Dead God
A number of years ago, there were bumper stickers that stated “God Is Dead,” which automatically infuri-ated me when I saw one. Today, when I think about that slogan, I begin to understand why people
thought God was dead.
When those bumper stickers first became popular, I now have to admit that I lived my life as though God
was dead, although I was a born-again believer.
I, like most born-again believers,
knew that I was born-again and on my way to heaven. That, in essence, was the summation of my understanding of my relationship with God.
I lived the Christian life as best I
could, which was woefully lacking according to the standards of the church I attended. I believed God was alive but He was more or less obscure to me.
It was a constant struggle for me
to “live a Christian life.” to add to this, a short while ago I heard a radio preacher say Christianity needs a totally new Bible because the King James Version (KJV) is totally out of step with modern Christianity. Further, he stated that the KJV Bible does not work and is not applicable. If this is true, then my past struggle to live a Christian life was all
in vain! Trying to live a so-called
“Christian life” is bondage and is totally frustrating.
I lived many years of my walk in the Lord under these circumstances. This is the same condition under which many born-again believers live today.
Actually, I had decided that Christianity was not worth the struggle, but I wanted to make it to heaven so I continued to struggle daily.
Many years later the Holy Spirit began to teach me the most important truth any born-again believer will ever realize. He revealed to me that the Son lived in me as my only life and this was the beginning
of what seemed to be a totally new walk in the Lord.
What was wrong previously? I did not know that Christ lived in me, as He does in all born-again believers. When born-again believers come to the revelation that Christ lives in them, it will make all the difference in their walk in the Lord.
The problem with Christianity is that
most born-again believers do not know that when they were born-again, our Father put His seed, Christ the Son, in them to be their only life.
“My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be
formed in you” (Gal. 4:19).
“Christ in You, the Hope of Glory”
Christ Jesus, our Lord, lives in every born-again believer; but most do not
know this fact, and that is why it seems that God is dead. Believers keep looking for an external Christ!
“Christ in you” is the foundational basis of Apostle Paul’s gospel (Col. 1:27).
If believers do not know that Christ lives in them, it will seem as though God is dead or that He has disappeared. It is imperative that believers understand this basic foundational truth as written to us by Paul. When believers realze that Christ is in them, it will seem as though a
totally new relationship is established. But, it is not a new relationship; it is just not effective to believers who don’t know “Christ in you” as a reality. This relationship comes to the forefront when believers realize that Christ lives in them as their only life.
Don Byrd is a Mississippi farm boy, he and his brother Dexter, wrote and taught for over fifty years of ministry. Dexter has passed and Don hails from a small town in central Texas.
A number of years ago, there were bumper stickers that stated “God Is Dead,” which automatically infuri-ated me when I saw one. Today, when I think about that slogan, I begin to understand why people
thought God was dead.
When those bumper stickers first became popular, I now have to admit that I lived my life as though God
was dead, although I was a born-again believer.
I, like most born-again believers,
knew that I was born-again and on my way to heaven. That, in essence, was the summation of my understanding of my relationship with God.
I lived the Christian life as best I
could, which was woefully lacking according to the standards of the church I attended. I believed God was alive but He was more or less obscure to me.
It was a constant struggle for me
to “live a Christian life.” to add to this, a short while ago I heard a radio preacher say Christianity needs a totally new Bible because the King James Version (KJV) is totally out of step with modern Christianity. Further, he stated that the KJV Bible does not work and is not applicable. If this is true, then my past struggle to live a Christian life was all
in vain! Trying to live a so-called
“Christian life” is bondage and is totally frustrating.
I lived many years of my walk in the Lord under these circumstances. This is the same condition under which many born-again believers live today.
Actually, I had decided that Christianity was not worth the struggle, but I wanted to make it to heaven so I continued to struggle daily.
Many years later the Holy Spirit began to teach me the most important truth any born-again believer will ever realize. He revealed to me that the Son lived in me as my only life and this was the beginning
of what seemed to be a totally new walk in the Lord.
What was wrong previously? I did not know that Christ lived in me, as He does in all born-again believers. When born-again believers come to the revelation that Christ lives in them, it will make all the difference in their walk in the Lord.
The problem with Christianity is that
most born-again believers do not know that when they were born-again, our Father put His seed, Christ the Son, in them to be their only life.
“My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be
formed in you” (Gal. 4:19).
“Christ in You, the Hope of Glory”
Christ Jesus, our Lord, lives in every born-again believer; but most do not
know this fact, and that is why it seems that God is dead. Believers keep looking for an external Christ!
“Christ in you” is the foundational basis of Apostle Paul’s gospel (Col. 1:27).
If believers do not know that Christ lives in them, it will seem as though God is dead or that He has disappeared. It is imperative that believers understand this basic foundational truth as written to us by Paul. When believers realze that Christ is in them, it will seem as though a
totally new relationship is established. But, it is not a new relationship; it is just not effective to believers who don’t know “Christ in you” as a reality. This relationship comes to the forefront when believers realize that Christ lives in them as their only life.
Don Byrd is a Mississippi farm boy, he and his brother Dexter, wrote and taught for over fifty years of ministry. Dexter has passed and Don hails from a small town in central Texas.
