Living with Christ

"Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him." Romans 6:8

Another reason that our religion must interfere with our private lives is that we live in the world, the Bible name for human society. The regenerated man has been inwardly separated from society as Israel was separated from Egypt at the crossing of the Red Sea. The Christian is a man of heaven temporarily living on earth. Though in spirit divided from the race of fallen men he must yet in the flesh live among them. In many things he is like them, but in others he differs so radically from them that they cannot but see and resent it. From the days of Cain and Abel the man of earth has punished the man of heaven for being different. The long history of persecution and martyrdom confirms this.

But we must not get the impression that the Christian life is one continuous conflict, one unbroken irritating struggle against the world, the flesh and the devil. A thousand times no. A heart that learns to die with Christ soon knows the blessed experience of rising with Him, and all the world’s persecutions cannot still the high note of holy joy that springs up in the soul that has become the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit.

Thought: There is that conflict between our sinful nature and the Spirit. But as we submit to the Spirit's control, there is also the peace of Christ (John 14:27) and His joy (John 15:11) to calm and brighten our way, because having died with Christ we may also live with Him.

By A.W. Tozer taken from "The Warfare of the Spirit"

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