We see in the verse above that Paul stands in relation to Christ as Christ stands in relation to the Father. Christ lives by the Life of the Father and Paul lives by the Life of Christ. Christ can do nothing of Himself apart from the Father. Paul can do nothing of Himself apart from Christ.

This is the state of being to which every member of the Body of Christ is called.

But how do we get here?

There are two aspects of "Christ in you." The first aspect is the transformation of our personality as every particle is brought down to death and then raised again in Christ. The second aspect is the coming of the Father and the Son to dwell in this transformed personality. God will dwell only in Christ, and only in us to the extent Christ has been formed in us.

Does this make sense to you?

Let's think for a moment about the first aspect—the forming of Christ in us.

My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you, (Galatians 4:19—NIV)

The problem is that of our will. We can make little progress in having Christ formed in us until we count that we have been crucified with Christ and resurrected with Christ.

We must turn over our life to Jesus, not just as a doctrinal stance but in actuality. We must give up our life that Christ may become our life. Once we make the determination that our first personality is to be assigned to the cross and our new born-again personality is to be in Christ at the right hand of God, the Spirit of God then brings us through situation after situation in which our adamic nature can be brought down to death.

We say "can" be brought down to death because we have a choice as we come to each point of death. We can blame others for our discomfort. We can cling to our life, our hope of joy. We can save our life. If we do this our self-will remains intact and Christ is not formed in us. In so doing we forfeit all hope of appearing with Christ, for those who appear with Him and work with Him in the establishing of the Kingdom of God on the earth are those whose life He is.

"When Christ who is our life shall appear . . . ."

You know, the most dangerous of all spiritual places to find yourself in is to have trusted in the blood atonement for the forgiveness of your sin, to have spoken in tongues and perhaps prophesied, to have been saved and to have experienced the Life of the Spirit of God, and then to cling stubbornly to some desire, some hope, some ambition, some plan of your own.

Why is this such a dangerous condition?

It is dangerous because Satan, who also wants the joy that attends the Presence of God, preserves his own will. This is the most distinguishing characteristic of Satan—he exerts a will other than the will of Christ.

To be continued.