Christian Marriage, Part 2

(This is the continuation of the post begun yesterday.)


... so that we would not have to!!


"For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."  2 Corinthians 5:21


This is where the Trinitarian part comes in.  We are Christians, which means "little Christs."  The name seems to have been given to us by outsiders (Acts 11:26) in Antioch (near the modern city of Antakya, Turkey) and was probably intended as an insult.  This Greek name comes from Χριστιανος, "Kristos" (annointed) plus "-ianos" (belonging to, carrying the idea of "being a slave of.") To be worthy of the name is actually an honor.

The third Person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, who is fully God, just as Jesus and The Father are fully God, indwells every Christian.  This means that God Himself is in me.  God Himself is in you.  Our pupose, our reason for existence, is to act out His purposes, to further His Kingdom.  Each of us is Jesus to this world and we may be the only Jesus some ever see.  What a responsibility!.  I know this sounds strange to modern ears, but this is what Paul said in Philippians 1:21: "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." 

We don't, and can't, live up to it, but we do better the more we get ourselves out of the way and let the Holy Spirit guide our actions.  The more we insist on control, the more we can be petty, or jealous, or unreasonable, or snippy.

By the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2) we increasingly think the thoughts of Jesus; we take on the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:14-16).  This doen't mean we are no longer ourselves, but that our thinking is brought in line with that of God (2 Corinthians 10:5).

(Part 3 of this post will appear tomorrow.)