I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death. Rev. 1:18.

Beyond all the differences in man's understanding of the Bible, there is alive today, and in the world, the same Jesus Christ who lived on earth almost two thousand years ago. The Christian receives this life and divine presence and sets his feet upon the new path that leads to life. Christ in our lives is a power, not a problem. The world needs new life. But it must be Christ's life. He is the one Person who can be trusted with the whole of our lives.

The reason Christ does not win out with us and live His life through us is that often we want our own way. When we desire the living Christ, then Jesus is no longer only a man of history who lived so long ago. He becomes contemporary with us once we acknowledge His Lordship. This is no time to play games. We must be prepared to go all the way. Jesus has significance for us personally as we identify ourselves with Him as He lives today. Identification takes place as we receive Christ's life.

Here there is no generation gap. Life in Christ is not a matter of age. It has to do with our commitment. We hear people say that they will accept Christ and His love, but not His law. But when we truly want Christ and His life, we must want His purity, His righteousness, His honesty, and everything that He is in Himself. His love is the most righteous and mature love ever seen on earth. The claim of Christ is all inclusive.

Five minutes of total acceptance of Christ's claims on our lives would solve almost all of our problems. What kind of relationship with Christ do we want? It is no use trying to shop around for some limited commitment. It simply will not work. We would not do this when getting married, and still expect to have a truly love relationship. A partial recognition of the claims of husband and wife upon each other spells failure. The real problem for many is that they do not wish Christ to rule over them. Only the Lordship of Christ carries within itself the motive and the power for a changed life.