“But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you” (Romans 8:10-11, ESV).

Do you ever want to get past all the doctrine and opinions and traditions of Christianity and get to the basics of what it means to be a Christian?

Well, here it is! The bottom line. The who, what, how, and why of being a Christian rolled into a couple of verses!

Two verses that in just a few words and phrases provide such a profound and succinct explanation about Christianity.

Christology? It’s in there–a crucified and resurrected Christ! Pneumatology? It’s in there–the indwelling and life-giving Spirit. Trinitarianism? It’s in there–Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit and God the Father who raised Jesus from the dead!

These verses clarify what it means to be a Christian and it’s definitely not some sort of mental assent–believing in your mind in God and a set of doctrines about God.

It’s much, much more than that. It’s a relationship. It’s fellowship. It’s God taking up residence in your life!

God wants to be personal to you and with you….

There’s no six degrees of separation between you and the triune God. You are directly connected to Jesus in His death and resurrection through the Spirit. Because the Spirit of Him, God the Father, dwells in you and IS THE SAME SPIRIT WHO RAISED JESUS FROM THE DEAD!

God gives life to your mortal body in exactly the same way He did for Jesus–His Spirit dwells in you to give you eternal life!

This is Christianity, pure and simple: Christ dwells in you by His Spirit to give you eternal life and help you live righteously.

And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live. (Ezekiel 37:14, ESV)