Galatians 2:20 English Standard Version (ESV) I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Referring back to previous devotionals, our attitude in who we receive into our hearts determines how we treat Him. Is he a friend, a big brother, a savior or just someone we would like to get to know? What makes this visit different from any of our previous relationships is the fact that once He comes in, He will not leave.

When we answer the knocking at the door, we have an expectation of this visitor. What those expectations are will be personal. Did we know that He would not be leaving? Did we think He would come and go to attend to more pressing matters than ourselves? As in any relationship expectations will change as we get to know one another. Perhaps we did not even know this was going to be an intimate personal relationship. Each person will have their own perspective of the indwelling Christ.

As with all expectations, getting to know someone changes our perspectives and develops knew expectations. In any good relationship an exchange of information is required. What we discover as we get to know Christ in us is that He is truth and will speak truth in love as no one else has ever done for us before.

At this point we may find ourselves a little uncomfortable with the truth. Or not. We as individuals will respond to our “visitor” according to our personality and perspective. Our concepts of who this Christ is in this relationship will change because we are changed just because He is in our hearts.

Do our minds, our will and our emotions understand what is happening in our hearts? Our souls are still flesh and being saved even if we do not understand it properly.

Galatians 2:20 English Standard Version (ESV) I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

We do not give up control when it comes to choosing to live by faith. We still have free will. The effort we put towards obedience of faith is in seeking His commands, understanding those commands, believing those commands, and then choosing to obey them according to our best understanding.

Philippians 1:21-22 English Standard Version

²¹ For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. ²² If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell.

Paul was saying here that he has work to do. Even so, what he should choose to do was still something unclear because he knew that the hardest choices still lay ahead for him. To live or to die was still something within his ability to choose. We know from his writings that he chose to stay for our sake.

That was who Paul was in Christ. This Christian life consists of two distinct parts which must be discovered to have its full effect.

Who is Christ in me?

Who am I in Christ?

Earlier it was brought to our attention that who we let in when Christ comes knocking dictates our attitudes once we let Him into our hearts. That does not change who He is but it does affect our relationship because of our attitude. Our attitudes will change as we discover who Christ is in us. We will discover that being in His presence changes us in ways we did not expected. His speaking directly into our hearts is a new experience and one we need to experience to understand.