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Today's Scripture ~ Romans 8.10 & Ephesians 3.17 (CEV)
But Christ lives in you. So you are alive because God has accepted you, even though your bodies must die because of your sins.
[A]nd that Christ will live in your hearts because of your faith. Stand firm and be deeply rooted in his love.
Wisdom Quote
Paul ... points out that part which is the true seat of Christ, our hearts, to show that it is not enough for him to be on our tongues or flutter in our brains.
... By faith we not only acknowledge that Christ suffered for us and rose from the dead for us, but we receive him, possessing and enjoying Him as He offers Himself to us.
*John Calvin. Ephesians. In J. David Muyskens. Forty Days to a Closer Walk with God: The Practice of Centering Prayer.
Comments
Christ receiving us leads to our receiving Christ. John Calvin uses clear, bold language, as well as contemplative, when he speaks of the "possessing" and "enjoying" of Christ.
We are not to be timid in possessing and enjoying Christ. And we are not to think that this Christ is simply some pervasive Presence, like a cosmic one, or a distant presence, like one in some faraway place called heaven.
The Christ St. Paul speaks of is a Christ in the heart. This Christ is close to us in spiritual proximity. But this Christ, while in the heart, as in all places, can be far away from us in affection. "Christ" can be a word on the lips or an idea in the mind. This is not possessing Christ, this is not enjoying Christ.
To be intimate with Christ, we must choose to live intimately with Christ. Regardless of how close Christ is to me, I will not be intimate with Christ if I do not trust Christ as living in my heart. I will not live intimately with Christ if I do not engage a life that diligently chooses to live intimately with Christ.
A spiritual Christian can be defined simply. The spiritual Christian is a person who lives intimately with the Christ, who is so close as to be in his or her heart. Spiritual Christianity is the possessing and enjoying of the closeness of Christ through a life of intimacy with Christ.
Suggested Reflection
What is the difference between Christ being close to you and your living intimately with Christ?
How do you possess and enjoy Christ?
What spiritual practices help you to remain "deeply rooted" in Christ's love?
Brian is available to respond to requests pertaining to seeking a Spiritual Director, his speaking, doing classes, workshops, or retreats for churches or other spiritual groups.
For submission of replies, see below:
*Brian K. Wilcox lives with his wife, Rocio, and their two dogs, St. Francis and Bandit Ty, in Punta Gorda, Florida. He is a United Methodist pastor and vowed member of Greenbough House of Prayer, a contemplative Christian community in Georgia. His passion is living a contemplative life and inspiring others to experience a deeper relationship with Christ through contemplative prayer and living.
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