The Creation of Christ In The Heart
“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life” (Proverbs 4 v23)
The fact that there is an old man who controls and dictates to us in our fallen state, is so clearly taught by the Holy Ghost in the scriptures. It is also a practical fact that, Christ is the new man who must replace the works of the old man, to produce His works in us. The new man in us, reveals how much of Christ lives in us. Because we have a measure of this new man, does not mean Christ is being formed in us in fullness. The new man in us grows as we grow in the experiential knowledge of the Life of Christ.
“Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all” (Colossians 3v10-11).
The new creation is the renewal and growth of the new man, it is not a static event we experience, whereby we vainly profess we are a new creation, without expecting more though ALL is not yet renewed in us. The Word New means He is doing a work in us, which is always new as far as our natural, desires, ambition and appetites are concerned. Until all is new, all is not yet new.
Our mind reveals what is in our hearts. The old man and the new man both live in the heart. If the old man controls our hearts, then our mind will receive the thoughts of the old man. This affects our character and behaviors; especially in times of trials, adversity and challenges. When Christ (the new man) lives in our hearts in any measure, our mind will be controlled by the thoughts of the new man, Christ in us. This is how we possess the mind of Christ, as He dwells in our hearts. Let us not also forget that the new man in us, is Christ but does not necessarily mean Christ in maturity. And our possessing of His mind, will be in relation to the growth of the new man in our hearts. The mind receives what is in the heart, and the heart gives what it possesses, either the new man or the old man.
“That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;” (Eph 3v17-18).
The Life of Jesus Christ on earth was basically the dwelling of the father in His heart. No where do we ever notice in the scriptures, the father spoke to him through audible voice except in a few cases for the benefit of the people around Him. Speak of dream and visions, He needed not this means ,because His heart was fully possess by the father and so His mind received the Father’s will from the heart.
When Philip asked Him to see the father, He was not just proving his divinity when He answered him, “he that hath seen me has seen the father,” but he was pointing him to the fact that, the words He spoke and all that he did was the father who did it because he lives in him. The Father is Life and it was the very Life that was with Phillip as he manifested it in his words and works because the Father lives within him.
“Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.
Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?
Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.
Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake.” (John 14v8-11)
Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?
Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.
Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake.” (John 14v8-11)
While in our natural state we, like Phillip, will prefer God to speak to us in audible voice, dream and visions, He is seeking to become our heart and mind, so that we will hear and listen for Him through our heart because He lives in it. We all hear many voices in dreams, visions, audible voices, men, etc., but to be secure and distinguish what is of God and what is of not of Him can only be done by Him as he lives in our hearts, communicating to our mind His will. This is the purpose of the new creation, that He might write His laws as He abides in our hearts.
If we daily yield our hearts to Christ, He will abide in it and will produce His pure holy thoughts in our minds. He will give us:
a. His patience, where left to ourselves we can do nothing but be hasty in impatience
b. His Love, where left to ourselves we can do nothing but live in hate, and bitterness.
c. His faith, where left to ourselves we can do nothing but doubt His works and what He can do in us.
d. His hope, where left to ourselves we can do nothings but live in discouragement
e. His praise, where left to ourselves we can do nothing but murmur and complain instead of praising him even in trials and adversity.
f. His will, where left to ourselves we can do nothing but walk in our own selfish will.
g. His understanding, where left to ourselves we can do nothing but quickly judge situations and circumstances according to our natural understanding, through the mind of the old man.
The above are some of the self issues which proceed from our hearts, because either the new man is not created in us, or is not growing. Trials and adversity are sent as a blessing; either for Christ to work in us , or to reveal how much of his life is being created in our hearts in the new creation.
In many times there is always a tradition, prejudice, some inward unknown rebellion, lukewarmness, false security, something unplowed. These things are hidden within and yet unrealized; until God sends the blessing of trials and adversity. This is when the old man becomes revealed as He resists God’s nature, because we yield not our hearts fully unto Christ, to live in us so that He will become our strength and guide in all things, from our hearts. Temptations, trials and adversity are nothing in themselves. It depends on who is within our hearts. If Christ is within our heart, then He will communicate to our minds to see all situations in His eyes, and not in our natural old nature, that will complain, murmur, be discouraged, or yield to the desires of the flesh.
It is time for repentance, and back to intimacy with our Lord seeking His manifestation in our hearts. No more vain, useless, worldly and unprofitable activities but waiting upon the Lord in the closet to manifest His nature in us. The greater works will be manifested again, but He must live in us. Our minds have inherited so much worldly thought, to our own ruin and sorrow. This is the day of Christ’s mind: being possess by us because He lives in our hearts. There is still time while it is called today.
“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life” (Proverbs 4v23)
Amen.
James Jarjou
>What a blessing this one is.