fter that initial good feeling of our salvation has past, we may look at our lives and think it really didn’t do much to affect how I live! We still fail at righteous living in the same ways as we previously had. This is because we don’t yet ‘know’ how our ‘past’ condition has changed by our new union with Christ’s life.

We don’t immediately know ALL that actually occurred when we placed our faith in Christ as Savior. Religion likely only told you; 1.) Your sins are now forgiven, 2.) You’re saved from judgement and 3.) You’re going to heaven when you die.”  Little is said of Him INDWELLING US as our ALL.

Actually, believers have received everything of God that we’ll ever need to live in victory as witnessed by with peace in their hearts. We have by the all-sufficient resurrected Christ in us… as our new life.

You see, Christ does not give us ‘life’ and ‘peace’… HE now IS OUR LIFE and He is our peace!

2 Cor. 5:17-18 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a New Creature: old things (of the old Adamic you) are passed away; behold, All Things Are Become New.

Col. 2:10 And Ye Are Complete In Him…  Col 3:4 Christ, who Is Our Life (Zoë, spirit-life), shall appear…

1 Corinthians 1:30 But of him (the Father) are ye in (in union with) Christ Jesus, who of God is (now) made unto us wisdom (cf. Col 2:16), and righteousness, and sanctification (holiness), and redemption:

Having the above facts, why don’t we live victorious over Sin and enjoy His peace and rest within?

Initially we don’t really know ‘Who We Once Were’ versus ‘Who We Now ARE’ since our rebirth. Initially we only know Jesus died “for us,” but in fact…He did MUCH more, on our behalf.

We’ve already received “Peace with God” (Rom 5:1) and also the “Peace of God” (Philippians 4:7) and we can Rest by trusting Christ with and IN US as the new us.

Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

We must come to know the two key points of the ‘liberating secret’ to the Christian life;

1. Christ died FOR us, but also Christ died AS us, Setting Us Free from Sin’s Dominion over us. Our Old Sinful Self Vicariously Died with Jesus and In Jesus Christ on the cross.

(Vicarious means “something that is… 1) performed, exercised, received, or suffered in place of another: e.g., vicarious punishment. 2) taking the place of another person or thing; acting or serving as a substitute. 3. enjoyed through imagined participation in the experience of others:)

Rom 6:3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized (immersed) into Jesus Christ were baptized (immersed) into his death? Romans 6:7 he that is dead is Freed from sin (Sin’s dominion). (cf. Rom 6:3-4)

2.We have ‘New Creation Life’ by Christ’s Resurrected Life NOW Within US… AS US!

Christ is in us to empower us in righteous living that we might rest in Him.

Gal 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

We didn’t “Know” the Secret of Paul’s ‘Mystery Gospel,’ which needs to be preached and Revelation!

Eph 1:16-18 (I Paul)… mention of you in my prayers; 17That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of Wisdom and REVELATION in the Knowledge of him (Christ): 18The eyes of your Understanding being Enlightened; that ye may KNOW what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the GLORY of his inheritance (now) IN the saints (believers),

Colossians 1:27 To whom God would make known what is the Riches of the Glory of This Mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ IN You, the hope of glory:

Romans 16:25 … to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the REVELATION of the MYSTERY, which was kept SECRET since the world began, 

Paul uniquely preached the good news of the Mystery of… “Christ In You”

Col. 1:27-28 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the we try Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory (expression): 28WhomWe PREACH.

Nobody told had us exactly where Christ’s life now is… He is within us!

2 Cor. 3:17a Now the Lord is that Spirit:   2 Tim. 4:22

The Lord Jesus Christ be (is) with thy spirit. Grace be with you. Amen.     

1 Cor 6:17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.                           

Romans 8:9-10 … the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

Col. 3:3-4 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4 …Christ, who is our life…

God desires to make Known to You the Riches of Christ… that are already In Your spirit.

“the Mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: 27To whom God would make known (in your soul’s mind) what is the Riches of the Glory of this Mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ In You (your spirit), the hope of glory (His life expressed through you): (Col. 1:26-27)

When the Inward Man of the Soul/Self is DECEIVED, he looks to the LAW & Works based Religion; thinking this will make him favorable to God. That’s the religious lie that keeps us from enjoying His peace and rest.

Romans 7:22-23 I delight in the Law of God after the inward (Gk. eso, inside man’s soul/mind) man: 23But I see another law (regulating principle) IN my members (body), warring against the Law of my mind (knowledge of good and evil), and bringing me into captivity to the law of Sin which is IN my (body) members.

This religious law-keeping approach didn’t work for Paul when he didn’t yet know he had died to the Law & Sin.

Our “Soul-self” needs Renewal the Knowledge of Christ’s “Spirit of life” is within our spirit… as us.

2 Cor. 4:16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward (body) man perish (is dying), yet the inward man (our soul-self) is renewed (is becoming ‘spiritually minded’) day by day.

Ephes. 3:16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit IN the inner man; (Gk. eso, inside, the soul/mind, self)

We rely on the truth of Christ IN US when we “put off” the “Old Man” and “put on” our “new man.”

Eph 4:22-24 (so) That ye put off concerning the former conversation (manner of living) the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 24 And that ye put on (Gk., enduo, as sinking into a garment of) the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Without Knowing the “Mystery” of Christ’s life literally being within us as us, we depend upon the ‘ourselves.’ Being deceived we try to live the Christian life by Our own self-strength. We should then discover we don’t have adequate resources (of ourselves) to live on this earth with peace and rest.

Yet there is a “rest” for us when we rest… by trusting in Christ as our all-sufficient Savior and life.

Hebrews 4:10 … he that is entered into his Rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.

We must give up tryin to fix and oversome everything by self-effort, rather, we must come to rest in "christ who is our life" (Colossians 3:3-4). For He is our peace!.

Col 3:15 let the peace of God rule in your hearts… and be ye thankful.