Living With Jesus Today
God promises to live through us in everyday life, and we can experience His life as a daily reality by discovering our true identity as an expression of the glorified, eternal Christ.
Juan Carlos Ortiz emphasizes that as believers, we are vessels for God to live through us in our ordinary lives. The primitive church understood this truth, relying solely on Jesus Christ rather than theological concepts or written scriptures. They operated in great power because Christ lived in them, not just as a concept. Ortiz encourages self-reflection to realize that we are expressions of the eternal Christ within us, urging us to believe this truth to experience His life daily.
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When we live our ordinary, everyday life, God promises that He will live through us. We are vessels to contain Him. He moves us, urges us, motivates us to do His will, so that we can say with Paul that it is no longer we who are living but Christ who lives in us (Galatians 2:20). This is what the primitive church understood. They had no New Testament, not even the Old Testament; they didn't have copies of the Old Testament at home to read. They just had Jesus Christ.
So they said, "Jesus Christ heals you. Come on, get up."
We say, "Read books about healing." This is because we have a theological approach based on books and meditation, instead of on life. They had the living Person; we have only a concept.
We sing, "I'll never walk alone." We are at least being honest. We don't go alone. We go with the Bible under our arm. But in the primitive church, they went with the Lord. He dwelt in them and walked in them; He was their life, not just a concept. That it is why they moved in such great power.
Look at yourself in a mirror. Get yourself in focus--discover who you are. You are an expression of the glorified, eternal Christ who lives within you. Begin to believe that about yourself and you will start to experience His life as a daily reality.
Sermon Outline
- The Promise of God's Presence
- The Primitive Church's Understanding
- The Contrast Between Concepts and Reality
- Discovering Your True Identity
- You are an expression of the glorified, eternal Christ
- Begin to believe in your true identity
Key Quotes
“We are at least being honest. We don't go alone. We go with the Bible under our arm.” — Juan Carlos Ortiz
“He dwelt in them and walked in them; He was their life, not just a concept.” — Juan Carlos Ortiz
“You are an expression of the glorified, eternal Christ who lives within you.” — Juan Carlos Ortiz
Application Points
- Focus on having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, rather than just relying on books and meditation.
- Begin to believe in your true identity as an expression of the glorified, eternal Christ who lives within you.
- Recognize that you are a vessel for God, and let Him live through you in everyday life.