"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom ..."
The purpose of this little series on knowing Christ individually and coporately was to help you understand the tension that can come about from seeing the value of displaying Christ as a people corporately, while also seeing that the only way Christ can be seen in this way is if individual members of the body are functioning and sharing within that context.
Many people think if you function individually that you're taking away from the coporate purpose of God: that's a misunderstanding and not true. Rather it's the very key of revealing who Christ is to one another and the world, as the input of many members gives a more full view of who He is, and others parts of the body of Christ become more fully orbed and reflecting Christ by how you function or what you verbally share.
But as the scripture above says, we must allow the Christ to dwell within us richly in order for this to work, and to present to one another the wisdom of God, which is Christ.
The problem in many attempting to do this without help is they draw from the world and the many things it offers, rather than Christ as the means to accomplish the Father's purpose. Many of you attempting to find this way of practicing Christ together are already way off the mark by focusing instead on irrelevant things like those who promote dubious environmental causes, homosexuals being born into their lifestyes, and a host of other things not related to Christ. You're unfortunately doomed to fail if that's the road you continue to travel.
All that is is a political philosophy built upon humanism you've learned in your high school and college classes. It has no place overall in the purpose of God, and is far from what God has purposed in Christ from before creation.
God is after Christ dwelling in you; both individually and corporately. Dwelling in you isn't referring to just getting you fire insurance and happily going your way, taking in every wind of doctrine along your wayward path. Christ dwelling in you is the formation of Christ within as you set your mind and will on Him who lives in you, and as the many challenges of life force you to hold to Him while He changes you through a myriad of ways into His very image. That's what the work of the cross does, weaken you so the life of Christ can be shaped within you. It's that life which is to be shared with one another, and which ultimately unveals itself as the fulness of Christ from that sharing.
That's what it means for the word of Christ to dwell richly in you. That's what is to be shared with one another and ultimately leads to the end of God's purpose that all should know Him from the least to the greatest. It's knowing Him and bearing His image that is the result of all this, and it can only be done as well as those who individually take Him up and then come together as one in Him.
Knowing Christ: Individually and Corporately - Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4
The purpose of this little series on knowing Christ individually and coporately was to help you understand the tension that can come about from seeing the value of displaying Christ as a people corporately, while also seeing that the only way Christ can be seen in this way is if individual members of the body are functioning and sharing within that context.
Many people think if you function individually that you're taking away from the coporate purpose of God: that's a misunderstanding and not true. Rather it's the very key of revealing who Christ is to one another and the world, as the input of many members gives a more full view of who He is, and others parts of the body of Christ become more fully orbed and reflecting Christ by how you function or what you verbally share.
But as the scripture above says, we must allow the Christ to dwell within us richly in order for this to work, and to present to one another the wisdom of God, which is Christ.
The problem in many attempting to do this without help is they draw from the world and the many things it offers, rather than Christ as the means to accomplish the Father's purpose. Many of you attempting to find this way of practicing Christ together are already way off the mark by focusing instead on irrelevant things like those who promote dubious environmental causes, homosexuals being born into their lifestyes, and a host of other things not related to Christ. You're unfortunately doomed to fail if that's the road you continue to travel.
All that is is a political philosophy built upon humanism you've learned in your high school and college classes. It has no place overall in the purpose of God, and is far from what God has purposed in Christ from before creation.
God is after Christ dwelling in you; both individually and corporately. Dwelling in you isn't referring to just getting you fire insurance and happily going your way, taking in every wind of doctrine along your wayward path. Christ dwelling in you is the formation of Christ within as you set your mind and will on Him who lives in you, and as the many challenges of life force you to hold to Him while He changes you through a myriad of ways into His very image. That's what the work of the cross does, weaken you so the life of Christ can be shaped within you. It's that life which is to be shared with one another, and which ultimately unveals itself as the fulness of Christ from that sharing.
That's what it means for the word of Christ to dwell richly in you. That's what is to be shared with one another and ultimately leads to the end of God's purpose that all should know Him from the least to the greatest. It's knowing Him and bearing His image that is the result of all this, and it can only be done as well as those who individually take Him up and then come together as one in Him.
Knowing Christ: Individually and Corporately - Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4
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