THIS is the story of my life in Christ. Now, what does living in Christ mean? It means that one is FOR Christ, that one not only accepts Him, but that one lives in Him. Living in Christ has little relationship to the more commonly accepted situation of living as a Christian, or living a Christian life. Living AS a Christian means that one has accepted the tokens of Christianity, that one agrees in the divinity of Christ, that one is a member of a Christian congregation, in a largely Christian community, in a Christian nation. Thus, one can lead a Christian life without knowing Christ and without changing one's existence in the slightest degree.
If a person leads a Christian life, and it does not transform one's existence, then one can be sure that he does not KNOW Christ. Knowing Christ is the only manner in which one can go beyond oneself, and the only manner in which one can go beyond one's world. In knowing Christ, one is immediately lifted out of the mechanical life of the human existence, one transcends the common existence. One is no longer a human machine, leading a hopeless, mechanical life, repeating the same meaningless motions like a robot throughout the years of one's earthly existence. What was Christ's ad-monition? "Take up the Cross, and follow Me." But, in explication of this admonition, the New Testament contains many significant references to the condition of sleep, and Christ's exhortations to mankind to awaken. Now, what does this mean? It means that Christ did not wish to be followed by robots and sleepwalkers, He desired man to awaken, and to attain the full use of his earthly powers. Not only are mechanical men of no use to Christ, but they are quite dangerous, they present endless difficulties in the establishment of Christ's Kingdom on earth.