All of You

Sometimes I hear "Christianese" which causes me to wonder if we comprehend the doctrines of scripture.  A song commonly sung in evangelical circles repeats, "I want more, I want more of you Jesus" and people often pray, "Lord, we need more of you in our lives."  A foundational truth of Christianity is that Jesus Christ has become a sacrifice for sin and has risen from the dead so we might be born again through the Holy Spirit's power.  When we confess our sins, repent, and trust in Jesus as Savior and LORD, He sends the Holy Spirit without measure who regenerates us and dwells within us.  Technically therefore, we have the same Spirit who dwelt in Jesus Christ to the full.  We cannot have more of Him because He has given all to us.  John 3:34 says, "For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure."  We see that we have all of Christ as the song goes, "All of you is more than enough for all of me..."

That being said, there is a measure of truth to the cliche statement about needing more of Christ in our lives.  The fact remains that we can limit the work of God in our hearts through disobedience, refusal to yield to the leading of Christ, and obstinately seeking after our own will.  This spiritual principle is outlined in Luke 6:38:  "Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you."  If we do not give our all to God, we will not be able to operate in the fullness of the Holy Spirit's power because we hinder our own progress.  If we carefully measure out our service or giving unto the LORD, His blessings and empowerment will be rationed back to us.  Though God has given His all, unless we give all back to Him our spiritual maturity and growth will remain stunted, anemic, and nominal at best.  Often the Luke 6:38 verse is applied in the way of financial giving but it is not limited to monetary blessings.  Isn't the Holy Spirit Living Water who flows through us as an everlasting fountain?  Why choose a cistern when a fountain is available?

I am convinced the Christian who complains that God doesn't speak isn't listening as he ought.  It is never a problem with God's voice but with our ears and the hardness of our hearts.  God is never to be blamed when we do not live a life of victory, or do not walk in the Spirit, abide in the Vine, and remain well-founded upon the Rock who is Christ.  The dock is not to be blamed when the rope tethering the ship slips free and allows the ship to drift.  The dock remains intact, stable, and immovable though the tides flow in and out.  It is the negligence of the crew who did not properly secure the ship that would cause it to drift away.  When we drift from God, and seeing our need for God's further intrusion into our daily lives cry, "I need more of you, God!" we know for certain He has not been slack in our care:  we have been lax in seeking Him; we have drifted because of our negligence; we have lost the wonder through familiarity; we have stopped regarding Him as LORD and only imagined Him as a casual acquaintance.  Our reading of the Bible becomes stale, our times of prayer lacks passion, vision, and closeness, and our life has been caught up in cares rather than the Creator.

Do you recognize your need for more of God in your life?  This only means we need to give more of ourselves to Him.  Yesterday's manna will not sustain you today, nor will yesterday's victories aid us in the battles we face today.  We need Jesus, and we have the Holy Spirit without measure.  Let us freely give all of us that we might receive and walk in all of Him.