Christ in me…the hope of glory! The Indwelling Christ is our sure hope and eternal promise.

1 John 3:1 – 3 “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knows us not, because it knew Him not.

Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.

And every man that has this hope in Him purifies himself, even as He is pure.”

Paul addressed the Philippian Church, “….work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which works in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure,” Phil. 2: 12 – 13. God has, and continues to prepare us for His purposes, raising up the Body of Christ to effect a lost world and extend His kingdom there. Tommy Hicks had a vision of the Body of Christ as a sleeping giant breaking the chains that bound him to the ground, preparing to rise up from his slumber! Now is the time to arise from our slumber! Let it not be said of the Church, ” I can’t hear WHAT you say for the noise of WHAT YOU ARE!

1 John 3:18 encourages us to be a living demonstration of the love of God: “…let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but IN DEED AND IN TRUTH.” When we allow the Indwelling Christ to manifest in our lives, we will be unconscious of self as we walk with Him transparently and be reflectors of His glory. There will be no self glory but an unconscious holy deposit from His presence given to others, to draw people to Christ.

In creation, a flower responds to a love of the light and the sunshine. In unconscious innocence it does not realise it’s beauty or that it has a place in God’s economy – just as love grows. It does not realise it has a place in the world but as it responds it fulfills the purpose of God. The bees pollinate the flowers but they are unconscious that they are fulfilling the purposes of God. In Nature so much is done to fulfill the purposes of God, so too, in our lives, we fulfill His purposes for us as we daily walk with our Father in humility and contentment, we unconsciously spread abroad His blessing wherever we go. It is the fragrance of Christ, not something of ourselves.

The following poem should be the testimony of a child of God walking in humility and carrying the Presence of Christ:

INDWELT Anon.

Not merely in the words you say,
Not only in your deeds expressed,
But in the most unconscious way
Is Christ expressed.
Was it a beautific smile?
A holy light upon your brow?
Ah no! I felt His presence when you laughed just now!
For me ’twas not the truth you taught,
To you so clear, to me so dim,
But when you came
You brought a sense of Him.
And from your eyes He beckons me,
And from your heart His love is shared,
Till I lose sight of you and see
The Christ instead.

A peace controlled child of God carries His presence and unconsciously leaves a footprint on the lives of others, a holy deposit of the fragrance of Christ as a signpost to the Cross …..to God be all the glory! “Let Your kingdom come, let Your will be done in earth as it is in Heaven, for Thine is the kingdom, Thine is the power and Thine is the glory.”