Day 39: Christ Is Your Life

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” (1 Peter 1:3)

By being identified by faith with Jesus in death, burial and resurrection, we pass with Him out of the old order—the old creation—into a new order - a new creation. We are begotten again by the power of God into this new race of which Jesus Christ is the Head.

This was the purpose of the death and resurrection of Jesus. Once we are thus born again, Christ is from then on our inward source of eternal life. We have an entirely new source of life that is in Christ and is in heaven. The apostle Paul describes this:

“If then you then were raised with Christ [that is, identified with Him in resurrection], seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.” (Colossians 3:1–4)

Our inheritance is in the heavenlies, on the throne with Jesus. That is why we should set our minds on things above, because the course of our lives is determined by that on which our minds are focused.

Notice the tremendous phrase of limitless meaning: ‘Christ is our life.’ That life is absolutely inexhaustible. Nothing can conquer that life. It is undefeatable, indestructible and eternal.

In 2 Corinthians 4:16 Paul applies this to his experience, and it applies also to ours: ‘Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.’

That beautiful message of encouragement tells us that we do not need to lose heart. Things may seem to be difficult or going against us outwardly, but we are connected to Jesus. By faith through the Holy Spirit, we have an inward source of life, and we are being continually renewed by this life within us, which is the resurrected, glorified Christ.