For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church.

Ephesians 5:29 (ESV)

 

Jesus cares for His Church just as we care for our own body. As we continue to grow in our understanding of our identity, belonging and union in Christ, we learn to receive and live by His divine life to be one with Him.

Our union in Christ is already an accomplished reality, but at the same time, an “already-but-not-yet” experience. While we experience His salvation now (the “already”), we still have to grow up in the knowledge of our salvation in Him (the “not yet”). God who begins the good work in you, will complete you (Philippians 1:6).

The way God perceives us is not determined by our behaviour, but rather by our union in Christ. While we may still stumble and fall, our life in Christ is built on trust in His grace, not our goodness. If we are faithless or fruitless, God remains faithful and will not forsake us. When you understand this, you can’t help but to live a life worthy of the calling you have received in Christ.

Christ nourishes us by uniting us to Himself.

As we abide in Him, His life flows in us and through us, enabling us to bear fruit and much more. The fruits we bear carry the character of Christ into whose image we are being shaped.

Our fruitfulness and flourishing come from our oneness and union with Christ. Faith in what Christ has done and is doing enables us to know Jesus in a far richer, deeper and personal way. While we are weak in ourselves, we are strong in the power of His perfect life in us. So, keep pursuing Christ and stay intimately connected to Him. Our work is responsive, not initiative. Whatever we do for Him rests on what He has done in us.