Experiencing God's Presence #108

Experiencing God's Presence #108

It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.

Galatians 2:20

Scripture tells us that the Holy Spirit lives in us (John 14:17; 1 Corinthians 3:16). And that we can be filled with the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:19). And that Jesus is in us (John 14:20; Galatians 2:20; Colossians 1:27). In other words, every member of the Trinity is present in our being. That drives people who love precise doctrine crazy, but it’s a truth that flows from the experience of the earliest Christians. Something had fundamentally changed within them, and they experienced divine life. This is how they—and even Jesus—expressed it.

In our quest to experience more of God’s Presence, we aren’t just after the God who lives with us. We’re seeking the God who lives in us. And not just as a matter of doctrinal belief but as a practical and palpable Presence. When we think of the inner life, we are right to envision any member of the Trinity at any time: the Father on His throne, the Son in His earthly and heavenly ministry, and the Spirit blowing through us or flowing out of us. All the attributes of the Godhead are there: the majesty and mystery of the Father, the compassion and visible touch of Jesus, the comfort and counsel of the Spirit, and many more characteristics than one can list. We can never say we are lacking in resources. Even the faith and patience and wisdom of Jesus are ours for the asking. We are filled with immense power.

So why don’t we experience such spiritual riches? Perhaps because we don’t believe we can, or maybe because we don’t understand the implications, or possibly even because we don’t see results at first and give up the pursuit. Regardless, God puts within us a life we have not yet fully realized. But it becomes more real the more we seek, believe, and persist.

Jesus, I don’t want to fall short of the potential You’ve put in me. Express Yourself fully through me and in me.