How to Live a Holy Life | Page 5

has been hid with Christ in God. In Him he has lived and moved and had his being. Now he is making his last step on the shore of time; he passes out of our sight through the gates into that land where toils are ended and the sun never sets. But his life was the life of Jesus. He was holy as God is holy; he walked as Jesus walked. This is how to live. This is the true way of life and the only way to life eternal. He who does not live with Christ on earth can not live with him in heaven, and he who does not live as Jesus lived does not live as he should. The life of Christ was the perfect life. Ours is perfect to the degree that we imitate him.
Take my life, O Christ divine, Make it holy, just like thine; Every act and thought and word Be an outflow from my God.
Guide my feet and keep my heart; Let me not from thee depart; Let me breathe thy warming love, That my soul be drawn above.
Draw me, Jesus, closer draw; Thy strong arm around me throw; Draw me to thy pierced side; In thy bosom let me hide.
Teach me all thy will and word, That my life be filled with God; Teach me, Lamb of Calvary, How to live this life for thee.

HOW TO LIVE THE CHRIST-LIFE.
Man can not naturally live the Christ-life. But Christ has promised to come into our hearts and live in us. In order that we may have Christ dwell in our hearts and that we may live his life, there must be a giving up of our self-life. There must be annihilation of self that Christ may live. It is truly wonderful and as glorious as it is wonderful that man can live the life of Christ in this world. But here is the secret: it is man ceasing to live the self-life and Christ living in him.
Imagine a hollow brass figure in the exact image of a man. Suppose you fill this hollow figure with a kind of life which we shall call self-life. This life goes to using the hands and feet, and eyes, ears, tongue, in short, all the members of this brass figure, but using them in the interest of itself. Now you desire to make a change; you want that image to speak, act, and think only for you. You must first put to death the life that is using the figure, cleanse it entirely out, and then get into it yourself. Once in, you can use all the members of that image for yourself. Your body is that image. There was a life in you that used all the members of your body in the interest of self. But there has been a change. You were made a new creature. The life you once had was put to death--was crucified; then Christ stepped into your heart, and now he uses all the members of your body for himself. You still live, yet not you, but Christ lives in you. Once you did things for yourself; now you do them for Christ. Just as you once lived purposely and intentionally for yourself, now you do things purposely and intentionally for Jesus, because it is he that lives, and not you yourself. You remember how once you would plan for yourself. In the evening as you lay upon your bed and again in the morning and throughout the day you would think about what you were going to eat or drink, what you were going to have for clothing, where you were going to live, where you were going to go, and what you were going to do. But now you are changed; you are a new creature. Now it is not you that lives, but Christ lives in you. Now you eat not for yourself but for Jesus. You now go, not where self would lead you, but where that life in you loves to go and would have you go. You do things, not for yourself, but for Jesus.
O Christ, I die, that thou mayst live, That thou mayst live in me; That all I think or speak or do, May be, O Lord, for thee.
May not the least of self remain, But all be put to death. Oh, may I nothing do for self, Nor draw one selfish breath!
To have my Savior live in me, To occupy the whole, To make my heart his royal throne And take complete control--
'Tis all I ask; 'tis all I wish; 'Tis all my heart's desire, Content if but a wayside bush To hold God's holy fire.
Low at thy feet, O Christ, I fall A yielded lump of clay, For thee to