What if Adam and Eve Hadn't Eaten of Wrong Tree? Part 3

When we talk of Christ in you, it of course goes beyond personally alone (although it definitely includes it) to experiencing Him corporately in His people.

There is no other place to start in reference to the purpose of God than to have a fellowship with the Godhead within a people together. Of course it has to be in each person, but from there it is meant to be shared and expressed among a people together. That's how Christ is to be seen on this earth: through a visible people with His life in them.

This obviously goes beyond just some type of general presence that feels good, just like any person we get close to will end up changing and challenging our lives just by spending time with them. It's the same with Christ in His people.

Through the ages we always get people talking of the desire to see things restored in the church, but if Christ within isn't the place we start, there's no hope that it can end up in the right place.

Christ in us is the hope of glory, and that glory can never be expressed and lived unless we give Him permission to live His live there, and we do so as a people.

Having said this, the element missing in most of this is the willingness to endure the cross over our lifetimes in order to make room for Christ. The work of the cross weakens and devastates our old man in order that Christ can be seen.

I know that our old man has been buried with Christ, but he does like to try to act like he's alive. The work of the cross ensures that we keep him dead and buried.

There is really no other place to start than this. If this isn't done, it really doesn't matter what follows, it will be off center very quickly, and will not survive long; at least as a testimony to who the Lord really is.

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4
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