For many of us, the picture above describes well how we feel about our current life situation. Maybe you feel like there’s “No Outlet” from something you did in the past or even something you’re doing right now. Or maybe there’s someone in your life waiting each day to remind you of all your mistakes. The noose is tightening little by little, day by day, and you’re looking for an Outlet. You might be considering a different relationship, a new job, or even a new spouse. Maybe you’re toying with alcohol and drugs, or even contemplating suicide as a way of escape from the cul-de-sac existence you’re currently experiencing. If so, you’re probably closer to the answer than you think, and certainly you are not alone.
Many of us go about our day to day lives doing the best we can and wait to call on God only when we hit a snag. But this is not our Creator’s design. Truth from God’s Word tells us, For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life (Romans 5:10). Most of us are fine believing Jesus died a bloody death for our sins. As Christians, we understand we used to be God’s enemies, but now we’re forgiven friends. And as great as that sounds, do you know it’s still only half the good news? Look again at the rest of that verse – much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life (Romans 5:10 b). But what does it mean to be saved by His life? Saved from what? The answer I believe is this: As Christ’s death saved us (past) from our sins, MUCH MORE CERTAINLY does His Life save us (presently) from ourselves. In other words, as we trusted Jesus for salvation, we can trust Him even more with every life situation. Maybe you’re still struggling to see how this is possible, so let’s zoom in and take a closer look.
In the original language, the phrase “by His life” is literally “in the life of Him.” That tiny preposition “in” means “in union with” or “joined with.” The fact is that if you’re in Christ, Christ is in you. You’re stuck together, and that’s not a bad thing! You now have a new functional source of life – Christ in you, the hope of glory (Col. 1:27).
Dear Christian, you no longer have to lean on your personal strength, intelligence, and resources to handle today’s situation. The rest of the gospel is this: It’s not up to you to find an Outlet. Christ is our Life, and He Himself is our Outlet. The same apostle who penned Romans 5:10 later wrote this: For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, WHO IS OUR LIFE, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory (Col. 3:3-4). When Jesus died on the cross, we died with Him, spiritually. When Jesus was raised from the dead, we too were raised with new spiritual life.
Do you still think of Christ as being somewhere in your life, or are you beginning to see that He is your essential life? Experiencing Christ as Life happens as we yield to Him as our new resource for handling situations each moment of the day. And don’t walk out just yet, because it’s going to take practice. We might not feel any different, but the more we act like Christ is living His life through us, the more He will overcome the frustration within us (Hebrews 5:14).