Recall the statement: "There's got to be more to the Christian life than this." If you are saying this about your own Christian life, have I got good news for you!

I don't know what your "this" is, but I do know what our Lord's "more" is, right straight from the lips of the Apostle Paul: "It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me." (Gal 2:20). Just listen to the heavenly rhythm of his testimony. "Christ who lives in me," he says. Believe me, you can't get any better "more" than that!

Aonio Paleario was a godly man near the end of the 16th century. He was part of the main-line church of that time. Though a part of that church organization himself, he refused to elevate his church to the high position it held for itself. At that time disagreement with "The Church" could become a judicial matter. So he got hauled up before a judge who put three questions put to him.

The first question asked: "What is the first cause of salvation?" Because "The Church" professed to promote faith in Christ, the judge would have accepted Christ as the answer.

The second question asked: "What is the second cause of salvation?" Because "The Church" professed to be the interpreter of the Bible, the judge would have accepted The Word of God as the answer.

The third question asked: "What is the third cause of salvation?" Because "The Church" professed to be the only way God had chosen to dispense salvation, the judge would have accepted "The Church" as the answer.

The trick was, of course, that, in the final analysis, the judge would have accepted the first two answers only if he accepted the third answer. Christ and the Word of God only rated if salvation were dispensed by "The Church" and only if the Word of God were interpreted by The Church.

When asked, "What is the first cause of salvation?" Paleario answered: Christ. When asked, "What is the second cause of salvation?" he answered: Christ. When asked, "What is the third cause of salvation?" he answered: Christ.

I borrow that single answer from that arresting piece of history to make my point. How do we live "the more" of the Christian life? Christ! Christ! Christ!

May it lodge in your mind and mine: only Christ can life the Christian life. Christ Himself must live "the more" Christian life in us. That's the fact of optimal Christian living, period.

You know what a type is. I mean a biblical type. Melchizedek was a type of Jesus Christ, our High Priest, and Righteous King. Isaac was a type of Jesus Christ, a beloved Son offered up as a sacrifice to God. Joseph was a type of Jesus Christ, first rejected by his brothers, later exalted over them.

A type is an example. In the New Testament the Apostle Paul is one of these example types. If ever anyone exemplified Christ, he did. He truly walked his talk when he claimed: it is "Christ who lives in me."

How about another type? Just as biblical, just as much a type of Jesus Christ as the examples I've given you. This type is you. How are you doing as a type of Jesus Christ?

I suppose I could call these messages on grace "how-to" messages. In particular, messages on how to live the Christian life. In fact, Christian living is the thing. I write to take you beyond learning to living, living the Christian life in a big way.

I really consider these messages as "Who-is" messages. "Christ who is your life," writes the Apostle Paul whose own heart excitedly pulsates with his own resolve: "For to me to live is Christ, " (Col 3:4; Phil 1:21).

Of course, unlike Paul's writing, mine is not inspired. But with the inspired Word of God at hand I believe I write what God wants me to write and what you need to know to live the optimal Christian life. I believe that God has taught me something about "the more" that I can write about to you.

"The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you" (1 Thess 5:28). With this dynamic benediction summoning my attention I'd like to shift our focus from grace to Christ Who possesses and bestows it.

We know that this grace is the grace of God and of our Lord Jesus Christ. Many salutations in the apostle's letters tell us that. But now I want you to think of this grace in particular with Christ Himself as the One Who lives the Christian life in us and through us. The grace that we saw personified in Tit 2:11-12, we will now see in the Person of Christ, especially as the Christ-life the Holy Spirit forms in us.

When Jesus was here on earth He looked ahead to our present age and told His disciples: "In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you" (Jn 14:20). "The more" is all about this union Jesus spoke of as:

1. "You in me"
2. "I in you"

Jesus predicted this union. Indeed, He promised it. And back in the first century of our age the Apostle Paul taught that this very union had started. Of Jesus' words of promise, "You in me," Paul said "you are in Christ Jesus." Of Jesus' words of promise, "I in you," Paul said "Jesus Christ is in you" (1 Cor 1:30; 2 Cor 13:5).

Another thing Jesus said when He made His promise was that His disciples would realize this union when it came about. But I'm convinced that few Christians today realize it with deep perception and dynamic practice. He also said that after His glorification when the Holy Spirit would come rivers of living water would be flowing out of them. But how many Christians do you know whose spiritual life can be described like that. I'm not contradicting our Lord when I point these things out, but I dare say that few Christians today experience the abundant life He promised. The majority, I'm afraid, do contradict our Lord's words by their failure to tap into the potential within them that He promised, that Paul taught and lived (Jn 10:10).

How many Christians do you know that would convince you by life and lip that they've clearly grasped what the Apostle Paul was talking about when He said the things I now go on to quote?

1. "Christ who is your life" (Col 3:4)
2. "Christ who lives in me" (Gal 2:20)
3. "For to me to live is Christ" (Phil 1:21)
4. "So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith" (Eph 3:17)
5. "Christ is in you" (Rom 8:10; 2 Cor 13:5; Col 1:27)

Take "You in me" with "Christ who is your life." Now our life is hidden with Christ in God. Someday, perhaps today, when Christ who is our life appears, then we also will appear with him in glory (Col 3:3-4).

The context shows that "Christ is seated at the right hand of God" (vs 1). This brings to mind something else Jesus told His disciples they would "realize" in our age: "I am in my Father" (Jn 14:20). In this connection consider that "your life is hidden with Christ in God."

"Your life" is so "hidden with Christ in God" that it will only appear when Christ appears in the day when you appear with Him in glory at His return for you (1 Jn 3:2). In fact, "your life" is so united to Christ that He is "your life."

And because He is "your life" His appearance will be your appearance. Because He is your life, when He appears "your life" will appear. "Then you also will appear with Him in glory."

But right now, "your life" is in Christ at the right hand of God. It is in union with Christ, just as He said: "You in me." "Jesus Christ, the Righteous One," is at the right hand of God. And God has made Christ your righteousness (1 Jn 2:1; 1 Cor 1:30). God looks at His Son, the Righteous One, and sees you. This is your position in Christ.

Can you see what's taking shape? Can you see where I'm going with this? Your position is what you already have, and I'm leading you on to your application of that as "the more" of victorious Christian living.

Take "I in you" with "Christ lives in me." Paul says that he has been crucified with Christ and no longer lives. Instead, "Christ lives in me," he says, referring to the life he lives in his body. It's a life lived by "faith in the Son of God" (Gal 2:20).

With this confession he moves us from our position in Christ to our practice by Christ. We go from our standing in Christ as our life in God in heaven to Christ living in us on earth.

- Our determination: "For to me to live is Christ" (Phil 1:21)
- Our resources: "So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith" (Eph 3:17)
- Our experience: "Christ is in you" (Rom 8:10; 2 Cor 13:5; Col 1:27)

Say that the aim of your heart is: "For me to live is Christ." Say you are you going after the experience of Christ dwelling in your heart in a dynamic way. You want to know how you can experience your high and holy desire. Then what are your resources for bringing such a Christ-in-you potency into your Christian life? That's what you're itching to know.

In this regard, Eph 3:14-17 breaks out with some things you need to know: it's according to the riches of the Father's glory that the Spirit strengthens you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your heart through faith.

So then, we see each Member of the Trinity involved in "the more" of powerful Christian living. The riches of glory belong to "the Father." In response to our "faith," the Spirit of God draws out of that resource all the power we need for living an optimal spiritual life and transfers it to our "inner being." The result? Christ dwells in our hearts.

When "Christ is in you," and you can say: "Christ lives in me," you not only have a position in Christ, but also a practice by Christ.

Beginning with our inward look let's think about the daily renewal of our inward nature (2 Cor 4:16). Paul speaks about himself and his colleagues in ministry, probably Silvanus and Timothy (1:19). He speaks of their outward and inward natures.

Outwardly, that is physically, they may be wasting away but inwardly, that is in their spiritual being, they are experiencing daily renewal.

Paul refers to the manifestation of this on-going renewal in them as the life of Jesus being manifested in their mortal flesh, that is in their physical bodies (2 Cor 4:10-11). "Mortal" means capable of dying, a possible reference to their physical wasting away, and definite reference to their constant threat of death through persecution (vss 8-9). Paul and his companion ministers faced death on behalf of the Corinthian church so that they too would experience the life, no doubt the life of Jesus, that was being manifested in their ministers (vs 12).

Our transforming renewal calls for the presentation of our bodies to the Lord (Rom 12:1-2). And, as Paul testifies, even fragile, wasting-away, mortal bodies can be empowered by God (vs 4 Rom 8:10-11).

Paul describes the transformation that takes place as being transformed into the image of Christ, Who is the image of God, from one degree of glory to another (3:18; 4:4-7). Our bodies are like jars of clay, but the treasure of the light of the gospel of Christ within us is God's surpassing power, not our own. In the daily process of being transformed from glory to glory into the image of Christ we are receiving "grace upon grace" and growing in grace and knowledge of their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ (Jn 1:16; 2 Pet 3:18).

Paul wanted to know Christ and the power of His resurrection (Phil 3:10). This power calls for our inward look and Christ's resurrection calls for our backward look.

The late J. Sidlow Baxter wrote about an experience of a preacher, Dr. R. W. Dale, describing it as "an occasion when the Holy Spirit brought the truth of Christ's resurrection to [Dr. Dale's] mind with overwhelming force."

At the enlightening time the preacher was preparing an Easter sermon. As Baxter put it: "about halfway through his preparation the truth of the resurrection suddenly broke in upon him with such stunning and thrilling effect that it affected all his ministry afterwards."

In his own words Dale related:

"Christ is alive," I said to myself; "alive!" And then I paused-"alive! Can that really be true? Living as I myself am?" I got up and walked about repeating, "Christ is living! Christ is living!" At first it seemed strange and hardly true; but at last it came upon me like a burst of sudden glory: yes, Christ is living! It was to me a new discovery. I thought that all along I had believed it; but not until that moment was I sure about it.

Of that final sentence Baxter said, "Those last words are arresting." Are they arresting you right now? Believer in Christ, Paul reminds you of "the immeasurable greatness of God's power toward you. It's the power God "worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places" (Eph 1:19-20).

Look backward to the empty tomb and exclaim: Christ is alive! Look upward to the right hand of God and exclaim: He's alive to God! See yourself risen and ascended with Christ and take your place in Him and with Him (Rom 6:10-11; Eph 2:5-6; 3:1-4). Think of Paul's words: "Christ in you, the hope of glory" Col 1:27.