2 Kings 24-25
John 5:1-24
“When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.” Colossians 3:4
For those of us who are Christians, where are we? Some of us may be thinking of our physical location like our home, workplace or the car. When we read Scripture, Paul tells where we are: “For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3). Where are we? We are with Christ.
Some of us may know what a matryoshka doll is—it is a Russian wooden doll that can be pulled apart from top to bottom, revealing a smaller wooden doll that can also be pulled apart to reveal another one, and so on. Imagine we are the smaller wooden doll and Christ is the bigger one. Now, left to ourselves, we are dead, but God made us alive in Christ; in other words, we—the smaller doll—were placed inside the bigger doll, when we received Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour. If we take the bigger doll—Christ—and place it on the floor, where are we? We are on the floor. Why? Because we are in the bigger doll. Again, if we take the bigger doll, lift it up and exalt it on a high lofty shelf, we are also lifted up and exalted on a high lofty shelf. Why? Because we are in the bigger doll—in Christ.
Do we realize what Scripture is declaring about us when we place our faith in Christ? We are secure, held by Christ and raised to a heavenly place because our life is now hidden with Christ in God. Where Christ is, there we are also, because we are in Him.
While we have been raised with Christ, we are still residing on earth. But this raises the question, how do we live into that reality? Major Ian Thomas, the founder of Capernwray Bible School, puts it this way: “To be in Christ, that makes you fit for heaven, but for Christ to be in you, that makes you fit for earth. To be in Christ changes your destination, but for Christ to be in you, that changes your destiny. The one makes heaven your home; the other makes this world His workshop.”
What is our purpose with Christ in us? Scripture tells us, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10). Another Scripture says, “…for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfil His good purpose” (Philippians 2:13). Altogether, we are His sent body—the miniaturized doll of the bigger doll—to show the world who Christ is.
Precious Jesus, thank You for securing us with You in the heavenly places. May our life show the world who You are. Amen!
John 5:1-24
“When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.” Colossians 3:4
For those of us who are Christians, where are we? Some of us may be thinking of our physical location like our home, workplace or the car. When we read Scripture, Paul tells where we are: “For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3). Where are we? We are with Christ.
Some of us may know what a matryoshka doll is—it is a Russian wooden doll that can be pulled apart from top to bottom, revealing a smaller wooden doll that can also be pulled apart to reveal another one, and so on. Imagine we are the smaller wooden doll and Christ is the bigger one. Now, left to ourselves, we are dead, but God made us alive in Christ; in other words, we—the smaller doll—were placed inside the bigger doll, when we received Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour. If we take the bigger doll—Christ—and place it on the floor, where are we? We are on the floor. Why? Because we are in the bigger doll. Again, if we take the bigger doll, lift it up and exalt it on a high lofty shelf, we are also lifted up and exalted on a high lofty shelf. Why? Because we are in the bigger doll—in Christ.
Do we realize what Scripture is declaring about us when we place our faith in Christ? We are secure, held by Christ and raised to a heavenly place because our life is now hidden with Christ in God. Where Christ is, there we are also, because we are in Him.
While we have been raised with Christ, we are still residing on earth. But this raises the question, how do we live into that reality? Major Ian Thomas, the founder of Capernwray Bible School, puts it this way: “To be in Christ, that makes you fit for heaven, but for Christ to be in you, that makes you fit for earth. To be in Christ changes your destination, but for Christ to be in you, that changes your destiny. The one makes heaven your home; the other makes this world His workshop.”
What is our purpose with Christ in us? Scripture tells us, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10). Another Scripture says, “…for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfil His good purpose” (Philippians 2:13). Altogether, we are His sent body—the miniaturized doll of the bigger doll—to show the world who Christ is.
Precious Jesus, thank You for securing us with You in the heavenly places. May our life show the world who You are. Amen!
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