"Terrifying"

 

    Amnesia is one of the most terrifying things that can happen to a human being.  Doubtless we can all imagine what it would be like to suddenly not know who we are.

 

    In spiritual matters, we all frequently suffer from such forgetfulness.  Even the most godly born again believers among us are strongly tempted - and sometimes succumb - to the temptation that entices us to think, feel, act and relate as if we are merely our human selves.  "Whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?" (I Corinthians 3:3).

 

    We should be more terrified of this form of amnesia - to "walk as men" - than we are of the natural malady.  Indeed, can there any more tragic or harmful darkness than the Christian's forgetting or ignoring the wonder that we are not merely ourselves, but we are ourselves as inhabited by the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ?  "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?" (I Corinthians 3:16). 

 

     Perhaps it has happened so often in our experience that we don't feel the sharp teeth of this enemy that devours the wonder that "God is in you of a truth" (I Corinthians 14:25).  Or perhaps we rationalize that our understanding and apprehension is presently limited - "we see through a glass darkly" - and that we shouldn't expect to consistently experience the reality of "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (I Corinthians 13:27; Colossians 1:27).  Whatever the case, the truth of the matter demands that we view with great trepidation the carnality of living as if we are are alone.

 

    We are not.  The very heart of Christianity is that Christ came physically, He has come again spiritually, and He will ultimately come again both spiritually and physically to establish His kingdom upon the earth.  Presently, He abides in those born of His Spirit by grace through faith.  Amazingly, He promised that such Presence during the age of grace would result in "greater works" than those He fulfilled during His earthly sojourn (John 14:12).  This requires His living and dynamic working in us "both to will and to do of His good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13).  To the degree we know and believe such blessed Truth to be true, we will discover that God is indeed in us of a truth.

 

     Our Lord loves us so dearly that He accomplished a redemption for us whereby He makes our hearts His eternal home.  How tragic, and yes, how terrifying, that we might "neglect so great salvation" (Hebrews 2:3).  We are not alone.  We are not merely ourselves.  By His Spirit, the Lord Jesus is with us forevermore.  We are the branches of His Vine, the temples of His Spirit, and the holy place wherein the Holy One has chosen to dwell in love, grace, mercy, power and all of the wondrous facets of His glorious being.  To whatever degree we know such blessed Truth to be true, may we know it more.  And may it truly frighten us that we might forget, ignore or fail to realize that the living Christ is with and within us in this moment, and forevermore.

 

"Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness."

(Isaiah 41:10)