a man's success lies in his daily routine. Jesus' practices are patterns of recurring effective things programmed into your daily routine. They make Jesus' ways predictable.

Examples of such acts are healings, casting out of devils, prayers, thanksgiving, raising the dead. This consistency is rooted in His unchanging nature:

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." (Hebrews 13:8 NKJV)

You cannot manifest any of Jesus' practices by your own strength. That is why we have the Holy Spirit.

The Practice of Speaking to Things

Jesus practiced speaking to things with words that describe the outcome of what He wanted it to be. He has the authority to determine the outcome of every situation. The only way to exert authority is to release utterance of what is intended or desired.

God demonstrated this principle with Moses:

"But lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it. And the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea." (Exodus 14:16 NKJV)

The rod is the Word. Christ in you is a talker. He sees the situation and He wants to talk to it. You are His mouthpiece. Do not keep Him silent. Declare His word into the situation.

Authority Administered Through Words

Authority is only administered by words. The centurion understood this principle:

"Therefore I did not even think myself worthy to come to You. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man placed under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come,' and he comes; and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it." (Luke 7:7-8 NKJV)

Jesus' Examples of Speaking to Situations

Jesus gives instructions to situations on what they should become:

"Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, 'Peace, be still!' And the wind ceased and there was a great calm." (Mark 4:39 NKJV)

"And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, 'Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!'" (Mark 4:41 NKJV)

"But Jesus rebuked him, saying, 'Be quiet, and come out of him!'" (Mark 1:25 NKJV)

Jesus looked at the fig tree and uttered a statement that implied the end of its purpose and existence:

"And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, 'Let no fruit grow on you ever again.' Immediately the fig tree withered away." (Matthew 21:19 NKJV)

The Power of Believing Words

Train yourself not to speak carelessly. Believe in the words you speak. Do not speak when you are silent. Respect the words that come out of your mouth.

"And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, 'How did the fig tree wither away so soon?' So Jesus answered and said to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, "Be removed and be cast into the sea," it will be done. And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.'" (Matthew 21:20-22 NKJV)

Jesus did not instruct them to “say about” the mountain, rather he instructed them to “say to” the mountain.

Greater Works Through Abiding

"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father." (John 14:12 NKJV)

"If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you." (John 15:7 NKJV)

Abiding in Him means His Spirit dwells in you. When His Words abide in you, you will only say the things He wants you to say.

Since I abide in Him and His Words abide in me, I will call forth things and declare things to be as they should be regardless of how they are currently, and it shall be according to the Word of the Lord on my lips.

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." (Colossians 3:16 NKJV)

Conclusion

A better practice of the Christ life involves understanding that Christ in you is the hope of glory, recognizing the authority you carry through Him, establishing daily routines based on His practices, and learning to speak to situations with faith-filled words. When Christ's words abide in you and you abide in Him, you become His mouth on earth, declaring His will into existence and experiencing the greater works He promised to those who believe.