One of the things I found lacking in traditional Christianity was the genuine experience of Christ.
Oh, I found plenty of people who had “experiences” related to Christ. They attended meetings, “revivals,” prayed with others and had “experiences” that encouraged them, strengthened them, blessed them, made them feel forgiven. Even I had such experiences.
But, upon deeper inspection of myself—or in conversations with such genuine brothers and sisters in Christ—I found that the “experiences” were very superficial. They were experiences in the believers’ minds, their emotions, or even (sometimes) affecting their wills. But the experiences remained in their souls and had little lasting affect on their life and living.
What I did not find in myself or in the other believers with which I was surrounded was the genuine experience of “Christ in you” (Colossians 1:27). I did not find that, in myself or others, there was the ability to say with any sense of reality that “for me to live is Christ.” Nor did I find in myself or others under the general teaching of traditional Christianity the reality of any of the other experiences expressed in Colossians, such as:
- “Full-grown in Christ (1:28)
- “Walk in Him” (2:6)
- “According to Christ” (2:8)
- “Made alive together with Him” (2:13)
- “Died with Christ” (2:20)
- “Holding the Head [Christ]” (2:19)
- “Out from whom [the Head]” (2:19)
- “Grows with the growth of God” (2:19)
These verses, taken together, constitute a full and proper experience in Christ, with Christ and of Christ. They go well beyond the experience of most in traditional Christianity. Yet, most Christians today know only redemption and some tradition of teaching that amounts to little more than “hanging on” until they either die or their idea of “the rapture” arrives.
I knew, however, that some had had a deeper, richer, more complete and more proper experience of Christ than I had. I knew this from reading books written by so-called “Christian mystics,” such as Madame Guyon, Andrew Murray, and others.
These people had touched Christ in their spirit and through the Holy Spirit indwelling them as Christ Himself. That, is the experience I sought and that is the experience that the Bible teaches.
These believers had had experiences “in” Christ, “according to” Christ, “with” Christ and “out from” Christ as their very center.
I prayed fervently, as I know some of you are praying even now:
“O, Lord Jesus: If there are those who have found a way to discover, receive, enjoy and grow more in You, with You, by You, according to You and out from You, then bring me to them that I might also have such a sweet, rich and full experience of You.”
The Lord Jesus answers such prayer and I have found such a wellspring of His riches.
In this I rejoice!
What is your experience in Christ?
