One Standard—Christ: A Deeper Study
“So then let us once for all quit the elementary teaching about Christ and continue progressing toward maturity” (Hebrews 6:1, WMS).
Many believers struggle under the weight of thinking that spiritual growth depends on their own efforts. They hear messages urging them to pray more, study more, serve more—trying in vain to become something they believe they are not yet. But Scripture reveals that God’s standard for the Christian life is not improvement; it is Christ Himself.
Christ is not a goal to strive toward but a life to receive, a reality to yield to, and a fellowship to actively participate in.These three aspects—receiving, yielding, and participating—describe how believers grow in grace, not by human effort but by resting in the divine work of God.
1. Receiving (λαμβάνω - lambanō)
“His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the full knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.” (2 Peter 1:3)
The word translated granted (dōreomai, δωρέομαι) in 2 Peter 1:3 means to give freely, generously, and completely. It denotes an act where the giver bestows something without requiring repayment. This aligns perfectly with the gospel: we do not earn what we receive in Christ—it is freely given by grace.
The Greek word for receiving is λαμβάνω (lambanō), which means to take hold of, to actively receive, to appropriate for oneself. Unlike a passive reception where something is merely placed into one's possession, lambanō involves an active, conscious acceptance.
This is crucial because many believers mentally acknowledge their blessings in Christ but fail to actively receive them in faith. We have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ (Ephesians 1:3), yet if we do not lambanō—if we do not take hold of these truths as our present reality—they remain unused provisions.
Receiving Christ’s life means embracing the fullness of our union with Him (Colossians 2:10). We are not waiting for God to give us more grace, strength, or wisdom. In Christ, we already have it all.
Key Greek Insight: Lambanō emphasizes an active reception. Just as one takes possession of an inheritance, believers must appropriate the truth that Christ is their life.
2. Yielding (παρίστημι - paristēmi)
"Do not go on presenting the parts of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness, but present (paristēmi) yourselves to God as those who are alive from the dead, and your body’s parts as instruments of righteousness for God.” (Romans 6:13)
Once we receive the truth of our new life in Christ, the next step is yielding. The Greek word used in Romans 6:13 for present is παρίστημι (paristēmi), meaning to place oneself at another’s disposal, to offer or yield in submission.
This word paints the picture of a servant presenting himself before his master, ready for use. Yielding is not passive resignation but an intentional placing of ourselves at God’s disposal.
The opposite of yielding to God is clinging to self-sufficiency. Many believers struggle because they receive the truth of their identity in Christ but continue living as though they must sustain their Christian walk through effort. Paul corrects this mindset:
"It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me" (Galatians 2:20).
Yielding means ceasing from our own works (Hebrews 4:10) and allowing Christ to live through us. It is a conscious, daily surrender to the Spirit’s leading rather than striving in the flesh.
Key Greek Insight: Paristēmi conveys a voluntary placement of oneself under God’s direction. It is not about passivity, but a willing submission, much like a soldier reporting for duty.
3. Participating (κοινωνία - koinōnia)
"If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit." (Galatians 5:25)
While receiving is a completed reality and yielding is a posture of surrender, participation is the active engagement in the life of Christ.
The Greek word κοινωνία (koinōnia), often translated as fellowship, means much more than simply being in relationship—it denotes an active sharing, communion, and partnership. Paul uses koinōnia to describe not only our relationship with Christ but also the lived experience of walking in step with Him.
Jesus did not save us to be idle spectators of His life within us. He calls us into active participation. Paul emphasizes this dynamic cooperation:
"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them." (Ephesians 2:10)
Walking in them implies movement—active participation in what God is already doing through us. This is where trust translates into action, where faith is expressed in daily choices. It is the living out of the Christ-life in real time.
Key Greek Insight: Koinōnia means joint participation, an active sharing in life. This is not a passive relationship but a dynamic partnership where Christ expresses His life through us.
Bringing It Together: Receiving, Yielding, and Participating
Illustration: The Eagle in the Wind
Consider the eagle soaring on the wind.
It receives the air’s support, knowing that the wind will carry it effortlessly (lambanō—taking hold of the provision).
It yields by spreading its wings, ceasing all frantic flapping, and letting the wind dictate its movement (paristēmi—placing itself at the wind’s disposal).
It participates by adjusting its wings, making small shifts to navigate the currents, engaging in the very movement that the wind empowers (koinōnia—actively sharing in what is already at work).
In the same way, we do not generate our own strength, but we receive Christ’s life, yield to His control, and participatein His work.
Reflection Questions:
Have you fully received the reality of Christ as your life, or are you still striving as if you lack something?
In what areas do you need to yield more fully, ceasing from self-effort and trusting Him?
How can you participate more actively in what Christ is doing in and through you today?
Prayer of Confidence:
Father, I thank You that in Christ, I have already received all that I need. I rest in Your perfect provision, knowing that You have made me complete in Him. I yield to Your Spirit, trusting You to live through me rather than striving in my own strength. And I step into active participation in Your life, responding to Your promptings and walking in the good works You have prepared for me. Christ is my life, and I rejoice in the privilege of abiding in Him today. Amen.
Photo Credit: Unsplash
Devotional Credit: Abide Above