FALSE.
When the Holy Scriptures talks about
Christ in you, it
does not mean that Jesus Christ is inside you in the same way that a puppy can be in a box or sugar can be dissolved in water. St. Paul says that Christ is present inside His believers in an inexplicable and mysterious way (Colossians 1:27). Christ's presence inside your head or feel His movements in your body. You will never see any evidence of Christ on an X-ray picture of yourself. The
one and only way for you to be certain that Christ is in you is to "abide in [His] Word" (John 8:31-32). Then Jesus says: "We [Jesus and the heavenly Father] will come to him, and make Our abode with him" (John 14:23).
Courtesy of Good News, a Lutheran publication.
False.
St. John wrote not to unbelievers, but to believers who were part of the congregation in Laodicea (Revelation 3:14). Christ had ALREADY come into the Laodiccean believers through His powerful Word, but then they pusshed Him back out when they became "lukewarm, ...neither hot nor cold" (Revelation 3:16). These Christians become so preoccupied by the cares and affairs of their daily lives that
they pushed Christ out of their hearts and minds. The became "wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked" (Revelation 3:17), even though they did not know it.
Because these believers had become lukewarm, Jesus said to them: "Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if anyone hears my My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him and he with Me" (Revelation 3:20). This verse does not speak about how you
become a Christian, as if you must first ask Jesus into your heart in order to be saved. This verse shows what happens when Christians throw Jesus out of of themselves by replacing Him with worldy preoccupations. Christ faithfully calls them to repentance through His Word so that He may enter them again.
Courtesy of Good News, a Lutheran publication.
False.God says that before He transforms you, you are as dead and cold as a stone (Ephesians 2:1). No one can open his own heart to become a Christian (John 1:13; Romans 9:16). Only God can open hearts (Acts 16:14). A most helpful example is Jesus' raising Lazarus from the dead (John 11:43-44). Just as Jesus took the first step in raising Lazarus from the dead by speaking His powerful Word, so also does He take the first step in entering you heart and mind. He comes into you in a way similar to the way He entered the locked Upper Room where His disciples were hidden (John 20:19) - Jesus miraculously enters your heart and mind WITHOUT your permission, your preparation, or your first opening the door. Then, UNLESS YOU REFUSE HIM, Jesus works in you through His Word to justify and santify you (1 Corinthians 1:30).
Again, courtesy of the Good News, a Lutheran publication.
