Part VII: Living by Divine Life

Christianity isn’t a “fire insurance policy” meant to save us from hell. The Lord has given us a purpose that includes what we do today. Jesus never meant for us to remain spiritual infants. Our fitness for His purpose requires that we mature into His likeness and image.

But how exactly does that happen?

Certainly, the Lord has already given believers everything we need for life, godliness, and participation in the divine nature (2 Peter 1:3-4). But like Paul describes in Romans 7, many wonder why we continue to sin so frequently and often without any resistance. We not only struggle with besetting sins, we find living the “Christian life” an elusive prospect. Some have even jettisoned the pursuit of holiness altogether, quietly resigning themselves to their sin and the quiet guilt of unmet spiritual expectations.

Brother? Sister?

What if I told you that it is possible for you to literally participate in the Life of Christ?

What if I told you that victory in Christ is within the reach of every believer and that Jesus has already done all the work for you to achieve it?

In this final post of our seven-part introduction to First Things, I want to encourage you with an explanation of how spiritual maturity occurs. We’ll discuss Jesus’ expectation for mankind, expose the failed methods of modern discipleship, and re-introduce the forgotten ways in which Christ transforms us. We’ll use it as a springboard for future discussions leading to transformation, victory, and our fitness in the fulfillment of the Eternal Purpose.

The Impossible Task

While some are thoroughly acquainted with their spiritual inadequacies, there are others who believe they can muscle through their spiritual situation by their own strength and ability. My first order of business is to completely remove any illusion that you are sufficient to live a good Christian life.

In the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1-7:29), Jesus put the kibosh on Pharisaic tradition while resetting a message that had long been hijacked by the Jewish ruling class. Interestingly, He doesn’t alleviate the requirements of the Levitical law or tradition but actually raises the bar–doubling-down on the level of righteousness that God expected from humanity.

Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees, you will not enter the Kingdom.

Murder is a terrible sin, but if you so much as harbor contempt you will be in danger of the fire of hell.

Adultery is contemptuous, but if you so much as look at a woman in lust you are guilty of adultery.

Loving your neighbor is good, but it comes easy. Try loving your enemies and praying for them. After all, perfection is what the Lord needs from you.

A relationship with the Lord and performing miracles is not enough to inherit the Kingdom. Obedience to the Father’s will is what matters.

It was no longer about the externals. Both sin and righteous were rightly identified as originating in the heart. So much for Jesus making things easier.

In the last post I made the outrageous statement that it is impossible for any human being to demonstrate divine love. In this post I’ll up the ante by saying it’s impossible for any human being to naturally demonstrate any facet of the divine nature.

Don’t believe me?

Be honest with yourself for a moment and ask yourself how well you’ve done at being a good Christian. But no under-handed slow-ball throws. You need to use the standard that Jesus described in the Sermon on the Mount. What is your success rate with righteousness from the heart? How well have you handled contempt and lust? Have you loved your enemies? Have you obeyed your heavenly Father’s will consistently?

These are elements of the divine nature. They represent perfect living.

If you’re honest with yourself and you’ve ever attempted to walk in this level of victory, you can relate to consistent failure. If you’ve never tried it, give it a shot–though I guarantee you will fail. There may be short periods of success, but eventually we’re back to the same predictable pattern of collapse, disappointment, and guilt.

Often when we run across passages like the Sermon on the Mount, many biblical expositors will attempt to explain them by softening Jesus’ language, often pointing to some obscure cultural nuance to suggest that Jesus really didn’t mean these commands literally.

You could almost get away with that here too, if it weren’t for Jesus making it crystal clear:

You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Matthew 5:48 (ESV)

It’s not about trying your hardest to be a “good” Christian and getting partial credit for the effort. Make no mistake, perfection is what the Lord is after. Of course infinite grace is extended to us by the blood of Christ. But grace is a lifeline, not an excuse to avoid Christ’s expectations.

So between an impossibly high standard for righteousness and mankind’s insipid capacity for doing anything holy, what can be done about it?

Conventional Wisdom

To grow in spiritual maturity, much of today’s Western Church appeals to two primary admonishments. They’re so subtle, nuanced, and ubiquitous it’s likely we’ve grown up with these methods and never questioned whether there’s any basis for them.

First, there’s what I call the fallacy of insufficient information. The message of many churches today tells us that our primary means of spiritual growth is to cognitively acquire, store, and process more data about the Lord. This data mainly comes in the form of scripture, Bible studies, sermons, religious education programs, and theological books written by Christian authors.

It’s thought that the more data we have about the Lord, the more we will mentally retain what is expected of us through memorizing scriptural commands. Over time, and armed with this information we will naturally do the right things and avoid the wrong things. If we aren’t growing in Christ-likeness then the problem is simply that we lack sufficient information (or haven’t spent enough time processing it). To fix the problem, we’re continuously reminded to “get more into the Word”. We’re told that absorbing more data is the primary means of becoming more Christ-like. This message is rooted in the evangelical assertion that scripture is primarily a collection of rules to be followed.

The second admonishment is simply for the Christian to try harder to be a better Christian. This message is usually delivered subtly. But if you analyze a sermon or teaching closely, many of them boil down to persuasive rhetoric encouraging the believer to do more for the Kingdom or to strive to be more like Jesus (i.e. WWJD). These messages employ a variety of rhetorical techniques. Some attempt to logically lead the listener into modifying their behavior, arguing from scriptural mandate. Some amount to a cheerleader-style motivational speech to excite the listener into an emotional fervor (often with matching musical accompaniment). When neither of these work, the pastor/teacher may be tempted to the “nuclear option” by the strategic use of guilt…

If Jesus died on the cross for your sins, why wouldn’t you just:

a. Give more

b. Read your Bible more

c. Pray more

d. Evangelize your neighbors

e. All of the above

Of course the messaging may give brief honorable mention to the abstract power of the Holy Spirit to give us a leg-up. But the foregone conclusion is that spiritual success or failure begins and ends with the natural abilities of the Christian.

But none of this really works does it?

Why?

Because merely holding something in the mind or knowing how things should be never provides lasting change.

Please don’t misunderstand me. I’m not saying there isn’t any value in biblical literacy, solid teaching, effort, or appropriate encouragement. But I am saying that, where these methods are implicitly communicated as the primary and direct means to spiritual growth, the return on this investment does not appear to be a good one.

Something is missing in the equation. Something critical. I think much of the Western Church fails in its mission either by not recognizing what’s missing or by assuming it’s there when it may not be.

So what is this missing piece?

The Mystery

The Apostle Paul wrote his letter to the Colossians about four years after first arriving in the small of Colossae in Asia Minor. The church there was suffering from false teaching, causing them to question the depth of their association with Jesus Christ.

Paul counters this false teaching by re-revealing Jesus Christ to this struggling church. He reminded them of the things that he had once said to them in person within their humble homes amid eager ears.

Using weapons-grade eloquence starting in verse 15 of the first chapter, Paul begins to compose an onslaught of divine revelation. He first reminds them of the preeminence of Christ–how He is the center and sustainer of all things. He explains again that Christ is the head of His Body, the ekklesia among whom they are valued members. Paul reminds them that Christ was the first to be re-born permanently among the dead and, through His sacrifice, exacted complete reconciliation–having earned the titles of Resurrection and Life. He declares that because of Christ’s supremacy, that the fullness of the entire Trinitarian Community–Father, Son, and Spirit are all pleased to make their home in Him–to indwell Him amid the glory and power of unapproachable light.

In a final rhetorical crescendo, Paul reminded the church of the mystery that he revealed to them. This mystery had been hidden within the Eternal Purpose for countless millennia. It was a truth kept so hidden that neither man nor angel knew the faintest detail until it was revealed to Paul himself by the Spirit of God. It was a truth that would forever solidify the ineffable, irreversible depth to which Christ was united with the Colossian church.

What was this mystery?

To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Colossians 1:27 (ESV)

The mystery was that Jesus Christ literally lived within the members of the Colossian church. Likewise, He indwells every follower of Christ today.

This mystery confers the highest revelation of Christian worth and purpose to be found. Think about it for a moment: As followers of Jesus, you and I have been chosen to be His only approved vessels of Divine Life (2 Cor. 4:7; 2 Cor. 13:5). Whereas the Temple of Solomon had been abandoned by the Lord long ago, we are now the temple where the Spirit of God is pleased to reside–a temple built of living stones (1 Cor. 3:16; 1 Cor. 6:19).

Brother? Sister? You are not divine. But you have been made clean. And this not merely for a future in heaven but for the purpose of containing divinity today! The fullest measure of the entire Trinitarian Community… the entirety of what Paul referred to in Col. 1:15-27 is, quite literally, inside of you.

What a privilege!

Living By Divine Life

Now if we stopped with this fact it would be amazing enough. Taking this truth into our deepest being and reminding one another of it would do much to remedy the quiet feelings of insignificance and unworthiness we often find in the church.

But here’s the thing–it doesn’t end there! You are not merely a container for divine life, but have been given the privilege of living by divine life.

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness (so that) you may become partakers of the divine nature…
2 Peter 1:4-3 (ESV)

This is possible because the Holy Spirit is connected to you. He is plugged into you and fused together with your spirit (1 Cor. 6:17; Gal. 2:20; John 14:16-17). Having been given direct access to the Divine Life of Christ, we can continuously draw upon that life for His guidance, strength, and authority. We no longer draw on lifeless precepts, principles, ethics, or “What Would Jesus Do?”. Rather, we are drawing directly from the infinite reservoir of Jesus Christ. We live our lives by His Life as He continues to live His life through ours! The potential brought about by this fact is astonishing.

First, whereas before we were doomed to consent to sin and failure, we can now walk in holiness and victory. Before we were given the Holy Spirit we could only operate in what the Apostle Paul calls the “flesh”. The flesh is the sinful nature that we inherited from The Fall. In Romans 7, he describes it as a sentient form of sin that lives inside of us. It is too powerful to resist in our natural ability.

But when we live by the power of the indwelling Christ, not only can we resist the flesh, but we can have victory over it! We achieve this by Christ (not by our own natural strength) since He is the only force that has power over it. By the Spirit we put to death the deeds of the body (Romans 8:13). So while the flesh is still very much alive in our bodies, so is Christ. Today as we walk in Him we have the ability to choose whether to bow the knee to the flesh (and go the way of sin) or defer to the living Christ (and go the way of life).

Now before I get accused of 1 John 1:8, I want to clarify that this doesn’t mean we can’t (or won’t) make the wrong choices. However, it is now our choice to make. Paul provides a very detailed explanation of this spiritual dynamic in Romans 7:7-8:17. It’s too long to include here as a full-text reference, but I highly recommend you read it (very slowly and intentionally).

Living by His Live not only provides victory over sin, but gives us strength to stand firm in any situation.

I can do all things through him who strengths me.
Philippians 4:13 (ESV)

The context here is not in our personal pursuits and worldly success (ahem… or the football field). Paul is talking about having been through hell as a servant of the Lord’s work and, after being beaten, stoned, hungry, thirsty, and alone finding complete sufficiency in the provision of Christ alone. When we live by the Life of Christ He will be our complete sufficiency as well!

Second, living by divine life allows us to bear genuine fruit of the Kingdom.

Just before Jesus was taken away to Calvary, He said some very poignant things to His disciples in the upper room. I imagine His delivery was tense. He knew that this would be the last words He would speak to them before His death. He was no longer speaking in parables. He needed them to understand exactly what needed to be done after He went away. Among these valuable words He gave them a key point of instruction about living by His divine life:

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
John 15:4-5 (ESV)

Jesus explains that He is the “vine” and we are the “branches” that need to stay connected (abide) in the vine. As long as the branch is connected to the vine, drawing life from it, fruit will result (grapes!). But if the branch becomes detached from the vine nothing will be produced.

When Jesus tells them to abide in Him, he’s not referring to their abandoning the faith. He’s instead referring to the act of complete, continuous dependence on Him as their supply of divine life. Only from life can authentic fruit be produced. In this passage Jesus precisely expressed to His disciples that His Life was to be the source of all valid Christian action and expression.

Of course non-Christians (and numerous Christians) live their lives “disconnected” from Jesus every day and often appear very productive. Just look around. Much has been accomplished in this world apart from the life of Jesus. But when Jesus says we can accomplish nothing apart from Him, He’s referring to the God-directed work of building His Kingdom. Only the Lord is the Architect of His Kingdom. Independent entrepreneurs that work from life drawn elsewhere need not apply.

Third, living by the indwelling life of Christ allows us to engage in dynamic communion with the Lord.

As believers, we’re probably familiar with the phrase, “Do you have a personal relationship with Jesus?” Often, this is just a more intriguing way of asking whether someone is “saved”. It may never have occurred to many of us that Jesus actually wants to have a personal, intimate, two-way relationship with those of us who follow Him. After all, He lives in us, right? The non-fancy word for this kind of relationship is fellowship. The fancy word for it is communion. Scripture is full of passages that speak to it as the Lord’s desire for us.

First, communion was the normal mode of fellowship that Christ had with the Heavenly Father. Note the level of dependence, intimacy, and unity that the Son had with the Father:

For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it.
John 12:49 (ESV)

Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.
John 14:10 (ESV)

Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.
John 17:11b (ESV)

Amazingly, the relationship between the Son and the Father was to be the pattern that Son wishes to have with the Christian:

As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me.
John 6:57 (ESV)

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.
John 10:27 (ESV)

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.
Revelation 3:20 (ESV)

Of course communion goes beyond relationship, entering into revelation, where Christ reveals a greater truth about Himself.

It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.
John 6:63 (ESV)

When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.
John 16:13 (ESV)

Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual . . . But we have the mind of Christ.
1 Corinthians 2:12-16 (ESV)

Isn’t it incredible to know that you can actually pursue an inter-personal relationship with the Lord? That He can teach us holiness by our thinking through His thoughts? It’s even more incredible to learn that He wants this more than we do.

Barriers to Living by Divine Life

I believe that living by the indwelling life of Jesus Christ isn’t just for the hyper-pious or theologically heady. I believe it should be the normal experience for every Christian to walk in holiness and victory, to bear the genuine fruit of the Kingdom, and to engage in dynamic communion with the Lord. This is part of His eternal purpose.

But I estimate very few actually do. I think there are several reasons.

First, it takes a shift in our mindset. Like I said earlier, we’ve grown up being taught to approach everything in life by gathering information, processing it, and applying it with maximum effort. Unfortunately this mentality bleeds into our Christian walk and we focus on trying to force spiritual growth out of our natural abilities.

But living by divine Life doesn’t work that way. Rather, success involves focusing on pursuing and engaging Jesus Christ (a life-giving Spirit) in relationship. It’s not about learning methods or techniques, but rather through the interaction of Master and disciple. We apprehend Him not by scholarly study, but rather through communion where we apprehend Him in spirit and in truth.

Some find this belief uncomfortable. They’ll attempt to undermine it using words like “mystical” or “contemplative”. They may say it’s too subjective to be grounded in Christian practice. I would suggest that if you believe in bodily resurrection, a virgin birth, or creation ex nihilo (like every other true believer), then spiritual communion with Jesus Christ is a pretty low bar.

Just sayin’.

Second, learning to live by Christ takes spiritual focus and discipline. Some believers reason that since we’ve already been given the Holy Spirit, living by divine life should be automatic or at least more natural to us. When it doesn’t land gently in their lap they reason that it’s just not achievable (or their current level of maturity is as good as it gets). On the contrary, I think scripture is clear that pursuing Christ requires a level of spiritual striving we may not be familiar with. (This, by the way, is completely different than “trying harder” out of your natural abilities.)

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
Philippians 2:12-13 (ESV)

“Working out your salvation” here doesn’t refer to ‘earning’ a way to heaven. We discussed in Part III that salvation has several dimensions. Rather, it speaks of “working through” the mystery of living by divine life. He’s telling us that learning to live by Christ does not come easy or naturally.

For this I labor [often to the point of exhaustion], striving with His power and energy, which so greatly works within me.
Colossians 1:29 (AMP)

Note in these verses that God works in us as we strive with His power. In everything we do for the Kingdom He brings the ability and we bring the effort. But don’t expect a lot of progress if we approach Him as a side-project or spiritual hobby. Learning to live by divine life takes persistence, sensitivity, intentionality, resilience, a willingness to experiment, community, and lots of time. Many are simply unwilling to commit to this level of discipline.

Third, pursuing Christ is incredibly costly. It requires a level of sacrifice that few are willing to invest.

We have to be willing to die. Die to our plans and ambitions. Die to our pride, our fears, and our right to self-preservation. We may even need to die to some relationships that may be hindering our walk. This doesn’t mean we seek asceticism. Pursuing Christ is done in the context of a normal life. But at some point along the way we’ll be asked to decide between what is “safe” and following the Lord into something exceedingly difficult for us. There won’t be enough data for your analysis. You will have to listen and trust.

When we choose to follow Christ, we may find that we’ve lost pieces and parts of ourselves along the way. But looking back we’ll find that we never needed those pieces anyway. They were a burden. Instead we’ll find that while we have become less, He has become more.

Lastly, there is a notable lack of practical guidance for those wanting to press deeper into Jesus Christ.

Growing up in church the advice I received for following Jesus was pretty consistent. I was told I should pray, read my Bible, attend church, and “be like Jesus”. As an adult it seems this advice hasn’t changed much. It isn’t that these things aren’t true at some level. But it makes me wonder how long would a marriage counselor stay employed if the only advice they gave for every marriage enrichment question was, “Talk to your wife, listen to your wife, be with your wife, and be a good husband”.

Probably not very long. Marriage counseling is a deep subject with vast diversity in thought and practice. Volumes of books have been written to help with practical problems and questions you may have never thought to ask. Why should a subject as central to Christianity as living by Christ be any different?

I can think of four reasons:

Most Christians dismiss the idea of living by Christ (as I’ve described it) as normal practice. (In other words, the key to spiritual growth is knowing more Bible and trying harder).

Many Christians (including many religious professionals) have no practical experience to draw upon.

Most religious instruction is shallow–targeted to new Christians or those seeking Christianity. Very little practical instruction available for spiritually mature believers.

Many Christians fear providing practical advice that is not expressly written in the Bible.

Regardless of the reason, I’ve met several believers in their 20s and 30s who are dissatisfied with what’s commonly offered. They’re desperate to grow deeper in Christ and are unsatisfied with the lack of substantive dialogue and practical advice. My hope is that this blog will contribute to the remedy.

With regard to the practical, I still sit at the feet of Christ. I’m by no means an expert. My offerings are meager.

But some things are too important not to share what little you have.

First Things