Matthew 5: 13 - 16 NKJV
How will they know? If you are a believer in Christ Jesus, how is it that others around you will know where your heart truly stands? Believe me, I've seen plenty of men whom others have touted as "men of God" who didn't seem to fit that bill. Also, there more than likely have been times where others have looked upon me and wondered where Jesus was in my own life. It seems that at times my own light had fallen off its lampstand. This by no means that Jesus no longer had a prominent place in my life, it's just that I wasn't allowing Him to shine through my flesh. As Jesus tells us in Matthew 5, it is we who are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. We are to let that light shine before others, that the world around us would see our good works "and glorify your Father in heaven." Does this mean that those who don't follow Jesus cannot do good works? Not at all, for God Himself can work through any of His creation for His own goals. Do we see God in those who do good who do not know Christ? Absolutely! Our heavenly Father is not limited in what He can accomplish. However, I also am of the belief that not only should we glorify God when followers of His own Son do good works, but that when those who do not know Christ do them as well. For both are prompted by God. It used to be hard for me to comprehend that someone who did not know Jesus as I did could be capable of being used by God for His purposes. Despite numerous scripture references that God has used non believers that His will would be made known, it was my belief that only christians could be used by God. Thankfully my heavenly Fathers true nature has now been revealed to me. The truth is that Christ Jesus will Himself be revealed in all of our heavenly Fathers creation, for through Him all we see was created {John 1: 3}. Indeed, there is nothing in our Lords creation where Christ Jesus will not be revealed, for if we have seen Jesus then we have seen the Father as well {John 14:9}.
26the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. 27To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Colossions 1: 26 - 27 NKJV
If anyone is wondering why their own lamp is not a shining light, I present to you the apostle Pauls message we find in Colossions 1. What Paul himself called that "mystery among the gentiles" is indeed the truth of Jesus...of Christ in you. In fact, Paul himself did not always have this revelation but walked among the world. However, when it pleased Him, God chose to reveal Christ Jesus in the man Saul on the road to Damascus {Galations 1: 15-16}. Up until that point, it had not yet been revealed to Saul just who he truly was. That mystery among the gentiles. For myself, I did not always have the assurance that I am one in Christ. No, this was revealed to me when it pleased my heavenly Father. Does that mean that Christ was not in me until He was revealed in me, I don't believe that either. For we may indeed have Jesus in us and not realize it at all. He has not been revealed yet in us. So, even though Christ Jesus may not have yet been revealed in us, God can still use us for His purposes. This is different from Jesus being revealed in us. God played the Egyption Pharoh like a fiddle for His own purposes, but we are not told that Pharoh had God revealed in him. Of course, this all went down long before Jesus was crucified. It is when Christ is revealed in us that we are to let HIs light which has been revealed in us to shine for others to see. For through all we do, Christ who is in us will be revealed through Gods children.
14And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers. 15But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, 16to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood.
Galations 1: 14 - 16 NKJV
~Scott~
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