Christ in You...Continued from page 6

Verses 23 and 24 remind us how Jesus responded to His persecutors. He did not retaliate in kind. He accepted this as part of His role in fulfilling the will of the Father.

Over the centuries there have been those like Ignatius, a second-century bishop, who avidly sought martyrdom. It was perceived as the best way to honor the Lord. This extreme needs to be avoided just as much as that of assuming persecution to be abnormal.

C. Life of Love (Eph. 5:1-2)

1. Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;

2. And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.

This third dimension of being Christlike begins with the admonition to be imitators of Christ. We are to be followers who demonstrate His attribute of love. It is only to be expected that as children of the heavenly Father we will reflect His love. Here we are reminded of John 3:16—though we were sinners and totally separated from Him, God sent His Son, Jesus, to die for us.

Love of this type is foreign to most humans because of their being so self-absorbed. Genuine love reaches outward from one's own little circle to include others. It willingly sacrifices personal comfort and pleasure in order to be of service to those in spiritual, emotional, and physical need.

Tucked in these few lines of Scripture, we see God's atonement for our sins through Christ's shed blood. He becomes the eternal blood sacrifice applicable to the sins of all humans who will believe on Christ as Savior.

CONCLUSION

This lesson reminds us how through Christ we are changed from the old sinful person to a new creation in Christ. As Christ continues to dwell within us, we reflect His nature, lifestyle, and teachings. We can never fulfill the pattern of Christian ethical conduct unless we experience the regenerating and sanctifying wash of the Holy Spirit.

GOLDEN TEXT CHALLENGE

"IF ANY MAN BE IN CHRIST, HE IS A NEW CREATURE: OLD THINGS ARE PASSED AWAY; BEHOLD, ALL THINGS ARE BECOME NEW" (2 Cor. 5:17).

Paul precisely identifies this new creation as one in which the old has passed away. The Greek word for old means "former things." For Paul, "former things" included a life controlled by the flesh and by evil spirits. It also included a life dominated by the Law. Anything that once stood in the way of our open relationship with Christ is part of the "old things."

The verse concludes with this expression, "Behold, all things are become new." This is certainly a reminder of Revelation 21:5, "Behold, I make all things new." There is a newness in the redeemed life beyond human understanding. This newness is so radical that we seldom understand it in ourselves, much less in others. Nonetheless, it is a profound statement of the status we have in Christ Jesus.

Anyone "in Christ" is a "new creature." The expression "in Christ" occurs 165 times in Paul's writings. It indicates the presence of the Lord in practical and ethical areas of life; it refers to the reigning rule of the Lord in His church as the Victor over death; and it reflects the close relationship between the Christian and Christ.

Thus, to be "in Christ" is to be in a profoundly new experience - life at its fullest. Since the focus is primarily on the Lord, this new life is a reflection of the life brought about by His resurrection.