Quotable

"If Christ is to be our life we must look, in the first place, at Christ before us as our Example. When I speak of Christ as my life, it must not be a vague indefinite thing, but I must know. Life always works itself out in conduct and action, and if Christ comes into me as my life, it must not only be something hidden in my heart, but something that proves itself in every action and in every moment of my existence. And if I want to know how it will show itself, what my sentiments and words and actions and habits will be if I have Christ's life, I must go to the life of the Lord Jesus upon earth and study that. And as I study the life and walk of God's own beloved Son, I must remember that before God took Him up to heaven, God let Him live here upon earth, that in His life I might have a picture, a revelation, a complete representation of what my God wanted me to be, and was willing to make me. That is the light in which you must study the life of Christ in the Gospels- not the only, but one most important, light."
- Andrew Murray in "Absolute Surrender" page 77

As I contemplate these words this evening I think to all those whom I know that profess to be Believers but who do not hold to any of the basic doctrines of the faith. They claim that Christ is their Savior, but deny that the Bible is actually the Word of God...or if it is, then it is certainly not inerrant or infallible. How can they claim to know the One that is proclaimed only in the Bible which they don't believe? Or they claim to have a relationship with the Lord and go without gathering together with other Believers in church for corporate worship. How can they relate to the One that loves the church if they forsake the assembly? Can they love Christ and be apathetic towards the local body that is His Bride?

How true Murray speaks when he says that "if Christ comes into me as my life, it must not only be something hidden in my heart, but something that proves itself in every action and in every moment of my existence."

I hear echoes of James 1:22 here, where the brother of the Lord exhorts us to be doers and not just heares of the Word of God.

Oh for a people of God zealous to exercise their faith in deed AND word!

God bless!