To Live by the Life of Another

DeVern F. Fromke opens up what it means to live by the life of the Lord Jesus Christ in his book The Ultimate Intention:

". . . from God's standpoint, man has had divine life from the initial moment he was born-from above. But just as God revealed the value of the Blood to reconcile and forgive, or the value of our union in death with Christ for our deliverance, even so it must come as a revelation that we are cut off from the old source of natural life [Satan through Adam]. Now we are to live and move by the life-resources of Another [the Lord Jesus].

"I must frankly admit that for more than ten years I had been occupied in my ministering with the aspects of the Cross that deal with sin and its power. Then the revelation dawned! I was like a branch that had been detached--now I must become attached--grafted to Him, the trunk of life. Not only are we united with Him in the likeness of His death, but also in His resurrection. I saw why Paul in Romans 5:10 was urging them to recognize still another, 'much more.' '. . . being reconciled to God by the death of His Son, MUCH MORE . . . we shall be saved [daily delivered from sin's dominion] through His resurrection life.' (A.N.T.)

"Just as we must not separate Christ's death for sin from the believer's death with Christ to sin, neither should we separate that union in death from union in resurrection life. The Christian life is not a changed life. It is an exchanged life! 'I live, and yet no longer I, but Christ liveth in me' (Gal. 2:20). This life is not something we ourselves can produce. It is actually living by the life of Another.

"In the second chapter of Ephesians we note three aspects which describe our living this new life:

1. a resurrection life (verse 1)
2. a reigning life (verse 6)
3. a realizing life (verse 10)

"Shall we look first at the nature of this new resurrection life: Paul says, 'And you hath he quickened (made alive) who were dead . . .' (vs. 1). Once we were dead to God and alive only to the mind of the flesh and the cravings after this world. Now, through union in death and resurrection we receive a new mind--His mind. As we have said before, this is truly entering Romans 8. Instead of being ruled by a carnal mind which works death, we now have a spiritual mind, which means life and peace.

"Furthermore when we learn how the sentence of death rests upon the body of flesh, we can cease to walk after the pull of the body; thus we experience the operation of the Spirit who quickens our mortal body. Let no one minimize God's quickening work. Too little is known and experienced of living in HIS RESURRECTION LIFE.

"Many years ago I remember hearing how A. B. Simpson, founder of The Christian and Missionary Alliance, learned to live by the life of Another. According to his own testimony 'once he sought for healing' as a crisis for his weakened body, but then he realized he was to enter into a union--living constantly by the strength of Another. He accomplished the work of many men through this LIFE-UNION.

"One day when he was finishing a series of meetings, the pastor friend insisted that it would be wise for him to take some time for rest instead of going on to the next appointment. Some months later when the pastor discovered how God had used Mr. Simpson at that meeting, he asked him for the secret of his strength. Whereupon he simply said: 'I have learned to live by the life of Another. That day as I rode on the train, each time the wheels turned about I just took in a deep breath, reminding myself I was actually absorbing HIS LIFE AND STRENGTH.'

"How many would like to use this formula! But it does not work that way. He does the using. Nor does one look back to some long ago crisis and say, 'I understand what you are talking about, because I was filled with His power twenty years ago.' What we are speaking of here is a continuous union with the living Christ. He is ever abiding in us and putting forth His mighty resurrection energy through us to fulfill the Father's intention. This life-union will only work in living unto Him. There is much more that could be said, but we must now pass on to examine:

The Reigning Life

"First we need to be clear as to the object and scope of this reigning life. We are not only quickened (with resurrection life), but we are (vs. 6) 'raised up together and made to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.' It becomes clear that this life also possesses authority over principalities and powers of darkness. A few verses earlier we read (Eph. 1:20-22) that God 'raised Him (Christ) from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand . . . far above all principality, and power, and might, dominion, and . . . hath put all things under His feet . . .'

"Yes, God's original commission to man was that he should have dominion over the world in which he had been placed. This authority passed after the fall to Satan, who since that day has been the 'prince of this world,' under whose sway the whole race of mankind lies.

"The Lord Jesus Christ at Calvary finally and forever broke the power of this empire of darkness. Just in the same way that the dominion of sin has been shattered for those in Christ, so also has Adam's lost empire been restored in Him.

"Thus we come to another 'much more' in Romans 5:17. Paul now says: '. . . much more they . . . shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.' So it is not just a matter of having His resurrection life; but we are also to learn what it means to reign by His life.

"There is something far deeper here than meets the casual eye. Satan's power lies not just in the love of the world, or sin, or in some direct assault on our mind or body. We may overcome all of these and yet live under the 'sting and fear of death.' Here is the real question: have we really faced the question of death? As long as we still 'love our life' we are still a victim of the enemy's last weapon: death. Where there is still the fear of death, we cannot say we have overcome him by--loving not our life unto the death (Rev. 12:11).

". . . Next let us consider His REALIZING LIFE. This is creative life. We can be sure we are not going to advance one step on the highway of realizing God's intention until His resurrection and reigning life are operating through us in a creative way.

"How few believers there are who have found God's plan for their lives. How few, who are abandoned to the purpose for which God has placed them in this world! We are largely playing at Christian work in these days. We go in and out of services and meetings. We like, perhaps, to preach, or are content to offer what we conceive to be some help to His work; and we give a little of our money to Christian causes which appeal to us. Yet we have missed the real issue; all Christian service must result in action, creative not imitative action.

"Listen! 'We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus UNTO GOOD WORKS, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them' (Eph. 2:10). Here is what He has predestined you to be in Christ Jesus--a vessel through whom He will work creatively. This is not optional. We have said before, this divine life can only be manifest unto God. From the beginning God has marked out every son to fill a niche which no one else can fill. Just as surely as we live by His life, shall we recognize that ours is an ordered life--a God planned life.

"What is His plan for you? How will He live and pour His life out through you? Is it to preach His name in the dark places of the earth? Is it faithfully to fill some humble office for which you are specially equipped in order that others may be released for the more prominent work? Is it to seek to train the young so they may go out into life with a solid foundation? Is it to bring up a family so that they in their turn may fit into that special place in His purpose? What is His plan for you? If you do not know, it is tantamount to a denial of His crown rights in your life. Remember! From the beginning--the very beginning you have been 'created in Christ Jesus' unto a REALIZING LIFE."