Who rouses Him from among the dead, you also being dead to the offenses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He vivifies us together jointly with Him, dealing graciously with all our offenses, erasing the handwriting of the decrees against us, which was hostile to us, and has taken it away out of the midst, nailing it to the cross.
Colossians 2: 13-14, Concordant New Testament
This week, in a bout of self pity, a thought came to mind. Wouldn't it be wonderful if I could see in others what they think of me? If I had the ability to tell what thoughts someone else was thinking of me? There are those who will say that this is possible by reading the body language cues of others, but I have not mastered that trick yet. So, what is it that others see when they see me? This could possibly have impacts on my life as far as living my life the way others desire me to. Ok, I probably wouldn't take it that far, but you can see what I'm getting at. Many people have often wondered what others see in them. Just count me as one of the crowd of the curious. If I could tell what others were thinking of me at any given moment would I treat them differently? Possibly. Yet as I sat there wondering about my new abilities another thought came to mind. This one more sobering. Who is it that I think I am? Who is the man that I see myself as? Before I can answer what others see in me I must first realize how I see myself. Of course, a lot of how we see ourselves can lead to how we feel others see us, right? But something else also enters into this conversation. How does God see us? Now, if you follow closely you will come to see that there is a direct connection to the way God views us to the person we truly are. After all, who would know more about who it is that we are than He who created us? So, how does God see me? Well, we're told that God definitely sees us as His children {1 John 3:1}. That we were chosen by God Himself {1 Peter 2:9, Colossians 3:12}. That we were created by a loving heavenly Father {Genesis 1:27}. So it is that we were chosen and created by God.
With Christ have I been crucified, yet I am living; no longer I, but living in me is Christ. Now that which I am now living in the flesh, I am living in the faith that is of the Son of God, Who loves me, and gives Himself up for me.
Galatians 2: 20, Concordant New Testament
I heard a radio preacher proclaim the other day that when God looks upon us He sees His beloved Son. Now, I'm not sure if he was referring to the fact that we are indeed children of God or His one true Son, but that's a discussion for another day. For my purposes, I believe that when God sees me, He sees Jesus as well. How is this possible? The apostle Paul illustrates it best with one simple verse in Galatians. Paul tells us that he, Paul, has died. There is no more Paul, all that remains is Christ Jesus who now lives in him. Therefore, when God looks upon us, He is looking upon His own Son who dwells in us. This is how I see myself, as Jesus who is in me. Now, remember what I said about knowing what others see in me? That before I could know how others perceive me that I needed to first know how it is I see myself? Well, this is it. When those around me see me, it is Gods desire that they see Jesus who is in me. Of course, I have no way of verifying this. We know that the world will come to know Christ through those who have come to the realization of the truth of who they truly are in Jesus. The world will see Jesus through those who know Him. Perhaps instead of worrying about how others see me I should look forward to the Father revealing Himself through me.
~Scott~
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