Thursday: That Which Has Been Made Was Life in Him
WEEK 14
THURSDAY
THAT WHICH HAS BEEN MADE WAS LIFE IN HIM
1 John 5:11-12
Before we leave this subject of the cleansing of the self, we must note a very illuminating passage: “That which has been made was life in him” (John 1:4 RSV margin). Note “that which has been made”; every created thing brought into existence was made “life in him.” Mere existence became life when it was in him by surrender to him.
Everything outside of him has mere existence and as such is bound to pass out of existence except as it is placed in him by surrender and consecration. Then it turns into life. Outside of him everything has existence; inside of him everything has life.
Self outside of Christ has existence, which I believe will come to an end; but the moment self is placed in Christ, it becomes life. And to such a quality of being that it must be spelled “Life”—and more, “Eternal Life.” Outside of him is nothing but death; inside of him is nothing but Life. Yourself, your money, your talents, your work, your thinking, your loving—when placed in him by surrender become Life. If they stay outside of him, they have the touch of death. No wonder the Epistle to the Ephesians uses “in Christ,” or its equivalent, so many times. For Paul saw that in Christ everything turned to life, danced with joy, scintillated with praise, grew amazingly, and was altogether effective.
There is no more beautiful and compelling picture in history—none in the Gospels—than Paul standing before Festus the governor and King Agrippa with Bernice his sister, and all the military tribunes and the prominent men of the city, and exclaiming to the king: “I pray to God that not only you but also all who are listening to me this day will become like me, except for these chains” (Acts 26:29).
This is a prisoner telling the cream of that economic, social, political, and military world, “I could wish nothing higher for you than for you to become like me.” Then he adds graciously, “except for these chains.” Here was a man bound and yet free, a prisoner gently passing sentence of condemnation upon the court. And the point is that they felt it was true. He had lost himself and had found himself with an amazing authority and self-realization.
O Christ, my Lord, I see that I must make you Lord if I am to find any authority over myself and others. There I shall desire no authority but will have it. Amen.
AFFIRMATION FOR THE DAY: All that I have shall pass from existence to life, for I shall place it in Christ.