April 11 – Partakers of Christ

I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.— John 6:51, KJV

Bread cannot nourish unless it is eaten—unless it becomes part of us. In the same way, knowledge of Christ is of no benefit unless we are transformed into His likeness, bearing His image and revealing His Spirit to the world. Christ has no value to us unless He is formed within, the hope of glory. If we do not know Him as our personal Savior, a theoretical understanding will do us no good. Water will not quench thirst unless it is drunk. Bread will not satisfy hunger unless it is consumed. If we are spiritually feeding on Christ, we are partaking of His nature—we are eating His flesh and drinking His blood.

When Christ spoke these words, many of His disciples were confused by their meaning, so He explained: “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63, KJV).

If Christ is to you a treasure beyond price, if in Him your soul finds its deepest satisfaction, if He is dearer to you than all else, and you count all things loss for the sake of gaining Him—then you are eating His flesh and drinking His blood. You are being conformed to His image. Those who hunger and thirst after righteousness shall be filled.

The invitation remains: “Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness” (Isaiah 55:1–2, KJV).

All of heaven rejoices over the redemption of the lost. Christ Himself rejoiced in the deep awareness of what He came to accomplish for humanity. He longs to do far more abundantly than we can ask or imagine. The fountain of His unspeakable love is never exhausted and flows freely to all who believe in Him.