From the desk of Pastor Ben

Promises to Those Who Receive Christ – Part 2

“For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, he also will live because of Me.”
                                (John 6:55-57)

Here Jesus tells us that His flesh and blood are true food and drink — in other words, the spiritual sustenance that gives believers union with Him. Then He goes on to declare, “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.” This fourth promise is one of the most precious of the New Testament. In the Upper Room, Jesus assured the apostles, “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). John later bore further testimony to this: “We know that the Son of god has come, and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life” (1 John 5:20).

Paul’s letters reiterate the believer’s union with Christ:

“If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.”         (2 Corinthians 5:17)

“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of god, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.”     (Galatians 2:20)

Of course, God is the source of such promises to believers. Jesus has life in Himself (John 5:26), thus, Christians have life in Him.

Ask Yourself:
If you are not experiencing the freedom that comes from being one with Christ, saved from both guilt and the needless, religious manipulations to gain His favor, what is it costing you in terms of the peace and contentment He is able to provide? How could you go about reclaiming it?