LIVING INSIDE OUT - David Moss
It is an extremely common thing in Christianity today for a believer to live “outside in”.
What does that mean?
Once a person receives Christ, they are usually told to begin living a certain way. In other words, they are told behavior modifications they must do or don’t do to represent to the world that they are now a Christian.
It is basically a list of rules and regulations, do’s and dont’s to try to live up to. The basis is that the better they are at performing the list, the more “godly” they will become.
To summarize- proper external behavior leads to more “godliness, righteousness, holiness, and sanctification” internally.
That is living outside in.
However, true Christian living is the opposite of that! All through the New Testament we are taught to live “inside out.”
Now, what does that mean?
It means knowing who you are in your innermost being first, the core person that you are in our spirit.
And who are we in our spirit?
Our verse below says that our spirit (the core person that we truly are) is joined with the Holy Spirit of God. Spiritually, we are ONE Spirit with God in the same way a husband and wife become One flesh.
Our human spirit joins together with the Holy Spirit of God. The two become one.
Why does this matter?
Because it means that who we are is determined by the condition of our spirit, and since we are joined with His Spirit and are one with Him, our characteristics are the same as His!
And those characteristics are: we are righteous, we are holy, we are godly, we are already seated in heaven with Christ, we are light, we are truth, and many more!
Knowing who we are matches with who Christ is in us allows us to trust our new heart that is joined with Christ so that we can be ourselves! We don’t have to try to perform to earn. We already are, so we can rest and have Christ live through us!
Knowing the truth of our union with Christ sets us free to live out who we are in Him. That’s living inside out.
Paul’s verse below is contrasting a behavior (joining in one body with a prostitute) that doesn’t match with who we are as One in Spirit with His Spirit.
Christ lives in us to live through us. Knowing this gives us the freedom to present our bodies to Him to live through us so that our behavior matches who He has made us in Him.
Remember who you are Christian, and then go be yourself to the world around you.
That’s living inside out!
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