1 John 4: 1 NKJV
If I had never tested the spirts, I would never have come to this belief of Christ in me. A few years ago, I was presented with a idea of Jesus so radical that I had to step aside and take a look at what I was hearing for myself. The belief that Christ could ever dwell within me went against everything which I had been taught in all of my years of Christianity. The belief which I had clung to for so many years had condemned me as a sinner, never worthy of being close to Jesus until that day He came again for those who follow Him. That was my goal, to live my life where I could be enough like God all the while hoping my sins would not condemn me. This has been the doctrine of the church for centuries. Never had I been faced with anything that would make me question what I believed about Jesus. Until he came along. One day, a friend who continues to remain nameless introduced me to a truth of Jesus I had never heard of. It seems that after all of those years in which I had been chasing Him, that Christ had been with me the entire time. Not only with me, but living IN me {Galatians 2:20}. When I was first introduced to the apostle Paul's revelation of Christ in him which we find in Galatians, I had difficulty accepting it. This was not the Jesus I had come to know. Then, my friend suggested something even more radical. He asked me to "test the spirits" as he said, so that I could differentiate the truth of Christ Jesus for myself. Now, there are many scriptures out there which can and have been interpreted in many different ways. It is up to us to read these scriptures and see for ourselves just what is true and what isn't. I believe that God has written the truth upon our hearts, that when we see it we will recognize it. As I began to seek out the truth my friend had introduced me to, I began to feel within me a acceptance of what I was reading was the truth. This wasn't some flash in the pan new idea, but a knowing of what I knew to be true in my own heart. The idea that Jesus could reside in me seemed to agree with all that I was reading. Also, the old idea of Christ which I had carried with me for so many years now seemed all the more impersonal to me. Could it be that what I had been taught for so long was the wrong idea of Jesus?
So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, "Do you understand what you are reading?" And he said, "How can I unless someone guides me?" And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him.
Acts 8: 30 - 31 NKJV
Whenever it is that I am asked why it is I believe what I do, I simply introduce them to what it was that inspired me to take a closer look at my life in Christ. That is, the scriptures which I was introduced to which gave me a new understanding of who Jesus really is. I have never seen it as my responsibility to convince others of the "right" way to see things. My friend never spoke to me in a way that forced Jesus upon me, only that I discover the truth of Christ for myself. The truth of Christ in us is meant to be introduced, not coerced. As we see from the example of Philip and the eunuch, others around us might not see the truth of Christ Jesus unless someone guides them to it {Acts 8:31}. That is my responsibility. If I am called to anything, it is to show others the truth of Christ Jesus which I have found. Those around us will also recognize Christ through the way we carry ourselves as well. It is true that only Christ Jesus has seen the Father {John 6:46}. However, we also know that Jesus is the image of the invisible God {Colossians 1:15}. When we see Jesus, we see the Father as well {John 14:9}. Knowing this, can we not say with confidence that if Christ indeed lives in us, that He will be manifested through us as well? That is, if we are all which He is, then that will show to others around us. Yes, there is nobody who has ever seen God, but what they will see is Christ Jesus living through us. It is only through the testing of the spirits by which I have come to know Jesus in the way that I now do. My introduction to His truth was but the first step in my knowing who He truly is. Along the way, I came to know who I truly am inside as well.
Philip said to Him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us." Jesus said to him, "Have I ben with you so long, and yet you have not known me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father; so how can you say, 'show us the Father'?
John 14: 8 - 9 NKJV
~Scott~
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