A CHRISTIAN’S POWER BEING IN CHRIST WHO LIVES IN US
If you have never had such an experience, I am afraid that you are not yet saved because you do not have God and His life in you. A Christian, a person who is truly saved, has Christ in him as his other person. We must clearly see the fact that Christ is living in us. The reason why a Christian is able to endure sufferings is because Christ lives in him. The reason why a Christian can sacrifice and consecrate himself is because Christ lives in him. The reason why a Christian earnestly preaches the gospel is because Christ lives in him. The power, motivation, and burden of a Christian all come from the Christ within him.
Today even though many people are saved, they regrettably do not know that Christ is in them. Some people have an incomplete understanding concerning this fact and are not living in this reality. This is similar to a person who prefers to remain in darkness and not turn on the light even though an electric lamp has been installed in the room. Christ is already in us, yet to this day we still do not live by Him much of the time. Rather, we still live by ourselves. Although we have Christ, we are not willing to live in Christ. Hence, every day all the saved ones have to face these two persons—one is themselves, and the other is Christ. Which one of the two will you choose? Do you want to live in yourself or in Christ? Do you live for Christ or for yourself? Do you give room to Christ or to yourself? This is the choice every Christian must personally face. Because you are a person who is subjective—that is, you have a mind, emotion, and will—you must make the choice by yourself. If you choose to live by Christ, this will please God, and this is what God desires. However, if you choose to live by yourself, God will not be able to do anything, and He will let you do what you want.
CHOOSING TO LIVE BY CHRIST
The key is whether you choose to live by yourself or by Christ. If you choose to live by yourself, you will appear the same as you were before you were saved. The reason why many Christians appear the same as the unbelievers is that they are living by themselves. If they would live by Christ, the glory and the beauty of God would be expressed in them. Whether we live by Christ or by ourselves is altogether dependent on us. God will not choose for us. He desires that we choose Christ, and He has put His life in us. However, God will never choose for us. If we do not live by Him, we will still live in darkness. Suppose there is an electric lamp in this house. If we are not willing to turn on the switch, the electric company will not be able to do anything for us. Now Christ is in us, and God is in us. Whether or not we choose to live by Christ is altogether dependent upon us.
(The Crucified Christ, Chapter 3, by Witness Lee)
