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This is a very
rich verse. We have already seen how the Lord Jesus is given to be
our Life. Upon that basis we can lay claim to everything else.
Here we see that to those of us who are in Christ, He is made to
be our wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. It
does not say that He gives these things to us, but that HE IS
these things in us.
Again, this is the difference between a living Christianity and a
dead religion. Most of us are still trying to ATTAIN something and
have not yet realized that we have already OBTAINED it. We wear
ourselves out in order to be Christ-like.
We are hoping that through much effort we will one day reach some
standard to which we can finally say we are living like Jesus. But
this is not God's way. It is not a CHANGED life that God seeks
from you, but an EXCHANGED life - that is, your life is to be
given up in exchange for HIS LIFE. "It is no longer I that
live, but Christ that lives in me (Gal.2:20ff)." THAT is the
exchanged Life: my life for His Life.
We should have learned by now that we cannot change ourselves.
Jesus says we cannot increase our stature by a single inch through
worry and self-effort (Matthew 6:27). If we cannot make ourselves
grow physically, how can we ever hope to make ourselves grow
spiritually? Have you ever seen a brother or a sister try to act
sanctified? They wear themselves and everyone else out. It is a
burden to be around such a person.
That is not Christianity. Christianity is this: not that I am
trying to be wise, but that I receive the Lord Jesus as my Wisdom;
not that I am trying to be righteous, but that I receive the Lord
Jesus as my Righteousness; not that I am trying to be sanctified,
but that I receive the Lord Jesus as my Sanctification; not that I
am trying to be redeemed, but that I accept the Lord Jesus as my
Redemption. Henceforth I cease trying to be anything, and I allow
Him to be Who He is through me.
We must be clear: these things are not the "reward" for
years of faithful service, or the fruit of walking with Jesus
after a long period of time. If I have Him NOW, then I have all
that pertains to Him NOW. My Wisdom, my Righteousness, my
Sanctification, and my Redemption has a personality, for He is all
those things in me. It is not a question of my behavior, or my
conduct, or my feelings one way or the other - those things will
come into line soon enough - but it is all based upon this
accomplished fact. Christ is God's Gift. I repeat, we have much to
praise God about!
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