I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. Galatians 2:20
In a collected book of his sermons, The Works of Andrew Gray, Gray comments, “If you would keep your heart, you must entertain these noble and excellent guests within your heart.” Let’s call these guests “friends” for your soul.
You can think of them as honored guests who come into your inner life and stay there. If you want to keep your heart right, you must welcome these guests, make room for them in your heart. The first friend you need to know is Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
The apostle Paul said, “Christ… lives in me” (2:20). Think about who is saying this. Paul tells us that he was a blatant sinner with a foul mouth. He was an angry, violent man who hated Christians and regarded the resurrection as an offensive lie (1 Tim. 1:12-17).
Then the risen Christ appeared to him and stopped him in his tracks. He was blinded by the light of Jesus’ glory, as if the Day of Judgment had come for him. But Paul was shown mercy (1 Tim. 1:13). He is an example of what Jesus is ready and able to do. If Jesus can come to live in a man with a past like his, then there is hope for all of us.
“Christ lives in me” is a great statement of what it means to be a Christian. He comes as the honored guest in your soul: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me” (Rev. 3:20).
If you think Christian faith is about believing in Christ from a distance, think again. Christ says, “I am knocking on the door of your heart. I want to come in. And when I come in, I want to share a meal with you. That’s the relationship I want with you, and that’s why I’m knocking.”
Have you made room for the Son of God in your heart?
