While rocking back and forth in my living room, crying through Keith Green lyrics and Gandalf quotes, and holding on to my kids for dear life…I was given a vision of eternity. It was a vision of communion and oneness with God. It was so unlike what I had experienced so far; I thought it was for after I die. After that, hope for the future and love for my family kept me here, but the haunting thoughts of death lingered, managed with alcohol and distraction.
I didn’t realize that I was already dead.
“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me…”
-Gal.2:20
You can imagine my relief, after a life-long obsession with killing myself, to have my mind opened to see the truth. I died with Him that day we were murdered. I was just too busy to notice.
Being dead has a lot of upside. Dead men don’t have to be consumed with thoughts of suicide. Dead men don’t have to try harder (Heb.4:9-10). Dead men are free from rules (Rom.7:1-4). And best of all, dead men can be resurrected (Rom.8:11), dead men get to see beyond the veil.
“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me…”
I had hope that day in the living room, and hope does not disappoint. I hoped that one day the veil would be lifted and we would be one…Husband and wife. Then I realized that I had died a long time ago. The veil was torn and I could see through to eternal life.
His life was laid down, given back, and then given away. His eternal life was given to dead men. I was given life, but it’s not mine, it’s His and He’s living through me right now.
He says, “The Kingdom is at hand.” He says, “I am the life.” He says, “I have come that you may have life.” And He says, “I Am.”
He is life and His life is eternal…now. Eternity is now. He is. This is eternal life, that you know (be joined with) Him.
Now I see.
I am the Virgin Mary. I have been impregnated with eternal life. I am of His bride; one with Him, coupled, the two as one flesh, an answer to His prayer, “…You in me, I in them.” I am His child, His offspring…His DNA…His life is in me and I cry out Daddy. I am a member of His very body. He is the vine and I am a branch. These are all word pictures the scriptures use to describe the quality of life that is given to us here and now. This is not for later.
Believe this…
“The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
-The rest of Gal.2:20
I don't think people have been giving God enough credit. What He has pulled off here is amazing. He’s not some divine Santa making a list and checking it twice, using the afterlife like some carrot to keep us running on the hamster wheel. And as wonderful as the grace of God is, His eternal forgiveness and unconditional love and acceptance is only a part of the plan. He hasn't just wiped the slate clean, there’s more to the story.
He’s replicating Himself by pouring His life into His dead creation and living it through us.
“For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life!”
- Rom.5:10
There is no barrier keeping anyone from God. Even those that hate Him have been reconciled. God has made peace with His enemies (all of them…past and present), while they were still enemies. This was done through His death. It doesn’t say that only believers are reconciled; it says that His enemies are reconciled.
Reconciliation is accomplished for everyone. It's past tense. There is nothing between you and God.
This reconciliation is the majority of what we hear from religious leaders, but this message is for His enemies. This is about death…theirs and His. Like Jesus said on the cross, "It is finished." But the part that isn't finished is His life.
What about life?
Having been reconciled, we are saved by His life! This is the message for His children, for His bride. If you’re His, you are saved by His life. Not saved to go to heaven, but saved by living eternal life now in union with Him.
We want life and the pagan christians say try harder. We want life and the grace teachers say you're forgiven. We want life and He gives us His spirit to live through us.
We have ceased to exist alone.
He gives us His eternal life now. Eternity is now. The veil has been torn. We and the Father are One. This is what saves us.
This is practical, but it is also supernatural and must be experienced. I wish I could talk more about how this works, but this has to be lived by faith and inaction, abiding in Him. The quality of this life is like that of which Jesus spoke, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by Himself; He can do only what He sees His Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.”
You do not have to try to live this way; this will happen the way a tree bears fruit. Remember, you have been laid to rest and you are free to live His life. You can’t make any mistakes.
“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.”
-Rom.8:28-29
Now go live. Go live eternal life now.
To those who have ears to hear, let them hear.
[ping]
10 Comments:
figured I would post with a question. I was wondering what you meant by ALL of God's enemies have been reconciled to Him. I am confused.
Later..
2 Cor. 5:19 - "God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them."
Everyone is reconciled, but not everyone is saved. The sin barrier between men and God has been removed so that whosever will may come and be saved by His life.
Reconciliation is not what saves us. His life saves us. This is no small thing. It's the whole point of what I wrote. His death has reconciled everyone, but narrow is the way that leads to life and few find it.
Rom.5:10 - "For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life!”
Reconciliation is a common theme, but it's only half of the gospel. The rest is all about His life in us.
Many years ago I was taught a principle that I think is very powerful. I hope it fits here. It's what came to mind when I read what you wrote.
The saying was this, "Dead men don't have rights."
Since we are "dead men" we have no rights we can claim, no entitlements, can truly have no expectations of others...we are dead. Dead men have no thoughts of power, no need for money or don't experience lust, envy or greed.
When you think about it, that's how Jesus lived. He knew he was a dead man, so he experienced life to the fullest by serving others.
But it's even better than that. We are as free from the cares and powers of this world as dead men, and as alive as God Himself. He has infused us with His life...His Spirit.
We are co-heirs of the Kingdom along with His firstborn. So in a sense, we do have rights. We have a right as sons and daughters, as His bride, as His very body, to the Kingdom of God. Loose it on Earth and it's done. Bind it on Earth and it's done. We are like a resurrected Adam, once again bearing His image here on Earth. We are answering the prayer, "Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven."
The message of life is the important part, we're used to the death message. So, you may have been dead, but you have been made alive with Christ by faith. You're living His life. Now you have the same rights as the Son of God.
...and He laid down His rights, of His own volition, for the sake of others in the Ultimate Act of Love. As redemptive an act as that was, it was also a model of how we should cling loosely to our own rights for the sakes of others.
This is a poor analogy, but I'm reminded of the people in the upper levels of the martial arts. These guys can kick anyone's ass, but they understand that it's a greater show of strength to refrain.
Absolutely. It is in the nature of the life of God to sacrifice that life for the love of others. And, like Jesus, we do that for the great joy set before us.
Just like Jesus said, "When you look at Me, you see the Father." Now that we have been given His life we can say, "When you look at me, you see Jesus." And a huge part of that is our ability and freedom (without scrounging for our own needs - as they have already been met) to sacrifice for those around us.
John 3:3-5 - "Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet..."
See, I knew you would clear it up for me. My head has been foggy lately with stress, illness and everything that goes with it.
God bless,
Jeff
I'm a bit confused myself... nice little club you've got here, though.
i get it. how incomprehensibly awesome Jesus is. that through the highs and lows (because there is time for everything, as in ecclesiast) ultimately, it's his life in us running through our veins.
"garbage" says, the trick is to keep breathing...but when i forget, he breathes in me...for me. this is the reason why i can dance despite the journey's pits and peaks.
...that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God...(ch. 14-21 for the whole context)
my heart is a volcano about to erupt with so much gladness that i can say:
God bless the continuous dialogue among mankind...we are filled with questions that only he can fully answer...God bless philosophers who keep asking questions about life. God bless emily dickinson, garbage, donald miller, steve brown, britney spears, she's so afraid of being vulnerable, like i do and others in the hiding, smashing pumpkins, psychologists, christians, pagans, teachers, rude sales associates, the president, africa, third world countries, our families and friends and enemies, and ping (you guys), and the children, for we all once were and still are to a great Father. God bless us all and our journey.
so, let's keep the dialogue going and embrace our moments, yes even the darkest once, because he lives in us.
Spoken like a TRUE GraceHead!
I loved this post, and totally agree.
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