Tag: revealed

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Who is Jesus to You?

Image1Tim 3 “Six Signs Jesus Christ is Who He said He was”

I am sure you have, as I have, encountered two camps of people: (1) those who deny the divinity of Jesus Christ and (2) those who accept Jesus Christ as one who left his divine nature to indwell the human nature. Paul’s one heart desire was that you and I to know Him as he did and to share that truth succinctly with those who are seeking as well as to those who deny. We know for a fact that the scriptures tell us that all will one day bow the knee to Him. In 1Tim 1 Paul essentially provided us clear direction as to who God is. Now in chapter 3 Paul clarifies who Jesus is and thus in turn gives us reasons why we should worship Him and how and why we should be transformed. Over and over through Paul’s epistles to the church he reminds his readers that the purpose of our being “in Christ” is so that we are transformed into His image.

Paul gives us six reasons Jesus is who he said he was from 1Tim 3:

  1. Jesus Christ was revealed in the flesh! He was born in Bethlehem, was carried to Egypt to be protected from the hand of Herod, raised in Nazareth, walked the wilderness and was tested by Satan himself.  The scriptures reveal that the “Son who was a descendant of David with reference to the flesh,” [Rom 1:3]
  2. Jesus Christ was vindicated by the Spirit! God opened the windows of heaven and said “This is my Beloved Son, listen to Him.” The Spirit vindicated Him by raising Him from the dead on Resurrection Day.
  3. Jesus Christ was seen by angels! The night he was born the angelic choir sang forth “Peace on Earth.”  On Resurrection Morning He was seen and proclaimed by the angelic beings.
  4. Jesus Christ was proclaimed among the Gentiles. Jesus walked, taught and healed both Jew and Gentile. He said about the Gentile Centurion “I tell you the truth, I have not found such faith in anyone in Israel” [Matt 8]
  5. Jesus Christ was believed on in the world. As He walked and taught many came to acknowledge Him as the Christ. Jesus asked Peter “Who do men say I am and Who do you say I am” “Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” [Mat 16:16]
  6. Jesus Christ was taken up in to glory. After Jesus told his disciples that they were to be His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the farthest part of the earth, “he was lifted up and a cloud hid him from their sight.” [Acts 1:9]

If we believe all of these six signs as Paul delineated them, it should then transform us both at the outset and continuing on throughout our lives:  “And we all, with unveiled faces reflecting the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another, which is from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” [2Co 3:18] Thus our mandate should be:  “Do not be conformed to this present world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may test and approve what is the will of God – what is good and well-pleasing and perfect.” [Rom 12:2]

Beloved  do you know Him? Have you been with Jesus today and experienced His transforming power?

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Is Your WYSIWYG Showing or Hidden?

ImageWYSIWYG is an acronym for “What You See Is What You Get.” In computer lingo it is an editor in which content (text and graphics) are displayed onscreen during the editing process. When WYSIWYG is hidden from the reader it looks just like you are reading now but when turned on it shows the editing marks so you can realign and readjust what you want the reader to see. What if the world saw our WYSIWYG? What might they see? That is the essence of what Paul asked the Corinthians in this last chapter [2Cor 13] as he draws this letter to a close. Paul said, I have left my WYSIWYG marks open for you to see. I have revealed my humility, meekness and gentleness in Christ, my visions and revelations. When I was with you I was open and transparent and never became a burden to you. In the time I was with you did I not reveal the signs of a true apostle? I was “not like the religious hucksters ..I did not go about “missionarying,” as Mark Twain described this type of religious swindling [referring to the false teachers among the Corinthians]” [Bob Deffinbaugh]

Paul said: You are demanding proof that Christ is speaking through me. I came as Christ, weak now but I can be powerful and I will demonstrate that resurrection power of Christ when I come if need be! Then in a flash, he turns the tables on the Corinthians. Now let me see your WYSIWYG or better yet why don’t you do it for yourself? Paul says:  Put yourselves to the test to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize regarding yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you – unless, indeed, you fail the test! If you doubt my apostleship you must doubt your own Christianity for you are the fruit of my apostleship!

So how does one test to see if you are in the faith? Paul does not give us a “do’s and don’ts’ list of things we can mark off, but instead Paul infers that we must check our lifestyle that is apparent to all. We could begin in Matthew 5 with the “Be-Attitudes.” Kingdom people strive to demonstrate kingdom character qualities: poor in spirit, mourning over personal sin, meekness under pressure, hungering and thirsting for righteousness. These character qualities are observable in kingdom people’s conduct: merciful to others, pure in heart which is noted in being single minded; and peacemakers. As others observe our character and our conduct they can see that we are called to be kingdom people. In the book of Galatians Paul enumerates that which can only come about from an anointing of the Holy Spirit:  love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.  

Our question then from the book of 2 Corinthians which we finish today: Is your WYSIWYG showing or hidden? Are you hiding your salt in the saltshaker and your light under a bushel?

 

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