The Essence of Christian Living # 2

The Essence of Christian Living # 2

2. A second element of Christian living is that we shall live BY Christ. So many when they are asked if they are Christians say, "I am trying to do the best I can. I am trying to live right." But they realize their trying is in their own human strength. Try as we will in this way, we can only fail, for we are to live as Christians BY Christ. We are to draw from Him, the strength and grace which will equip us to meet the difficulties of life and to overcome them. It is only by drawing from Christ day by day, that the things which are needful, the counsel, the wisdom, the understanding, and such like - that we can live as we know we ought to live.

The grace of Christ is free, and we have but to come to Him, draw upon that grace, and we shall be, not simply trying, but accomplishing; not straining and struggling, but living natural and victorious lives.

It is only when we realize our own inability to live up to the Christian standard by our own efforts and strength, that we feel the need of His help. How much we are conscious of this! But all too many who are thus conscious of their need, fail to get their daily need supplied, because they do not take those steps that are necessary to draw from Christ the needed help.

We must live by Christ. There must be the daily inflowing of divine grace. We must feel as did Paul, that we trust not in ourselves, but in the living God.

Then we must go forward, drawing from Christ each day by seeking His help, by opening our hearts that they may be filled, by communion with Him, by earnest seeking. Christ is our life, and by Him we must live, if we live as He would have us live.

There is no holding back on His part. He gives freely to those who ask Him. He satisfies the longing soul. But many are too occupied by other worldly things to seek that daily portion of Christ that they must have to live successfully. For them life cannot have the richness and the usefulness that might be theirs for the seeking.

3. Another of the essentials of Christian living, is that we live FOR Christ. To the extent that we are occupied with self and with self-interests, to that extent we narrow the limits of Christian life. Life must be lived for Christ to be Christian life. It must be dedicated life. The language of our soul must be, "I will live for Him who died for me." The life of unselfish devotion to the interests of Christ, is the life that shines with beauty and that has a sweet perfume.

"You are not your own," says the Apostle Paul. The more we cast out selfishness, the less we seek our own, the more we yield ourselves to Christ and His work, the more we live with the purpose of pleasing Him - the deeper and richer will be the current of the joy of living and of His grace that flows through our soul. If our Christian life is not satisfactory, then let us look into our hearts and see whether we are living for Christ, or for self. To the extent we are living for self, to that extent we are robbing ourselves and robbing God. We are robbing ourselves of that blessedness that comes from wholehearted devotion to His interests. We are robbing God of the service that we ought to give Him and of the opportunities to work through us as He would.

This is the very cause of the dearth and emptiness in the lives of many professors of Christianity. They are living for self - not for Christ; and the happiness that comes from selfishness - is the lowest of all forms of happiness.

When we live near Christ and by Christ and for Christ there will be a fourth element seen in our lives.

4. We shall live like Christ. The characteristics that were seen in Him, will be seen in us. We shall bear the fruits of the Spirit. We shall not show hatred, bitterness, envy, malice, nor any of the thousand other evils which spring from the natural heart. We shall be able to live like Him. Then we can say, "For me, to live is Christ," and with joy we can add, "To die is gain."

So let us join in our lives these four elements of Christian living and we shall bear all the fruits of righteousness - and peace, joy, happiness, and contentment will be ours;and we shall lead natural, useful, and blessed Christian lives and inspire others to live for Christ.

~Charles Naylor~

(The End)