Basic HTML Version
Growing Up Into Christ
43
Christ is compared with many of the blessings of nature. He is
the “eternal light.”
Isaiah 60:19
. He is “a sun and a shield.”
Psalm
84:11
, KJV. He is like “rain in a dry land” (
Hosea 14:5
), like rain
on the fields.”
Psalm 72:6
. He is the living water and “the bread of
[67]
God... which comes down from heaven, and gives life to the world.”
John 6:33
, RSV.
God gave a wonderful gift to the world—His Son. This un-
equaled gift has circled the world with grace, like the air, which
is everywhere. It is as real as the air we breathe. If we choose to
receive this life-giving grace of Christ, we will live and grow up to
become men and women in Christ Jesus.
The flower turns to the sun to receive its bright rays. The light
helps the flower become beautiful and perfect. So we should turn
to Christ, the Sun of Righteousness. Heaven’s light will then shine
upon us, and our characters will grow into His likeness.
Jesus teaches us this lesson when He says, “Remain united to
me, and I will remain united to you. A branch cannot bear fruit
by itself; it can do so only if it remains in the vine.... You can do
nothing without me.”
John 15:4, 5
. We must depend on Christ in
order to live a holy life, just as branches depend on the vine for
growth. Apart from Him we have no life. Away from Him we will
have no power to fight against sin or to grow in grace and holiness.
But when we live in Him, we grow and bear fruit. We will be like a
tree planted by a river.
Many people think that they must do some part of the work alone.
[68]
They trust Christ to forgive their sins, then they try to live a good
life by their own strength. But they are sure to fail. Jesus says, “You
can do nothing without me.”
Our growth in grace, our joy, our usefulness—all depend on our
oneness with Christ. We grow in grace by spending time with Him,
day by day, hour by hour. He not only creates our faith but He makes
it perfect.
Christ must be first, last, and always. He is to be with us not
only at the beginning and the end of our lives, but at every step of
the way. David said, “I am always aware of the Lord’s presence; he
is near, and nothing can shake me.”
Psalm 16:8
.
Do you ask, “How am I to live in Christ?” Live in Him in the
same way you first received Him. “Since you have accepted Christ