Articles
Inside, not Beside
Inside, not Beside
Jesus was clear. Not many will be saved. Consider one reason in Luke 13. “You will stand outside and knock on the door, saying, ‘Lord, open up to us!’ then He will answer and say to you, ‘I do not know where you are from.’ Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets,’ and He will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you are from; depart from me, all you evildoers.’” (Luke 13:25-26). They were right next to Jesus! He walked through their neighborhood! They saw Him, they heard Him teach, and may have even eaten with Him at some point. Why weren’t they saved?
Jesus must be in-side us, not merely be-side us. “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.” (John 14:23). We may live our whole lives “around” or “next to” Christ. We may go to church, own a Bible, grow up in a family that prays before meals, and have good relationships with Christians. We may wear religious jewelry and hang divine decorations on our walls. It’s all pointless unless we can say, as Paul did, “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.” (Gal. 2:20a). Is Christ merely in your midst? Or is He in your heart?
