We as believers, at times, have an identity crisis about how great and awesome God has made us. It never fails to amaze me to see the potential the Father has placed in each one of us. Why is it so hard for us to believe that God has chosen to reveal through us, His children, His presence and power to this desperate and dying world. We see all throughout salvation history God use earthen things, many of which are not even human, to carry His presence and power. A few examples are; in the times of Moses God used a burning bush to talk through, He used a staff to show His power and Might as it turned into a serpent, the same staff of Moses was the instrument that was used to part the Red Sea. Elijah’s Mantle (coat) which held the anointing of God, had enough power in it to part the Jordan river once Elisha struck the Jorden with it. the Cloud by day and Fire by night hosted the presence and led Israel. The Ark of the Covenant that went before the armies of Israel into battle, The bread and wine turning into the Body and Blood of Jesus, Ect.. We see time and time again dead objects being used to hold the Power and Presence of God, why are we so hesitate to receive the reality that WE ARE THE TEMPLE OF THE LIVING GOD, and the very presence and power of God lives in us.
Before we can ever begin to be Ambassadors of Christ (2Cor5:20), allowing God to plead through us, we need to settle forever our position as a Child of a God. The Church teaches us that one of the reasons Jesus became Man was so we might become children of a God, that’s right, a child of a God, and His name is “Father”. WOW!!! How do we begin to catch up with this? First, we need to begin to stop fighting its reality, and rest in its truthfulness. And secondly, we need to begin walk in it’s light.
How do we begin to walk in the light of this, In John 14:22&23- 22-Judas (not Iscariot) came to Jesus and asked Him why do you manifest yourself to us and not to the world, 23-”Jesus answered and said to him “If anyone loves Me he will keep My word; and My Father will love him. and WE WILL COME to him and make OUR HOME with him.” We see here that Jesus says if we LOVE HIM, we will KEEP HIS WORD, and if we keep His word, HE and THE FATHER will come and MAKE ME Their home. WOW Again!! Notice what Jesus did not say, He did not say, if you tell Me you love Me, even though that is a good thing, He said If you KEEP MY WORD, Love is an action, it always has a corresponding action. So how do we KEEP Gods WORD, and allow The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit to make Their home in us, and manifest the true life and power of God through our life???? That is a big question, and I will give you the first step.
In many places in scripture, Jesus, Paul, Peter, James, and John all reveal in one form or another that the greatest commands which fulfills all the Law (or commandments) is summed up in this “To love God with all our hearts, soul, and mind, and to LOVE OUR NEIGHBOR as yourselves (Mk 12:29-31). So, to do these two things, Love God and neighbor, is the greatest of, and sums up all the law or commands of God. So, then the first thing I need do to KEEP HIS WORD, is to love God by loving my neighbor as myself. Jesus tells us in John 15:12-13, 12-” this is My commandment, that you LOVE one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has NO ONE THEN THIS, than to lay down one’s life for His friends.” I am beginning to see now, To Love God I need to KEEP HIS WORD (commands), which is summed up by Loving people as Jesus Loved me, and the highest form of this love is to LAY DOWN MY LIFE for them. Know it begins to make sense what the church teaches about how the POWER and PRESANCE of God that was poured out on us at Pentecost to evangelize is released. The LOVING and the LAYING DOWN of our lives for others is the WITNESS that releases the Power and Presence of God in and through us. In Acts 1:8 the Holy Spirit through Luke makes the statement “YOU will receive POWER, when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, (Why), that you may be a witness to ME. Remember Jesus saying in John 13:35- “By this ALL will know that you are My disciples, if you have LOVE for one another.” Their Love for one another and for the lost was the WITNESS that they were disciple of Jesus, and as their Love release the Power and Presence of God that enabled all to have divine encounter with God. Look at Pentecost in Acts Chapter 2.
Just like the early church, we can, like them, allow the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit to take expression again in the earth through us, that as we go out into life and encounter the lost, dying, those in despair, that the Life of Jesus can once again be made manifest in and through mortal flesh (2Cor 4:11), through these, OUR earthen vessels.