Life of Christ

From Hearing God, by Dallas Willard. "Once, in the middle of the Sea of Galilee, the disciples' boat was almost beaten under by the waves while Jesus slept calmly. His disciples woke him crying, 'Lord, save us! We are perishing!' (Mt 8:25). Jesus reproachfully replied, 'Why are you afraid, you of little faith?' (8:26). Now the disciples obviously had great faith in Jesus. They called upon him, counting on him to save them. They had great faith in him, but they did not have his great faith in God. It was because the did not have his faith that he spoke of how little faith they had. Some Christians too commonly demonstrate that the notions of 'faith in Christ' and 'love for Christ' leave Christ outside the personality of the believer... These exterior notions of Christ's faith and love will never be strong enough to yield the confident statement, 'It is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me' (Gal 2:20)."

I am often amazed at the things that Paul says, like that statement above in Galatians 2:20. He also says in Philippians 1:21, "For to me to live is Christ..." Paul was obviously embracing the above notion of having the faith and love of Christ instead of just having faith in Christ and love for Christ. He clearly had the life of Christ living in him but what exactly does that life entail. Christ explains what this life is in John 5:19, "So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise." This is the life of Christ. A life of total service to God the Father. Jesus Christ does nothing for himself but only what the Father wants him to do. This is the life that Paul had and this is the life that we were meant to have as well...

But do we? Do I? I often look at how far I am from being able to say what Paul says. Say that my life is Christ. Say that everything I do, my entire life is what God wants me to do. Say that my life is that life of complete servitude to God. Being able to go to bed every night knowing that everything I did that day was for God. A life of no regrets. A life of no second guessing. A beautiful, perfect life where my selfish thoughts and actions no longer exist but only the thoughts of Christ. The faith of Christ. The love of Christ. Is there any other way to really live? Is there any other life other then the life of Christ that is even worth living? Paul didn't think so and neither should I.