"Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Col 1: 27)
Charles B. Fleming

Paul’s writings show a man who lived two lives. There was the pre-Christ life and the in-the-presence of Christ life. And what a difference there is between the two! The transformation came about because Paul found himself experiencing a life in which he is in Christ (I Cor 4: 17); and the resurrected Christ lived in him (Gal. 2: 20). Another way of describing that is to say that Paul found himself experiencing the reality of Incarnation.

Incarnation brings a New Reality     Incarnational reality has to do with God embodying himself in material form – God continuing to live in and expressing himself through flesh. As a result, Paul finds that life now has a new definition – "For to me, to live is Christ" (Phil 1: 21). Now that Christ is in his life, it is as if all previous experience was like living in a shadow world; a pale reflection of what should have been; an unreal-reality. He found that to know Christ is to really live! To live is Christ!

Incarnation brings a new Identity     Paul found that he himself has become something different from what he was – "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation" (II Cor. 5: 17). To experience Christ alive within us is to find a new identity. Paul now considers all that he once based his identity on – his long list of accomplishments and his racial inheritance (Phil 3: 4-6) – is "rubbish" (Phil 3: 8-9). Instead, he now experiences a permanent Living Presence which "speaks to us deep in our hearts and tells us that we are God's children" (Rom. 8: 16 NLT). Paul’s new identity – knowing himself as God’s greatly loved child – leads to an amazingly transformed life. That transformation began with a new understanding of who God is – he now embraces the reality brought by "the Spirit of sonship" and knows the intimate, relational "Abba, Father" (v 15).

Incarnation brings a New View of others     With Christ living in him, Paul now has a new view of other people: "So we have stopped evaluating others by what the world thinks about them" instead those "who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ" (II Cor. 5: 16 NLT and Eph 2: 13). He now humbly serves those he previously despised and even tried to kill.

Incarnation means a present Participation in the Life of the Trinity     Note carefully: incarnational life is not only that Christ lives in us. It is crucial we understand that it also means we are in Him! Paul recognized that Jesus is the prototype of a new humanity – "the firstborn from among the dead" (Col. 1: 18), and as firstborn he paved the way for us. In his life, death and resurrection Jesus gathers up all that we are and offers himself on our behalf. When the Father accepts his sacrifice he accepts us as well – each of us finds that our "life is now hidden with Christ in God" (Col. 3: 3). Jesus stressed the need for both being in Christ and Christ in us:

"Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you" (John 14: 19-20).