Living in Christ, Christ Living in Us
“He didn’t merely come close—He came in. Christ, our ever-present life within.”
Devotional Reflection on “Day by Day by Grace” – April 8th
Photo credit: Unsplash
In today’s entry, Bob Hoekstra draws our hearts deeper into the staggering intimacy offered through the new covenant: Christ in us, and we in Him. This isn’t about mere proximity to Jesus, as though He walks beside us like a friend who comes and goes. No, it’s about union—shared life, shared being. Christ Himself becomes our source of spiritual nourishment, just as food sustains physical life.
When Jesus spoke of eating His flesh and drinking His blood, He wasn’t calling for some mystical ritual, but inviting faith—a trusting participation in His very person and work. To eat is to come to Him. To drink is to believe in Him. We rely fully on who He is (the incarnate Son) and what He has done (His poured-out blood). In doing so, we draw life from Him, not for a moment but continuously. And through this abiding relationship, Jesus lives His life in and through us.
Hoekstra points to Pentecost as the pivotal moment when this indwelling life was made possible. By the Spirit, the risen Jesus now inhabits us—not as a memory or influence, but as a living presence. The promise that “I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you” has been fulfilled. Christ does not send us out alone; He lives within us and lives through us, if we will but yield and trust.
Personalized Journal Entry in the Holy Spirit’s Voice Through Scripture:
You are no longer looking in from the outside—I have drawn you into the very life of the Son, hidden with Christ in God. Because you have come to Him, you will never hunger again; because you believe in Him, you will never thirst. Your spirit is now joined to the Lord, and the life you live is no longer yours, but Christ’s, who lives in you.
Just as the Father sent the Son, so now the Son sends you—but not apart from Himself. You go in union with the One who overcame death, who fills you with My presence, and who works through your every yielded moment. I have made you a dwelling place, not a visitor’s stop. My desire is not merely to lead you, but to animate you from within.
You live by My indwelling life. Not a concept, not a borrowed strength, but the actual life of Christ expressed through you. When you trust Me in this moment, He is seen. When you yield, He acts. When you rest, He rises. Because He lives, you live also—and the life you now live in the flesh, you live by faith in the Son of God who loved you and gave Himself for you.
Remain where you already are—in Him. Let your soul settle into the truth that you are accepted in the Beloved, raised and seated with Christ. I am in you as surely as the breath in your lungs, and Christ is your life. So walk in Him, rooted and built up, and rejoice that I have made this mystery known: Christ in you, the hope of glory.
(John 6:35; 14:18-20; Galatians 2:20; Colossians 1:27; Colossians 2:6-7; 1 Corinthians 6:17; Romans 8:11; Ephesians 1:6; 2:5-6)
My Prayer:
Lord, how amazing it is that I don’t have to strive to reach You—you’ve already made Your home in me. Christ is not beside me, cheering me on from the outside, but living His life through me right now. I trust You for that today. I rest in the truth that I’m in Christ and He is in me, and there’s no distance between us. You’ve done what I never could: made me one with You. And so I yield—not to effort, but to Your indwelling life. You are my nourishment. You are my breath. You are my very life. Let me enjoy that truth today and respond to You moment by moment in joy and trust.