You’re not – I am!
On a Saturday morning in early spring many years ago I was sitting in my easy chair at home, having just finished some pleasant quiet time, when the phone rang. I had no idea of the profound significance the call I was about to take would have on my life. I was at the beginning of a revelatory experience that would change me and my understanding of life forever.
It was early and I was not expecting anyone to call so I picked up the phone with a bit of concern. The person calling, a man, asked to speak to me and I acknowledged that he was. “Good,” he said, “I was hoping to see you this morning. I think that I have a message from God for you.”
“Who are you, and what is the message about, and why do you think it is for me from God?” I asked. I am by nature a skeptical person and, while I fully believed then and do now that God does speak to us personally at times through others, I am slow to accept it and careful to try to discern the basis and credibility of any such event.
The man laughed disarmingly and told me that his name was Richard Plache and that he had formerly been a high official in a worldwide cult, leading their operations in Europe. Through some miraculous intervention, God had revealed the lie of the cult and the truth of the Gospel to him and led him to faith in Christ about four years prior. When he tried to share his new found faith with his associates, he was of course asked to leave. He had returned to the US and had started an intense period of study and search in the Scriptures hoping to learn God’s plan for the rest of his life.
He told me that he was attending a church that I knew of in California while attending a well known bible school, and had just learned that his father, who happened to live in the city in Illinois that I lived in, Aurora, was ill and about to have surgery. He had no money to fly home and in answer to prayer had been led to a Gospel singing group that was driving to Chicago in their bus for a performance and who had invited him to ride along. Aurora is a suburb of Chicago and his brother could pick him up and drive him home.
He said that as he settled in the seat of the bus to begin his trip that he felt something under him, stuffed between the cushion and back of the seat. He pulled out a magazine called Voice, a publication of the Full Gospel Businessman’s Fellowship. Out of idle curiosity he opened the magazine and was surprised to see that the article he opened to was the testimony of a man from Aurora, Illinois, the very city he was headed for. The man’s name was and is Buck Jacobs. My ears perked up substantially.
He told me that he sensed that, because of the rather unique circumstances, God had a special reason for our meeting, that it had to do with what he had learned as a result of his study, and that he would like very much to come over that morning to talk to me about it.
As he spoke to me, something within me stirred and I moved past my normal skepticism and eagerly arranged for him to come by a little later after I had breakfast and some family time. We agreed on ten o’clock. To prepare for our discussion he asked me to read and think about Galatians 2:20 which reads, “I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life which I live now in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me.” I did read it a couple of times wondering what was on his mind and not seeing anything particularly in the verse.
At ten o’clock Richard appeared and we immediately related well. He was personable, very easy to talk with, and did not seem to have any agenda except to follow what it appeared God was leading him to do. We shared some background, found much in common, and he started in to his story, which led to our being brought together.
He began to explain to me his search for a way of living in which Jesus is truly at the center of one’s life as opposed to mere religiosity which results in legalism and which had been at the heart of his experience prior to being born again. The cult he had been a part of was based on a “works” doctrine, typically purporting to show the way to God by obeying a strict set of rules. It had sounded good but never really brought peace or true meaning. As he had studied after his conversion to Christ he had been led to investigate a different way of relating to life. A way which various notable Christians had practiced through the centuries with profound results. Men such as John Wesley, Hudson Taylor, George Muller, and D.L. Moody, as well as some Christian mystics like Madam Jean Guyon and Brother Lawrence, a way called variously “the deeper life” or the “replaced life.”
He explained that the heart of this concept was found in Galatians 2:20 and that the true meaning of this key verse had been obscured by various doctrines which had developed over the years. As he spoke I became somewhat agitated because I was not able to grasp or understand the significance or meaning of what he was trying to explain and help me see. He was very patient, taking me to the tense of the Greek verb which is at the heart of the issue here. It is the verb translated “have been crucified.” Richard explained that this word is used in the perfect tense, meaning that it is an act done in the past and completed, yet has continuing effect. The significance, he said, was that when Christ died on the cross, as I had become one with Him at my new birth, so did I. And since I had literally died sin no longer had power over me. He said sin has no power over a dead man, which I could understand, but, according to Richard, I was apparently very much alive and dead somehow at the same time. He said it was like when you add salt to water, the salt becomes one with the water and thus participates with all the water has been, is, or will be from that point on. He took me to many other scriptures to support his contention that, at new birth, each believer is united with Jesus in His eternal Spirit and thus becomes eternally one with Him. Including verses such as 1 Corinthians 6:17 which says, “But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him”, pointing out that a spirit is not limited by time or space. And Romans 6:3-9, especially verse 6 which says, ”knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him…” He pointed out Colossians 1:22 which says that the mystery of the gospel is“ Christ in you the hope of glory.” He was far more a Bible scholar than I and had an ease with the subject that was obviously born out of long hours of study and prayer.
Richard told me that God had made me to be a unique container for Himself and that this purpose was fulfilled by my accepting His gift of forgiveness in Jesus and receiving His Holy Spirit to live in me. As Jesus lived in me and through me His plan for me and my life would be actualized. He said that it was to be Jesus in me, through me, as me. It was this part that I was struggling with and at this point I simply could not understand. It was extremely frustrating. I strongly sensed that there was an important truth being presented to me and, that if I could only understand and appropriate it, my life would change for the good. But I just could not get it. And I had an additional problem; I was getting very time-compressed.
Years before our church had “adopted” a group of mentally handicapped adults who were residents of a home near the church. One in particular, Jimmy Walker had become very dear to our family and had visited us often. Through Jimmy we also met Sherman Tatarsky, his roommate, and Sherman occasionally joined Jimmy at our home for Sunday dinner after church. Jimmy had died a couple of years earlier and Sherman had sort of assumed that he had inherited our invitation and us. And, as he was very bold and demanding in some ways, was not the joy to be with that Jimmy had been. Nevertheless we had felt that we should continue to see and share with Sherman who was Jewish and did not know Jesus. I had promised Sherman that he could come to spend the day with us and have dinner that Saturday. And to keep my word and be on time to pick him up, I would have to leave by noon. He became very upset if I was late.
Richard could see that I needed to talk more with him and that I was close but not yet understanding what he felt it so important that I know. He gladly agreed to come by after church the next day and share some more. I walked him to his car as I left for Chicago to pick up Sherman. “Don’t worry Buck,” he said, “God will show you what He wants you to see.”’
I left and as I drove down the interstate I began to grumble to God. “Lord” I said, “What am I doing? Here you send a man all the way across the country to tell me an important truth. You put the Voice under Richard’s seat and you put on his heart to come to see me and share what you’ve given him with me. And then I have to leave to go and pick up this hardheaded Jew who isn’t very nice, doesn’t care to know You, and probably doesn’t even appreciate my trouble. Lord, why am I doing this?”
I have never heard God or Jesus speak in an audible voice. I don’t doubt that He does or that some others have heard Him do so. I have never, but there are and have been times where I have known just as surely as if He had spoken aloud, that He did speak. God makes Himself heard to me somehow at times just as clearly as if He spoke out loud and this was one of the clearest. Just as I said, “Lord, why am I doing this?” He said, “YOU’RE NOT, I AM.” And in that instant all that Richard had been trying to tell me, and that I could not understand, came clear as glass. No, the Buck who was would never have taken the time to even speak to Sherman Tatarsky, let alone go out of his way for him, let alone have him in his home. The Buck who was saw all people in terms of their utility or value to him, and certainly Sherman was anything but utilitarian or valuable to me. He was a pain pure and simple.
But it wasn’t the Buck who was driving the car, going to Chicago to get Sherman. It was Jesus in His Buck outfit. Jesus in me and, to Sherman, Jesus through me. It was true, the old man, the Buck who was, had in fact died with Christ. And it was and is now Christ who lives in me. My personality, gifts, talents, and quirks still intact – me – but energized by Him, in me as me. The life that I was now living I was living by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave His life for me. No, Buck wouldn’t mess with Sherman, but Jesus would, and was, and Richard’s words became so real to me. Jesus in me, through me, as me. I could hardly wait to get home to call him and tell him.
That Saturday morning was over twenty five years ago but it is as fresh in my mind as today. There are of course many doctrinal and theological things that need to be explained to try to understand the concept of the replaced life and we don’t have time or space here and this is not the forum to go into them. This segment is hoped to be a testimony and a call to those who struggle with who they are and why they live as Christians.
To those who God brings across our paths each day, whether they are our family members, our neighbors, our customers, our competitors, sales people, or others we trade with and meet through our business, we are Jesus. We are to the degree we understand the truth illustrated in this testimony and allow Jesus to live through us. God has designed us, called us, saved us, and given us all we have, not to waste on our pleasure, but to let Him live through – to others. The mystery of the gospel is Christ in us, through us, as us. The fact is that Jesus doesn’t live in buildings made of bricks and mortar. We don’t go to church to meet with Jesus, we bring Him to church. He lives in and through His people. He doesn’t live as a statue nailed to a cross. He left the cross 2000 years ago to go to the grave as a prelude to proving forever who He really is by rising from the dead. He sent His Spirit to live in as many as received Him.
Now it’s our turn. He lives in us and He will live through us as us if we will let Him. The as us part is important, don’t miss it. The reason I was having such a hard time getting what Richard was telling me was I thought I had to change to be like someone else in order to be like Jesus. Now I know that what I really have to do is let Him do what he wants to do through me. Him as me. There is a world of difference.
As a footnote to this story: Just before we moved from Aurora, Illinois to Florida twenty-five years ago, Jesus as me thought I should take Sherman Tatarsky to lunch. He had been moved to another home even further away. The new place was much better than the first with many activities and support for the residents. We had sort of slipped away from a monthly visit with Sherman to a once in a while type thing which he didn’t seem to mind. I really didn’t have the time but I felt I needed to see him and tell him we were going to move so I called and arranged to take him to lunch at his favorite restaurant.
After we were seated and gave our orders I asked Sherman what was new. I almost fell out of my seat when he answered, “I got baptized last Sunday!”
“You did” I asked, trying to hide my amazement, “How did that happen?”
“Pastor Jack Hiles sent a bus to pick me up and take me to church at his church” Sherman said, “he asked me to get saved and I did.” A big smile lit up his face. I can still see it. Jesus in me,as me rejoiced.
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Buck Jacobs, Chairman and Founder of The C12 Group, LLC - Christian CEO and mentor. Buck has an extensive background in successful organizational development based on the principles found in scripture. The motto of the C12 group is "Building great companies for a greater purpose." 
Buck…I’ve been blessed by hearing you tell this experience on several occassions…thank you for sharing it again….or, thank You Jesus for using my brother Buck to share this with some of us who seek knowledge, understanding, and wisdom. Lynnie & I love you.
Buck. Thanks for sharing this message again. I heard you relate it at Regent when a young man asked for your favorite Bible verse.