The world sees Jesus as a man, perhaps even a good or great man and possibly even a prophet, but still a man. It is the Holy Spirit Who opens our spiritual eyes of understanding so that we see Jesus as much more than just a man. We see Him as: our Creator – the Jehovah of the Old Testament – the long-awaited Messiah – the only Son of God – the Redeemer of Israel – the Lamb of God – the Savior of the world – the Good Shepherd – the risen Lord – the Judge of the universe – the reigning and ruling King of kings!
The only way we can be convinced of Who Jesus is, is through the enlightenment we have received from the Holy Spirit. Jesus explained, “When he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you” (John 16:13-14, NIV). So . . . the next time you read your Bible, pray first and ask the Spirit of Truth to open your eyes to Jesus.
In the Garden of Eden, God had been with man.
In the Old Testament, God had appeared to man.
In the Tabernacle, God had dwelt among men.
In the history of Israel, God had spoken through man.
In the Gospels, God was visible as Man.
But at Pentecost, God became available to dwell in man!
Until that Pentecost two thousand years ago, people were saved by faith in Jesus Christ, even though they didn’t know His Name. Their faith was demonstrated by the obedient sacrifices they made at the temple as they symbolically looked forward to the cross. Since Pentecost, we are still saved by faith in Jesus Christ. But our faith looks back to His sacrifice, which has already been made on our behalf at the cross. Additionally, we now have the experience of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, Who seals our “rebirth,” or “conversion.” Do you bear God’s “Seal” of authentic conversion?
While God’s Word is not like a magic wand, it does have the power, when applied by the Holy Spirit, to give a new dimension to your mind and emotions and also to your will. Have you lacked the willpower to stay on a diet, conquer a bad habit, or develop disciplines necessary for character? Until I began to receive God’s Word daily, I never had the willpower to get up early in the morning for a time of prayer. I lacked what has been called “blanket victory” – victory over those blankets in the early-morning hours! But God has given my will an added dimension so that I am now able to do what I formerly could not.
Does your life feel confined? Do you sometimes have the uneasy feeling that something is missing, that there must be something more to life than what you are experiencing? That you are not fulfilling your potential? Then open your heart and mind to God’s Word and ask Him to give your life an added dimension.
The Holy Spirit Who now lives in you is the same Holy Spirit in Genesis 1 Who hovered over the formless, empty, dark blob of earth that dangled in space. As He powerfully energized and pulsated the atmosphere, He prepared the planet to receive God’s Word and be transformed into a place of purpose and beauty that ultimately, in the end, reflected the image of God.
That same Holy Spirit is now powerfully at work in your life, hovering over your heart, preparing you to love God and be fully aware of His love for you. He hovers over your mind, preparing you to understand spiritual things and the truth of His Word. He hovers over your will, preparing you to make decisions that are pleasing to Him. All the power of God – the same power that hung the stars in place and put the planets in their courses and transformed Earth – now resides in you to energize and strengthen you to become the person God created you to be.
Jesus described the powerful witness of a life that is different when He illustrated it as “the light of the world” (Matt. 5:14). The primary value of light is that it is so different from the darkness. When Jesus then informed His disciples that “you will be my witnesses,” (Acts 1:8) it was clear that one primary value of the apostles’ witness would lie in the difference of their lives from those who lived around them.
A witness that is lived can be as powerful as one that is spoken. It’s not what you say but who you are that catches the attention of those around you – which is one reason God allows grievances, crises, sufferings, injustice, and hardship to come into our lives. Because problems offer us the opportunity to give silent, relevant witness to the difference faith in God can make. The problems enable us to become a showcase so that the world can look into our lives and see the glory of God revealed.
