The hundred and twenty men and women who gathered at the upper room on the day of Pentecost understood themselves as living out Christ Jesus in their lives. They lived, acted and walked, expressing Christ before the watching world. Their response to life’s situations was always in obedience to God’s intent of it (Acts 5: 24; 4:19). They were curious in exploring the depth of His love and person. To them it was a discovery of His love and person involved in something much larger and more glorious than they ever dreamt. They were passionately consumed with the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ was their love and their lives were totally centered around Him as their Head (Acts 1:8-15; 2:1-4).
All these are unlike what many see as the Christian life to be today. The Christian life, to many today, is merely about a list of things to do; winning souls, helping the poor, learning theology, studying doctrine, mastering the Bible, deciphering eschatology, praying more, attending church services, praising and worshipping, doing spiritual warfare, exercising spiritual gifts, hearing God’s voice; imitating Christ, and engaging in good works. Above all, it is also about endless activities that they are taught are the center of God’s will.
In a piece written by Frank Viola, we are reminded that “all the above had an end in view that went far beyond giving people a celestial fire insurance policy, bringing in the last great harvest, or changing the world for Christ.” Speaking further he said, “Being a Christian had taken on a completely new meaning. That meaning has to do with something bound up inside the beating heart of God. The Christian life was no longer about me and what I could do or should do. Neither was it primarily about others; the needs of human beings becomes secondary.” Yes it is all about Christ (Psalm 115:1) (2008, 11-12).
De Vern Fromke described this stage of human relationship with God as living in God’s viewpoint and sharing of the yearning of God’s heart beat. He said, believers should grow daily in their experience of the Christian life until they attain the fullness of Christ. Such an experience with Christ is not an overnight attainment or an act of human effort. It takes one’s willingness to walk daily in the full submission to the presidency of the Holy Spirit, a moment-by-moment submission.
It would seem that both apostles, Paul and John, lived in God’s viewpoint and shared His yearning father heart whose desire is to move the believer from childhood unto young manhood and unto fatherhood.
In the first epistle to John, John exhorted:
“I write unto you little children…”
“I write unto you young man…”
“I write unto you fathers…” (1 John 2: 12-14).
As a child, we are most alive to what we can receive from God. No one is alarmed when “little children rejoice in what their Savior has wrought for them in giving personal forgiveness and in providing a relationship with God the Father. Yet there is reason for concern when after many years they remain “little children” who live only to be ministered unto and who are mostly alive to the blessing, benefits and gifts they can receive.” They only interpreted God’s working as it related to them to their only welfare, their victory, seeking to move God around their little center.
Next are those who have matured unto young manhood. They have overcome the wicked one, and are strong, and the word of God abides in them. Through experience they have moved from defiance to the offence: instead of running from, they are now overcoming the Wicked One. At this stage one would feel a sense of “I have arrived at last”. They are centered in activity for the Lord as though their instrumental calling was more important than their expressive calling. The ultimate goal of our salvation in Christ is to have Him within and express his love outwardly.
The last stage in the growth process is to be a father. Here the believer’s walk with the Lord has led to spiritual fatherhood. The believer is suddenly awakened to something quite wonderful. As little children, “we recognized Him (God) as our Father in a begetting relationship, as “young men” we honored Him as our father in a governing relationship; but now as “fathers” were are one with Him in His fatherhood. Through an intimate identification we have an expressive relationship. We come to share a union with His Spirit, purpose, desire, vision, and dedication. The depth of God’s heart and His yearning now becomes the only goal that motivates us in life, and shapes our daily experience (2001:9-10).
Suddenly everything becomes about Him and His ultimate purpose. In other words, the Christian life is Christ and nothing more, nothing less. It is not an ideology or a philosophy, neither is it a new type of morality, social ethic or worldview. The Christian life is the good news that beauty, truth and goodness are found in a person. True humanity and community are found on and experienced by connection to that person—the Lord Jesus Christ.
We should all ‘seek Christ, embrace Christ, know Christ’ because to do so one will have touched Him who is Life. This is needful since in Him resides all truth, values, virtues, and gifts in living colors. Beauty has its meaning in the beauty of Christ. Only in Him do we find all that makes us lovely and lovable (Sweet and Viola 2010: XV). Ultimately the Christian life is Christ Himself.
T Cyprian Kia
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