Continuing our series begun here, today we focus on verse 16b. Before, when we dead in our trespasses and sins, we obeyed our desires, our lusts, all the voices of the world, and “the prince of the power of darkness who is at work in all the sons of disobedience.” (Ephesians 2) But now, in Christ Jesus, we are new creatures, made alive in Him. And He is at work in us, reorienting our desires. We were once in Adam, we are now in the Second Adam. And is it still the prince of the power of darkness who dwells in us? No! For us whose lives are in Christ, it is as Colossians 1 states:
13 For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
He who rescued us from that domain, does not want us to go back, or to be easily swayed away from the “simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ;” and so He tells us not to be bound to unbelievers, to lawlessness, or to darkness. We now have His promised Spirit.
He makes this a matter of obedience, telling us not to do something. Is it easy to obey? No. Sometimes at first, our passions for the Kingdom are blazing brightly and we easily walk in His ways. But we do not live in “mountain top” experiences, we live in the valley of the shadow of death, and in the creekside pastures, in towns that are not our true homes, and in the ups and downs of this post-Genesis-3 life.
Nothing Good
Before we were made alive in Christ, nothing good dwelt in us, nothing purely good. We were created in the image of God, but our hearts treasured darkness, every good thought had a shadow of darkness; every good deed had a twinge of impurity. A holy God will not send His Spirit to dwell in every human being–only those bought by the blood of Christ, purified for Himself (see 1 Peter 1:14-21–we circle back to 1:13 toward the end of this summer series; Titus 2:11-3:7).
Everyone who has the Spirit of Christ belongs to Him, and is being led to put to death all that remains of the flesh, all the desires that are contrary to His, all the deeds that are not wholly pleasing to Him. During the time of our stay here, we are to be learning what is pleasing to Him, always learning and growing, leaning further into Him who is our Life. And now, that we are in Him, and He abides in us, He leads us into goodness. He alone has life in Himself. We are, in every moment, fully dependent on Him. So now, we can say there is good in us that is pleasing to Him, wrought in us by the Spirit who conforms us to the image of the Son. The image of the Beloved Son. Now, we are the temple of the living God:
2 Corinthians 6:14 Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? 15 Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? 16 Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said,
“I will dwell in them and walk among them;
And I will be their God, and they shall be My people.17 “Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate,” says the Lord.
“And do not touch what is unclean;
And I will welcome you.18 “And I will be a father to you,
And you shall be sons and daughters to Me,”
Says the Lord Almighty.7:1 Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
Something Good
We have focused on how nothing good dwelt in our flesh, yet now that He abides in us, we can say that has changed! We now have the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus! There are now moments in which we must do battle to put to death the deeds of the body (Romans 8) as we are led by the indwelling Spirit. We will see at work one law in our members–the muscle memory of our sinful choices and tastes, and another law at work in our minds, because:
And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us; for after saying “This is the covenant that I will make with them, after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws upon their heart, and on their mind I will write them,” He then says, “And their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” Hebrews 10:15-17; quoting from Jeremiah 31
So too in this letter to the Corinthians; Paul, who loved and was steeped in the Old Testament, has taught the churches he ministered in to love the Old Testament and all the promises that are ours in Christ Jesus. God’s promise to dwell with His people goes all the way back to His intention to create people freely able to choose love or sin; and to redeem for Himself a people, setting His affection on them without them meriting it. For His own glory, He made us and redeemed us, and fulfills all His promises to us. Including the promise noted here.
From Deep Simplicity:
Our daily earthly
bread will typically give us energy for a moment, the bread
of life satisfies at a much deeper level, propelling us on to
really live with what is ultimate in mind. Eating this bread of
life is both a one-time event (salvation) and then an ongoing
matter (enjoying life from the source of life) of devotion to
Christ, and finding life only in Christ, clinging only to Him.
God alone is self-sufficient, that is to say He is the only being
with life in Himself. All other life is created by Him, sustained
by Him. The Father gave the privilege to His Son to have
life in Himself, and we will share in that eternal life only by
coming to Jesus who is the way, the truth and the life. Not a
moment will pass that we do not need Him, that He is not
sustaining us, that we are outside the realm of His sovereign
care. And when we consciously choose to be mindful in the
moment, to be devoted, to set our minds as He instructs,
then we find the life we’ve been searching for. We find joy
and peace in the midst of trials and earthly frustration and
sadness. We have sorrow in this world yet are also rejoicing
in what is ultimate, eternal, unchanging.
Several chapters later:
God gave the designs for the tabernacle and the temple;
within was a place where God’s glory would dwell. We have
come to understand this as the sanctuary. Israel was taught
to treat God as holy, and therefore not to enter the sanctuary;
our sinful self cannot be in the presence of God’s holiness
and glory. But all of redemptive history was working toward
the time when the veil separating us from God’s holiness
would be torn, when Christ would be the way for us to dwell
in the presence of God’s glory. God hints at this great work
of reconciliation and cleansing:
My dwelling place also will be with them; and I will be their
God, and they will be My people. And the nations will know
that I am the Lord who sanctifies Israel, when My sanctuary is
in their midst forever (Ezek. 37:27-28).
His desire from all eternity was for His people to be with
Him. His sanctuary would not be separate, but in our midst.
Forever. God has long desired to draw us into this abiding
relationship, and He is glorified in working out this plan in
and amongst us.
Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus, our Redeemer, who came to give us Life. Meditate on what the Scriptures teach concerning your life in Him, His promises, His calling, His teaching. Let this be a summer of intentionally setting your mind on things above, where Christ is seated (Colossians 3). He is at work in His people, as the Source of Life, and of Life-giving choices, and of all the strength we need, that we would not grow weary in doing good, and in living lives pleasing to Him (Colossians 1:9-12; Ephesians 5:1-12). Abide in Him, and He will make you fruitful! He is the Fountainhead of Gospel Obedience.
Leviticus 26:12
And I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people.
Romans 16: 25 Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past, 26 but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, leading to obedience of faith; 27 to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forever. Amen.
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