The light in us, if there is indeed light in us, is Jesus Christ Himself. We cannot experience the light of Christ in us if we do not experience the life of Christ in us. As John the apostle stated, “What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overtake it.” John the Baptizer was sent to tell people about this light, and to make clear the fact that he, John, was not that light. He spoke of his cousin, Jesus, as “The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.“
We will be filled with the light of our God when we are filled with the life of our God in Christ in us. The light of God in us is the byproduct of our union with Him. We will not attain to the light by our study or meditation alone. We will not attain to it by our religious activities, our religious traditions, and forms. At best, these can only tell us about the life and the light of Christ in us.
The life and light of our God comes into us not by our brains, our cognitive functions. It does not come by our religious practices. The life and light of our God in Christ come only through our spirits, the capacity given to humans that we may receive His life and light directly from His Spirit within us. The Spirit of life in Christ Jesus is the source of all our God would do in and through us. That Spirit is our only hope of glory (Colossians 1:27). Jesus Christ Himself is our way into union with our God (John 14:6).
Jesus Christ Himself is the “Spirit of Truth” in John 14:15-17, the source of all truth living in us. Truth is not apprehended by our flesh, by studious efforts. Truth has a name – Jesus. He lives and breathes divine truth from within us, empowering all true wisdom and revelation from within us. But apart from turning to Him to live and breathe that truth into us, we will by our flesh learn only facts. The truth behind those facts will escape us. Knowledge can only puff us up (1 Corinthians 8:1) and the letter only kills (2 Corinthians 3:6).
As Jesus stated, “Enter through the narrow gate, for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” That “hard road” – literally “strait” as in dire straits, or “constricted” – is the life of union with our God, the Christ life of our God in Christ living in us, and we living into Him.
“I ask not only on behalf of these but also on behalf of those who believe in me through their word, that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” – John 17:20-23
If you are seeking to “live for Jesus,” to “walk with Jesus,” or to “live as Jesus lived,” please know that such efforts are not the life for which we were created or redeemed. Our God did not save us to live for Jesus; He saved us to have Jesus live His life through us in place of our own living and our own efforts. As Paul stated, “It is no long I who lives but Christ Who lives in me.” If your view of Christ Jesus is that He is external to you, an outside influencer to you or a person in history to be emulated, you do not yet understand the Gospel of the Kingdom.
Union with our God, the life of the Father and Son lived in the true disciple in place of his or her own living is the core of the Gospel of the Kingdom. That this is the central theme of the scriptures is evident in the presence of more than 140 instances in which our life is described as “In Christ,” “in Him,” “in the Beloved,” and similar phrases.
Vance Pitman subtitled his book about the Christ life this way: “Stop living for Jesus so He can live His life in you.” Sound wisdom, I’d say. The life of Christ lived in and through you in place of your own living is how the light in you is to shine. It is only by the life and light of Christ Himself in you.
One Pursuit 
Wise and guidance for all
of us, dear friend. The Jesus I knew as a young girl was external. A figure outside of me and the son of God’s power seemed untouchable.
Yesterday a speaker asked “Who is Jesus to you?” How we answered determined our intimacy with our Savior.
The light within me! The Spirit and power that indwells in me. I can’t be Christ-“like” or good enough. My heart is his and it must turn to that, and the complete surrender of my will for HIS, when I try to live on my “own” merit and strength.
I can’t imagine living a “religious” life and thinking that the narrow gate is just a membership or activity.
To think of how Christ is IN me and the only light brings me to tears.
Many blessings, Tim, and prayers as you continue sharing HIS light and truth. And to Rascal, too! 🙏🏻
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This post is one of the most spiritually sound and supportive writings as succinctly stated that I have ever been privileged and edified to read in more than three decades of Christ expressing, manifesting, and demonstrating the life, light, and love Whom He Is in me and through me.
Absolutely, I lavishly love beneficently bragging from our Forever First Love and All Magnificent Obsession, the God-Man Christ Jesus.
Jesus is the ardent Amen and affectionate Advocate of Abba Almighty. Jesus is the exact Expression and infinite Impression of the fondest Father, the safe Savior and sure Sanctifier of souls and spirits, the peerless Prince of Peace and preeminent Potentate of prosperity, the transcendent Treasure and superscendent Splendor, the consummate Creator and superlative Sustainer, the master Musician and Song of songs, the supreme Satisfaction and sovereign Summit, the eternal Essence and everlasting Enjoyment, the hallowed Herald of honesty and happy Holiness of heaven, the measureless More and munificent Most.
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Thank you for your kind words! Indeed, the Christian life is much simpler than it is often portrayed. That is because it is impossible for us to live it, for that life is only lived by Christ in us. That it is impossible for us and must be lived only by Christ in us makes is simple!
Simple is not necessarily easy, for our self-life and self-will die hard and slowly in us. Yet when we focus on Christ, supplying our only worthy responses of love, surrender, and obedience to His every impulse, He will do it in us.
Hallelujah! What a Savior! May He bless you richly!
My apologies for the delay in responding. I have been on the road for eleven days, and out of state for nine of those. Not much digital time spent, but that was a gift in itself!
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Thanks much for your response.
It appears to me that even as followers of the Way, at times we follow at such a distance from the purity and simplicity of devotion to Christ, more or less ever-learning in the multiplicity of words, the theology, and ‘practicality’, yet lacking to a greater or lesser extent, the imperative, intensely intimate love communion that is paramount experientially, and inimitably His resurrection life, as inextricably one with ours, consistently infusing and supremely superseding ours as His very life.
The Simplicity and Strength of Beholding His Beauty And Being Beautified
2 Corinthians 3:12-18 AMP
12 Since we have such a [glorious] hope and confident expectation, we speak with great courage, 13 and we are not like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face so that the Israelites would not gaze at the end of the glory which was fading away. 14 But [in fact] their minds were hardened [for they had lost the ability to understand]; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted because it is removed [only] in Christ. 15 But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil [of blindness] lies over their heart; 16 but whenever a person turns [in repentance and faith] to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty [emancipation from bondage, true freedom].
18 And we all, with unveiled face, continually seeing as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are progressively being transformed into His image from [one degree of] glory to [even more] glory, which comes from the Lord, [who is] the Spirit.
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Sadly, what you have described is indeed the case. I am praying for a return to repentance from self and religious deeds, a repentance that will prepare many to walk in union with our God. Thanks for this great comment!
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