In his book, The Fullness of Christ, author D. Stuart Briscoe tells of his attendance at a symphony where Tchaikovsky’s “Pathetique” was performed. Initially, Stuart was less than excited about being at the performance. But something happened throughout the evening. The soar of the music, the rhythm of the instruments, the applause of the crowd began to affect his mindset.
At the end of the symphony he found his head, heart, and hands engaged in the event. “The difference in attitude and reaction,” said Stuart, “came about when the music ceased to be all around me, and managed to get right into me.”
For Stuart, there was an invasion. He not only heard the symphony, he felt it as well. The external force became an internal reality.
The same can be said of the indwelling Christ. When our relationship with the Lord is reduced to external happenings (church attendance, good works, religious obligations), we may become just as bored as Stuart at a Tchaikovsky’s recital. But I submit, that Christ, like soaring music, has invaded our souls. He has taken up residence in our hearts. When this is understood, better yet, when this is experienced, we will find ourselves raptured in delight, caught up in divine bliss. Christ is not just something that happens around us, He is Someone Who abides within us.
Rev. KK
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