Spiritual Balance: Not I, But Christ
The Christian life is not a process of improving the old but of embracing the new. As Galatians 2:20 declares, "Not I, but Christ." This truth stands at the center of spiritual growth—our life is not a blend of self and Christ, flesh and Spirit, striving and resting. The flesh, in all its effort, remains at enmity with God and is incapable of submission. Holiness is not something we craft through self-discipline or personal resolve; it is Christ’s very life, expressed in and through us as we yield to Him.
A.W. Tozer speaks of the futile struggle of the flesh, attempting to clothe itself with holiness as if it were a garment to be earned. Yet holiness is not an achievement but a Person. Christ, living His life in us, is the source and expression of true holiness. The old life cannot be reformed or improved; it must be crucified. This is the daily surrender, the moment-by-moment yielding, where our own striving ceases and Christ’s life rises in its place.
Imagine a candle that refuses to let go of its own wax, trying to preserve itself while also longing to give light. The more it resists burning, the less it fulfills its purpose. Only in allowing the flame to consume the wax does the candle shine as it was designed to do. So it is with the believer. As we let go of self-effort, Christ’s life shines unhindered, bringing forth the holiness that only He can produce.
Paul’s words in Philippians 3:10 reflect this exchange: "That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His suffering, being made conformable unto His death." To know Christ fully is to embrace both His resurrection power and the daily putting to death of self-reliance. The new life does not coexist with the old—it replaces it. The cross is not an accessory to our faith; it is the dividing line between what was and what is now true in Christ.
Practical Applications
Spiritual balance is found in recognizing that we are not called to balance self-effort with faith but to abandon self-effort altogether in favor of Christ’s indwelling life. This means:
Acknowledging that holiness is not our achievement but Christ’s life within us.
Letting go of striving and trusting in the sufficiency of His work.
Embracing daily dependence, moment-by-moment yielding, rather than intermittent surrender.
Prayer of Trust
Father, we rejoice that You have given us everything in Christ. His life is our life, and His holiness is our holiness. We stand in the finished work of the cross, resting in the sufficiency of all You have provided. Thank You for freeing us from self-effort and drawing us into the reality of "Not I, but Christ." May His life shine fully in us today. Amen.
Final Thought
The struggle of the Christian life is not to improve self but to let go of it entirely. The more we release, the more Christ is revealed in us. There is no need to seek holiness as a possession when the Holy One Himself indwells us.
(Credit: Insights drawn from Abide Above, "Spiritual Balance")