What Does it Mean to Live Christ in Philippians 1:19-21?

    The phrase “instant salvation” in a Life-Study caught my eye last week. My son told us about a roller coaster he went on at Busch Gardens over winter break and he said it dangled over a drop and then careens down an almost vertical slope at 80 mph!  I thought to myself    When life gives you an unexpected drop, that’s when you need an instant salvation!   

    When I was reading chapter 34 of the Life-Study of Philippians, I was going wow inside.  The presentation was incredible. Early in the chapter Witness Lee goes through the steps of the Lord’s life. Have you ever thought that all the things the Lord experienced like His incarnation, human living, death, resurrection, and ascension had a goal?  They weren’t just personal achievements that went back with him into heaven. 

     Look at John 20:22 again. When the Lord breathed on His disciples, He said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit."  And one of the truths Witness Lee loved to present was 2 Corinthians 15:45b which says, "The last Adam became a life giving Spirit."  By putting these two verses together Witness Lee cracked wide open this truth that in resurrection the Lord became the Spirit which is likened to air so easy to receive and breathe in so that He can live out of us.  Here’s a great part I liked on pages 299-300, 302:

Just as we must breathe in order to live physically, we must breathe spiritually to live Christ. The way to breathe spiritually is to call on the name of the Lord.  From my experience I have learned that the way to live Christ is to call on Him continually….Call on the Lord in every situation even when you are about to lose your temper.  By calling on the Lord you will live Christ….Instead of trying to control your temper, turn to the Lord and call on Him. Say, ‘Lord Jesus, I love You. Lord, I am going to lose my temper. Be one with me in this.’ If you do this, you will be saved from your temper and will live Christ….I  encourage you to call on the Lord, saying, ‘Lord Jesus, I love You.’ (Lee, Witness. Life-Study of Philippians. Anaheim: Living Stream Ministry, 1980 Print).

    This has been coming back to me.  When we’re zooming into a curve or plummeting over the edge, we can call out—Lord Jesus, Lord Jesus!  No matter what's going on we  can get the instant salvation we need.

You can listen to excerpts from the Life-Study of Philippians given in 1980 on The Life-Study of the Bible with Witness Lee.  The commentary is excellent.

Blog Update 5/22/14:  Check out the  new free book put out by Bibles for America called A Life of Forbearance But Without Anxiety. 

Other Posts on the Life-Study of Philippians:

What is the Bountiful Supply of the Spirit in Philippians 1:19?
What Does It Mean to Magnify Christ in Philippians 1:20-23?
How Does Religion, Philosophy & Culture Relate to Philippians 3:5-6?
Have You Ever Wondered What Gaining Christ is in Philippians 3:8?
Why Does Paul Put Anxiety and Prayer Together in Philippians 4:6?
What's Paul's Secret in Philippians 4:12?
What Does It Mean to Live Christ in Philippians 1:19-21?
From the Life-Study of Philippians:  What's the Theme of the Bible?
What is the Sacrifice of Faith in Philippians 2:17?
How to Enjoy the Bountiful Supply of the Spirit in Philippians 1:19