Jesus Christ lived two thousand years ago. For many he is only a historical figure. Even Christians may ask what need do people have for him after they trust the gospel? Christ is not just a history lesson. To live by grace as a Christian requires Christ every day.
Here are a six reasons I need the Lord Jesus Christ every day. There are others, but these are reasons I need him just to start the day. Without Christ I go about my day not being myself.
1. Christ Paid For My Sins
Under the law sin kills, but I pay the price for my sin. Under grace, Christ paid the price. I can’t pay it: Christ died for my sins. This makes the price of sin even higher than it was under the law. It was for my sin that Christ had to die.
When your sins affect you, it is bad enough; when it affects others, it is worse; but when it affects the Lord of glory, it is the most serious offense. It is the love of God in Christ that constrains me to hate sin (2 Cor 5:14). Once I thought about my sins, “I am not hurting anybody” and “I can do what I want with my life”, but now knowing my sins were not paid for with money, but with the life blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, I think different. The cost is too high for me to play flippantly with sins today.
“And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned,…” – 1 Cor 5:2
“But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ.” – 1 Cor 8:12
“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin;” – 2 Corinthians 5:21
2. Christ’s Death is My Death
Through Christ, my old man is not only condemned, but already dead. Under the law I would be waiting to receive the sentence executed upon my life in the flesh. Until the sentence was executed, I would be justifying every bit of pride, contention, and self-puffery with the excuse that I am “just a sinner saved by grace”, but in Christ the execution is over. Christ’s death became the death of my old man. The sinner is dead, unless Christ did not actually die unto sin.
It is not that my old man is merely worthy of death and it is for me to kill him today. He is already dead. He died once in Christ. If Christ died, then so did he. Why would I recognize the lusts of my old man today? Those lusts put him in the ground. Today, I will throw another pile of dirt on his grave. Do I believe Christ died? Then, so am I crucified with Christ today.
“Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.” – Romans 6:5
“For in that he died, he died unto sin once…”- Romans 6:10
“Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin…” – Romans 6:11
3. Christ’s Life is My Life
Christ not only died for my sins and died to kill sin in me, he rose from the dead to give me life.
Under the law, even if I could pay for my sins, and even if I could kill sin in me, there is no way for me to survive the process. Where would the power of life come from? The law cannot give the power to live to those it condemns. They are simply condemned unto death and righteousness is satisfied when they stop breathing.
With Christ, the power of his resurrection works in me to give eternal life which includes today and tomorrow. Every breath of every day is one of grace through the power of the resurrection of Christ in me. The righteousness of God is already satisfied with Christ in me, and every day I live is one accepted in the Beloved (Eph 1:6). The life I live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, which is the grace of God.
If I did not live in Christ, then I would be waiting to die living day to day on borrowed time. Instead, I know my time today is redeemed by the borrowed life of Christ in me. And if today is the day I stop breathing, I will continue to live by the resurrection of power of Christ.
“Likewise reckon ye also yourselves … alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” – Romans 6:11
“And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.” – 2 Corinthians 5:15
4. God Forgave Me for Christ’s Sake
When I’ve done wrong, Christ allows me to move forward by his grace. If even one of my sins is unforgivable, then what is the point? I might as well take full pleasure in sin and ignore the consequences since I am already condemned by God. Without Christ, no sin is forgivable. With Christ, every sin is forgiven for His sake. Even if others do not forgive me, God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven me already. Today, I am forgiven before the day starts, and so I can start a new day for Christ’s sake.
“And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” – Ephesians 4:32
5. God Forgave Them for Christ’s Sake
When others wrong me and there is no way for them to be justified, then I remember Christ was needed for me to be justified by grace through faith. Christ did not only die for my sins, but for the sins of others. Forgiveness of others is possible only because Christ died for sins, and has forgiven me. Today, others can be forgiven for Christ’s sake.
“Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.” – Colossians 3:13
6. Peace through Christ
Dissatisfaction, worry, care, and anxiety have no place with me today. Why? There is nothing for me to fear from God. Because of Christ, I have peace with God (Rom 5:1).
If my joy is in the Lord and not in objects, my affections on things above, not things here below, and my prayers made to God who knows and hears all requests, then my heart as well as my mind will know that there is nothing that I absolutely need to happen that Christ has not already done for me.
In Christ I have unsearchable riches in glory, all spiritual blessings, a high calling, all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, and the power of resurrection. I am complete in Christ (Col 2:10). He is enough and his grace is sufficient (2 Cor 12:9).
God knows what I need, and his answer for provision is in Christ Jesus (Rom 8:32). I need the Lord Jesus Christ today to have what God says I need.
Dare I finish my prayer and start my day with “it is not enough Lord.” No, not today. Today, I have Christ in me (Col 1:27-28).
Article Index Published: September 16, 2017
Last Modified: September 30, 2019