Dear Fellow Believers in Christ, (Christ is in Spirit-rebirthed sons to be their very life) 

Have you ever seen yourself in Christ on the cross? What does co-crucifed really mean in Galatians 2:20? What does it mean to be co-buried with Christ? What does it mean to be co-raised with Christ in His resurrection? When and how does Christ become our life? How does Christ express His life in us as us? What is the heart of the abundant life that Christ promised us? What is new creation life and why is it called that in II Corinthians 5:17? Is Christ our life, our only life? Holy Spirit let us see Christ in us as our life and confirm it with the Word and by Your Spirit.


CHRIST IS OUR LIFE



"I have already been co-crucified with Christ: nevertheless I ever live yet no longer I, but Christ ever lives in me: and the life I now ever live in the flesh, I ever live in faith by the Son of God, who once then having loved me, also at intervals is giving Himself up in behalf of me" (Gal. 2:20, Expanded Greek Translation).

First, We Have Already Been Co-Crucified with Christ on the Cross
"I have already been co-crucified with Christ" (Gal. 2:20a, EGT). Co-crucified is a verb in the perfect tense in the Greek text indicating that it is already completely done. This speaks of the finished work of the cross. As a result, it is impossible for us to add anything to this completely finished work by anything that we should do today. It actually says in the Greek text that we were co-crucified with Christ. This indicates that our old man (Adam) was put to death at the same time that Christ was put to death on the cross. As Spiritually rebirthed sons, this is an important liberating secret that we need to know and have our minds renewed to. "Knowing continually this, that our old man was once then co-crucified with Him, in order that the body of sin might once then be rendered powerless, that we are to no longer continually serve sin" (Rom. 6:6, EGT). The Greek word for rendered powerless in this verse is katargethe, which means to be down from work or unemployed. When you know and have revealed by the Spirit what was actually done to the old man on the cross and sin; then, the old man is put down out of work and is rendered powerless in us. Sin problems in born-again believers are not the primary issues. The focus for rebirthed sons is on the lack of revelation knowledge of the finished work of the cross, that would render sin powerless as we walk in that truth. We need this Holy Spirit revelation of truth.

Second, We Have Already Been Co-Buried with Christ in His Death
"Do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were once then co-buried with Him through baptism into death" (Rom. 6:3,4a, EGT). Paul isn't discussing water baptism here, but the Spiritual baptism by the Holy Spirit into the Body of Christ, at our Spiritual rebirthing (I Cor. 12:13). While the finished work of Christ is complete, it takes a Spiritual rebirthing by the Spirit to make it of effect in us. It takes a Spiritual rebirthing, for everything to go into effect for us or in us for all eternity. It takes all three (3) things – Christ, His finished work on the cross, and our Spiritual rebirthing by the Holy Spirit placing Christ in us and us in Christ.

Third, We Have Already Been Co-Raised with Christ in His Resurrection
"Knowing already that Christ having once then been raised out of the dead ever no more dies; death no more ever lords it over Him" (Rom. 6:9, EGT). This is another thing that Paul states that the born-again believer should already fully and completely know. Christ's resurrection is an eternal resurrection. Death will not have any dominion over Him – ever! We were once then "co-quickened with Christ," "co-raised" in Christ, and "co-seated in the heavenlies in Christ" (Eph. 2:5,6, EGT) through His finished work – all applied to us in our Spirit rebirthing.

Fourth, Christ is Our Life From the Spirit Rebirthing
Jesus said, "I ever am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live" (John 11:25). Christ is the eternal resurrection and the eternal life source. " In Him ever was life" (John 1:4a). When we were Spirit rebirthed, we received the Son. "And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life ever is in His Son. He who has the Son ever has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not ever have life" (I John 5:11,12). We have his eternal life, because that is who Christ is in us. His nature and character is eternal life. No one ever has eternal life aside from having received Christ in a Spiritual birthing by the Holy Spirit. Eternal life resides in Christ. We only have eternal Christ because at the Spirit rebirthing we are placed in Christ and Christ is placed in us. We are now to live by His life in us.

Fifth, Christ Lives in Us as Us and Expresses Himself Through Us
John states, "In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him" (I John 4:9). We are to live in and through Christ. Paul also tells us that, "we shall hereafter be saved by His life" (Rom. 5:10b, EGT). Our eternal salvation as well as our day by day salvation and victories all come from Christ as our life. Whose life do you live? Whose life are you trying to live now? We are bought with a price and not our own (I Cor. 6:19,20). It is "no longer I, but Christ ever lives in me" (Gal. 2:20). Our Father is not looking or training Christian actors to be like, or look like Jesus. The Father is looking for us to hear the message that we are simply "earthen vessels" or clay pots (II Cor. 4:7). The content of the vessel is Christ. Christ is our Life. "As He is so are we in the world" (I John 4:17b). Christ lives in us as us and expresses Himself through us to others.

Sixth, Christ Lives His Abundant Life In and Through Us for Others
Jesus said, "I have come that they might ever have life, and that they may ever have it more abundantly" (John.10:10b, EGT). It is not my abundant life but His. Christ ever lives His abundant life in and through us for others. "I ever live in faith by the Son of God, who once then having loved me, also at intervals is giving Himself up in behalf of me" (Gal. 2:20b, EGT). The faith is in Christ. There is only one Christian life and that is the life of Christ. When I try, I fail. When I trust, He succeeds. It is not my being or doing that brings life to anything. It is His being and doing in and through me that brings life to others or me. Christ is the author and finisher of faith (Hebr. 12:2). I must come to the point of living by His faithful life, who lives in and through me. That's genuine Spirit-empowered faith.

Seventh, Christ Lives in Us as Us and Is Our Only Life
For Spirit-rebirthed sons of God, there is one and only one life to live. That is the life of Christ. Christ is our life, our only life. To think otherwise is being double-minded. The old man (Adam) has been put to death with his life of sin on the cross. We can't live the life of a dead man. "For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Gal. 3:27-28). Since our Spirit rebirthing in Christ, we spiritually no longer have a historical lineage or background with anything on or of this earth. In Christ, we are now "a new creation" and "all things have already completely become new" (II Cor. 5:17). Christ lives in us as us and is our only life.