For too long, the idea of the Christian life has been reduced to a set of rules, a code of conduct, or a historical narrative. We treat the Bible as a divine instruction manual and Jesus as an ethical example. But the true awakening lies in realizing that Christianity is not about what we do; it is about who we are.
It is the realization of the ultimate truth, powerfully summarized in one verse:
"When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory." (Colossians 3:4)
This verse is the key to unlocking our original, divine-breathed identity.
The Great Exchange: From Carnal Conflict to Union
The journey of awakening is a radical shift from the Carnal (or Fleshly) Reality to the Spiritual Reality.
The mind that is not awakened is in constant, exhausting conflict, trying to source its goodness, peace, and identity from a flawed, earthly "flesh." The moment of spiritual rebirth, however, is the acknowledgment that this is not our greater reality. Our true source of life and identity is hidden, inseparable, and united with God.
We are called to look away from the flawed, temporary self and "Look to the rock from which you were cut." (Isaiah 51:1). Our foundation is not the dust of the earth, but the eternal essence of God. We are made in His image and likeness (Genesis 1:26-27). This is the "rock" that Jesus revealed to Peter (Matt. 16:18), the very truth upon which everything rests.
The awakened reality is this: I am Love and Light to the world. My thoughts, my reasoning, my entire existence should flow from that unshakeable place of union, not from an unrenewed, unreconciled mind.
The Unbreakable Oneness
The core of this revelation is the truth of our Union with Christ. We are not merely affiliated with Him; we are intertwined. We are not just followers; we are one.
This inseparability is what Jesus prayed for in His final hours:
“that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us.” (John 17:21)
This union means we have been joined to the Lord and have become "one spirit with him" (1 Corinthians 6:17). This is not just a future hope; it is a present, spiritual reality. The day of our acknowledgement of this union is our true rebirth into our original identity, the one the Father knew before we were even born: "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you" (Jeremiah 1:5).
When the Bible states, "When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him," it declares an eternal, non-negotiable fellowship. We are eternally co-heirs (Romans 8:17) and inseparable.
The Ancient Witness: Made to Be Divine
This concept of union and life-sharing is not a modern theological idea; it was a central theme for the earliest Christian thinkers. They used the term Theosis or Deification to describe this glorious truth.
The great fourth-century Father Athanasius of Alexandria put it simply and profoundly:
"He was made human that we might be made divine." (Athanasius, On the Incarnation, 54.3)
Living from the Reality of who we all already are:
To be truly awakened is to realize that the old self is dead, and the new life, Christ's life, is what powers us now. It's to consciously place the genesis of our thoughts and daily decisions here, rather than in our fleshly reality. We purposely set our minds on "things above" (Our higher reality of union with God), not on our fleshly reality (What we see in the natural with our eyes).
This realization demands a daily choice, as Paul instructed: "Put off the old self... and put on the new self" (Colossians 3:9-10). The carnal vices (anger, malice, slander) are put off because they no longer belong to your essence. They are replaced by the virtues of Christ's character (compassion, kindness, humility), which are crowned by Love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony (Colossians 3:12-14).
Our identity is not a striving for perfection; it is a rest in Him who is your life.
What are your thoughts on this "awakening"? How has the realization that Christ is your life changed your perspective on daily struggles?
