Christ Is Everything We
Need
By Scott Berg · 11/17/97
Since we have Christ dwelling in our hearts through faith (Eph 3:17a)...
We have the Spirit of Christ, which is the Spirit of God dwelling in us (Rom 8:9,10), for Christ abides in us by the Spirit He has given us (1 Jn 3:24b). Even though Jesus left us physically, He remained with us spiritually when the Father sent the Holy Spirit - the Paraclete, the One who comes along side - to take His place on earth (Jn 14:16,17a; 26).
We have the Father as well, for Jesus and the Father are one (Jn 10:30). Jesus lived by faith in the Father while He was on earth just as we live by faith in Jesus while we are on earth (Rom 1:17b). For the Son’s words were the Father’s words (Jn 14:24b), the Son’s works were the Father’s works (Jn 5:19), the Son’s very life was the Father’s life (Jn 5:26). So if we have the Son we have the Father as well (Mt 10:40b; 1 Jn 2:23b).
We have the very Life of Christ in us and we now live by that Life (Gal 2:20). Contained in this Life is everything we need for life and godliness (2 Pet 1:3a), that is, every spiritual blessing in heaven is available to us now, on earth (Eph 1:3). Christ’s Life in us has made us rich (2 Cor 8:9) with the riches of His grace (Eph 1:7b), for in Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Col 2:3). In this general sense, then, Christ is everything we need (Heb 4:16; 7:26 NIV), for in Christ we are filled with all the fullness of God (Eph 3:19b). Therefore, we must not separate the gifts from the Giver (1 Cor 12:4) nor the fruit from the Vine (Jn 15:5), for everything we need is in Christ and Christ is in us, His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all (Eph 1:23; Col 3:11).
We also have many specific things as part of His resurrected Life in us. We have total, complete, and permanent salvation (Jn 10:27-29; 1 Pet 1:3-5; 1 Jn 5:13); total and complete forgiveness of sins - past, present, and future (Col 2:13,14; Eph 1:7); we have been made perfectly holy and righteous before God (Rom 3:21,22a; 2 Cor 5:21; Eph 1:4); we have been fully justified (Rom 5:1), sanctified (complete in heaven, 1 Cor 6:11; Heb 10:10, progressive on earth, 1 Thess 4:3a), and glorified (complete in heaven, Rom 8:30, awaiting on earth, 1 Cor 15:51,52; Tit 2:13 - for Christ is in us, the hope of everlasting glory, Col 1:27b); we have been made perfect (Heb 10:14) and complete in Him (Col 2:10a NKJV); and we are pleasing (Mt 3:17) and acceptable to God in Him (Rom 15:7a NIV; Eph 1:6b NKJV); we have the mind of Christ (1 Cor 2:16b), and the truth of Christ, for Jesus is the Truth (Jn 14:6), and also our wisdom (1 Cor 1:30); we have God’s supernatural, agape love, because God is love and we have God (Rom 5:5b; 1 Jn 4:7,8); along with love, we have other Spirit-generated fruit as well: joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal 5:22,23), for the Spirit in us is Christ in us and these are all aspects of His character. We have these and everything else because we have Christ. We must not separate the specific aspects of Christ’s Life from Christ Himself. Having Him in our hearts is everything we need!
Article By Scott Berg
