I HEARD OF A YOUNG MAN WHO WAS A DEVOUT CHRISTIAN. YET HE WAS STRUGGLING SO MUCH TO LIVE THE CHRISTIAN LIFE. HE FELT FRUSTRATED. HE TRIED EVERYTHING. HE KEPT ASKING: HOW TO LIVE THE CHRISTIAN LIFE? WHY THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IS SO DIFFICULT? WHY I CAN NOT LIVE A HOLY LIFE? HE PRAYED, YET THE VICIOUS CIRCLE OF SINNING KEPT GOING: LYING, LUSTING AND ANGER. SOMETIMES HE WONDERED IF HE WAS BORN AGAIN! HE TRIED FASTING, READING SPIRITUAL BOOKS, GOING A LOT TO THE CHURCH BUILDING, MENTAL STRAIN, AND EVEN ASKING EVERY PREACHER: WHAT IS THE SECRET OF LIVING A SUCESSFULL CHRISTIAN LIFE? HE KEPT ASKING: WHY I FAIL SO MUCH? I FEEL I AM A CHILD OF GOD, YET SIN KEEPS CONTROLING. GOD TELLS ME GO RIGHT, AND I KEEP GOING LEFT! ONE DAY I TALK WITH THIS YOUNG MAN WHICH I WILL CALL JHONNY. JHONNY ASKED ME: PLEASE PREACHER, TELL ME HOW TO LIVE THE CHRISTIAN LIFE? I AM TIRED. I DON;'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. I AM DESPERATE! I THINK I AM GOING CRAZY. IT IS IMPOSSILE TO LIVE HOLY IN THIS DARK WORLD! TELL ME PREACHER, HOW TO LIVE THE CHRISTIAN LIFE!? I TOLD HIM: YOU ARE ASKING THE WRONG QUESTION. HE LOOK AT ME AS IF I WAS CRAZY. I TOLD HIM: THE QUESTION IS NOT "HOW", BUT "WHO". WHO IS THE ONE WHO LIVES THE CHRISTIAN LIFE, YOU OR CHRIST IN YOU? THE YOUNG MAN LOOK AT ME AS IF I WAS TALKING CHINESE. I LIKE TO GIVE ANSWERS WITH BIBLE VERSES. THE VERSE I TOOK TO ANSWER THIS PRECIOUS YOUNG MAN QUESTION WAS GALATIANS 2:20. THEN RIGHT THERE, IN THE CAFE PLACE, I GIVE HIM A WHOLE SERMON FROM GALATIANS 2:20. FIRST OF ALL: "I AM CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST" NUMBER ONE, I AM DEAD. THE OLD SELF IS FINISHED. THE OLD MAN IS CRUCIFIED, TOTALLY FINISHED. CHRISTIAN ACT AS IF THEY STILL HAVE THE OLD MAN. THEIR MIND HAS TO BE RENEWED TO THE FACT THAT THEY NO LONGER HAVE AN OLD MAN! CHRIST CRUCIFIED THE OLD MAN AT CALVARY! YOU ARE NO LONGER AN "OLD MAN", YOU ARE A NEW MAN IN CHRIST! YOUR MIND MUST BE RENEWED TO THE FACT THAT THE OLD MAN IS FINISHED! THE OLD PAUL IS GONE! ALL THAT IS LEFT IS THE NEW PAUL IN CHRIST! NUMBER TWO, "NEVERTHELESS I LIVE". YES, THE OLD MAN IS GONE, BUT I STILL EXIST. YES, I STILL LIVE, BUT NOT THE OLD LIFE OF THE OLD SELF. I AM A NEW SELF, THE OLD SELF IS CRUCIFIED, FINISHED. MY NEW IDENTITY IS CHRIST IN ME AND I IN CHRIST, NO LONGER THE OLD I. NUMBER THREE, "YET NOT I". I AM NOT THE SOURCE OF THIS NEW LIFE. I AM NOT THE FOUNTAIN. I AM ONLY A BRANCH. I AM NOT THE ROOT, THE ORIGIN OF THIS NEW LIFE. I AM NOT THE FOUNTAIN HEAD. I AM NOT THE CHRIST-LIFE! I AM ONLY A VESSEL, A CHANNEL, A CONDUIT THROUGH WHICH THE CHRIST-LIFE FLOWS. NUMBER FOUR, "BUT CHRIST LIVETH IN ME". NOW CHRIST IS MY LIFE (COLOSSIANS 3:4). HE LIVES THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IN ME, FOR ME, THROUGH ME AND WITHIN ME. I DON'T HAVE TO FIGHT TO LIVE THE CHRISTIAN LIFE, IT IS CHRIST'S BUSDINESS TO LIVE HIS LIFE IN ME. THIS IS WHY CHRIST CAME TO LIVE WITHIN US! I MUST LET HIM LIVE HIS LIFE IN ME! THE SECRET IS NOT STRUGGLING, BUT RESTING, NOT DOING, BUT DEPENDING, NOT FIGHTING, BUT BELIEVING AND EXPECTING CHRIST TO LIVE HIS CHRISTIAN LIFE THROUGH US! THAT CHRIT LIVES IN ME MEANS THAT HE IS WITHIN ME, THAT HE LIVES HIS LIFE WITHIN ME AS PART OF ME, AND THAT HE LIVES HIS LIFE INSIDE OF ME FOR ME. CHRISITIANITY TODAY HAS BECOME A RELIGION OF DOING, INSTEAD OF DEPENDING ON CHRIST TO DO ALL IN US. WE MUST DEPEND ON HIM TO CARRY US. THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IS ANOTHER CARRYING YOU. CHRIST IS ALIVE WITHIN YOU TO LIVE HIS LIFE THROUGH YOU FOR YOU. YOUR PART IS TO BELIEVE THAT, TO REALIZE THAT, TO ACCEPT THAT FACT. IT IS NOT YOU WHO LIVES THE CHRISTIAN LIFE, IT IS CHRIST IN YOU. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR YOU TO LIVE THE CHRIST-LIFE, ONLY CHRIST CAN LIVE THE CHRIST-LIFE. IT IS HIS LIFE, THEN HE MUST LIVE HIS LIFE. THIS MEANS WE DON'T HAVE TO FIGHT TO BE HOLY. WE DON'T HAVE TO STRUGGLE TO FIGHT SIN. LET CHRIST FIGHT SIN FOR YOU. LET HIM BE HOLY, HUMBLE, PATIENT, PRAYING, WISE, STRONG, AND EVERYTHING THROUH YOU. I AM NOT ADVOCATING FOR PASSIVITY. TO TRUT CHRIST IS NOT PASSIVITY. TO DEPEND ON HIM IS NOT PASSIVITY. TO BELIEVE IN HIM IS NOT PASSIVITY. TO EXPECT ALL FROM HIM, AND TO WAIT ALL FROM HIM IS NOT PASSIVITY. NUMBER FIVE, "AND THE LIFE WHICH I NOW LIVE IN THE FLESH". I LIVE THE CHRISTIAN LIFE BECAUSE CHRIST MAKES ME LIVE THE CHRISTIAN LIFE BY HE LIVING HIS CHRISTIAN LIFE THROUGH ME. HE MAKES ME LIVE, JESUS SAID: BECAUSE I LIVE, YOU SHALL LIVE ALSO. HE IS THE ONE WHO CAUSES US TO LIVE. WE DON'T HAVE TO STRUGGLE TO LIVE, IT IS HIS RESPONSABILITY TO LIVE THE CHRISTIAN LIFE, NOT OURS. HE IS THE SAP OF THE VINE, WE ARE THE BRANCHES. HE PRODUCES THE FRUITS, NOT US. IT IS THE SAP (CHRIST OUR LIFE) THAT PRODUCES THE GOOD WORKS, NOT US. WE ARE NOW STILL IN PHYSICAL FLESH, YET IN THIS PHYSICAL STATE, WE EXPERIENCE AND ENJOY THE CHRIST-LIFE! WE ENJOY AND EXPERIENCE CHRIST AS OUR LIFE! CHRIST IS THE CHRISTIAN LIFE! THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IS NOT SOMETHING YOU DO, THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IS A PERSON! CHRIST IS EVERY SPIRITUAL VIRTUE: HOLINESS, HUMILITY, PATIENCE, TEMPERANCE AND ALL CHRISTIAN VIRTUE. THAT CHRIST DOES ALL THROUGH US DOES NOT MEAN THAT WE DO NOTHING! SINCE HE PRODUCES ALL DOING, WE DO WHAT HE MAKES US DO. WE MUST JUST TRUST HIM TO DO ALL IN US! WE MUST EXPECT HIM TO LIVE HIS LIFE FOR US! THE PROBLEM WITH CHRISTIANS IS THAT THEY ARE GIVEN COMMADMENTS TO KEEP AND DO. YES, THE NEW TESTAMENT GIVES MANY COMMADMENTS, BUT CHRIST IS IN US TO KEEP ALL THOSE COMMADMENTS FOR US. INSTEAD OF SWEATING TO LIVE THE CHRISTIAN LIFE, WHY NOT BETTER LET HIM DO ALL FOR US? NUMBER 6, "I LIVE IT BY THE FAITH OF THE SON OF GOD". YES, THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH. WHAT IS FAITH? TOTAL DEPENDENCE UPON GOD. I ENJOY AND EXPERIENCE THE CHRIST LIFE BY TOTALLY DEPENDING ON CHRIST TO LIVE HIS LIFE IN ME. NOT EVEN THE FAITH TO BELIEVE COMES FROM ME: IT IS THE FAITH OF CHRIST! HE PRODUCES IN ME BELIEVING! ALL I NEED IS REVELATION TO SEE THAT CHRIST IS THE FOUNTAIN OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE, THAT IT IS CHRIST WHO LIVES THE CHRISTIAN LIFE, AND NOT I. FAITH IS SIMPLY TO BELIEVE THE REVELATION OF THE WORD OF GOD. FAITH IS SIMPLE TRUST IN AN INDWELLING CHRIST. AND NUMBER 7, "WHO LOVED ME AND GAVE HIMSELF UP FOR ME". I CAN ABSOLUTLY TRUST ON CHRIST TO LIVE HIS LIFE FOR ME BECAUSE HE LOVES ME. BECAUSE HE DEMONSTRATED THAT HE LOVES ME BY THE WAY THAT HE DIED FOR ME: HE SACRIFICED HIMSELF FOR ME. IF HE SACRIFICED HIMSELF FOR ME, WHAT WOULD HE NOT DO FOR ME? WILL HE NOT ALSO LIVE FOR ME? LIVE HIS HOLY LIFE FOR ME? ALL I MUST DO IS SIMPLE COMMIT ALL TO HIM, DEPOSIT ALL IN HIS HANDS, EXPECT ALL FROM HIM. EXPECT HIM TO LIVE HIS LIFE FOR ME. HERE LIES THE REST OF CHRISTIAN GRACE. HERE LIES SPIRITUAL REST. MOST CHRISTIAN CRY OUT THAT THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IS DIFFICULT. YES, BECAUSE THEY ARE THE ONES TRYING. DON;T TRY! LET JESUS DO ALL FOR YOU. WE DON'T LIVE BY LAW (COMMADMENTS), BUT BY GRACE AND GRACE IS CHRIST DOING ALL FOR US. WE LIVE BY CHRIST LIVING HIS LIFE IN US AND FOR US. I DON'T HAVE TO TRY TO BE ANYTHING, BECAUSE CHRIST MAKES ME BE WHAT I OUGHT TO BE. I DON'T HAVE FIGHT WITH SIN, CHRIST IS IN ME TO OVERCOME TEMPTATION FOR ME. HE IS WITHIN ME ALIVE TO KEEP ME FROM SINNING. BELOVED, YOU NO LONGER AN OLD CREATION. ALL THINGS, NOT SOME, HAVE BEEN MADE NEW! NOW IS YOUR MIND THAT NEEDS RENEWAL. YOU ARE NO LONGER IN BONDAGE TO THE SIN-LAW BECAUSE THE NATURE OF THE LIFE OF CHRIST OVERCOMES SINNING FOR YOU. GALATIANS 2:20 TEACHES US THAT IT IS NOT OUR BUSINESS TO LIVE THE CHRISTIAN LIFE. SOMEONE HAS COME TO LIVE IN US TO DO THAT. YOU JUST HAVE TO EXPECT HIM TO DO THAT ALWAYS! CHRIST IS THE HIGHEST LIFE, WE NEVER CAN BE THAT! STOP STRUGGLING! REST! ENJOY! DEPEND! BELIEVE! EXPECT! JUST CONTINUOSLY TRUST HIM TO LIVE HIS LIFE FOR YOU IN YOU. IT IS LIKE WHEN YOU DEPOSIT MONEY IN THE BANK, YOU TRUST THE BANK TO PROTECT AND KEEP THE MONEY THAT YOU COMMIT TO THEM. IS THE SAME WITH THE INDWELLING CHRIST. COMMIT ALL TO HIM. GIVE HIM ALL THE RESPONSABILITY. TRUST HIM TO ALWAYS KEEP YOU. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS DEPEND AND TO DEPEND IS TO HANG YOURSELF IN HIM FOR HIM TO BE YOUR SUPPORT. THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH! THE JUSTIFIED BELIEVER SHALL CONTINOUSLY LIVE BY ALWAYS DEPENDING ON THE INDWELLING CHRIST! THIS IS THE RELIEVING MESSAGE OF GALATIANS 2:20! AAAAAAAAHHHH! WHAT A RELIEF! WHAT A GOOD NEWS! AMEN.
