THE CHRIST LIFE
‘Yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.’
Christianity is, before all things and above all things, a life to be lived. Let us endeavour to trace briefly some of the characteristics of this life of Christ.
This life is—
I. Mysterious.—All life is. No man can understand life, even though it be the life of an insect or a plant. Philosophers have written upon ‘the beginnings of life,’ but only to display their ignorance in dealing with such a subject.
II. Spontaneous.—All life is, and in this consists the difference between the man and the machine. Tried by this test, a good deal of what passes for Christianity would fail. It looks well at a distance. It passes muster in a crowd; but when you come near to it, when you try to lay your hand upon its heart, you find it is a lifeless thing. It has a form of godliness, but denies the power thereof. It is not a spontaneous, it is an artificial life.
III. Precious.—To know whether we are living the Christ-life, we must ask what He is to us. Is He precious? Are we willing to part with all things for His sake? What have we suffered for Him? Have we ever hazarded anything for His sake? our reputation, our friends, nay, our life itself? If we do not value Him above all, do we in His judgment value Him at all?
IV. Powerful.—All life is.
(a) It has uplifting power.
(b) It has overcoming power.
(c) It has expulsive power.
(d) It has attractive power.
(e) It has enduring power.
—Rev. E. W. Moore.
Illustration
‘As the bridegroom to his chosen,
As the king unto his realm,
As the keep unto the castle,
As the pilot to the helm,
So, Lord, art Thou to me.
‘As the fountain in the garden,
As the candle in the dark,
As the treasure in the coffer,
As the manna in the ark,
So, Lord, art Thou to me.
‘As the ruby in the setting,
As the honey in the comb,
As the light within the lantern,
As the father in the home,
So, Lord, art Thou to me.
‘As the sunshine to the heavens,
As the image to the glass,
As the fruit unto the fig-tree,
As the dew unto the grass,
So, Lord, art Thou to me.’