With Him But Not In Him

E. Stanley Jones was a missionary, a theologian, and a prolific writer. In his devotional book titled In Christ he brings out the difference of being "with" Christ and being "in" Him:

"The 'In Him' stage comes after the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Up to then it was 'with,' and after that 'in.' The 'with' had to end that the 'in' might begin. [The Lord Jesus] withdrew His presence and gave them His omnipresence.

"The church as a whole is still in the stage of 'with.' Christ is with the members, inspiring, convicting, converting, and guiding but He is not in them and they are not in Him. He comes and goes with changes of feeling. Sometimes there is what is called 'the dark night of the soul,' a condition which I am persuaded, belongs largely to the 'with' stage and seldom to the 'in' stage. It lacks the sense of being a fountain of life bubbling up from within. It seems pushed from without rather than impelled from within. It is artificial rather than artesian. It has to be stirred by sermons, pushed by appeals, and reminded by reminders. It is not self-starting.

"When the 'in' stage comes, however, then the person isn't pushed: he pushes. He becomes the center of creative energy--from within. A man thoughtfully said to a minister, 'You are an illustration of Christian dynamism.' The man to whom he spoke was seventy-five! It was not just the bubbling of animal spirits, but a fountain of life that kept on flowing in spite of approaching age. When you are in Christ, then all that belongs to Him belongs to you--His energy, His buoyancy, His life, interfuses your life and makes it live and live abundantly.

"O Savior Divine, I draw from Thee food for my thought, stimulus for my emotions, strength for my will, and Life for my life. All my springs are in Thee. I live by Life and not my own, rejoice with joy not my own, and do things I can't do. Glory be! Amen."