"And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may be with you for ever, (even) the Spirit of truth....He abideth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you desolate (orphaned, fatherless): I will come to you." (John 14:16-18-- ASV)
Notice, "another Comforter." Jesus had been the, "with you," Comforter. With the coming of Pentecost and the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, Jesus was to become their, "in you," Comforter. Pentecost was not only the "birth of the Church;" it was the birth of the, "Christ in you," reality. His Presence is not a place, or a feeling, or arbitrary. His Presence is, "He abides with you, and...in you. I will not leave you"!
The "What-Would-Jesus-Do," brand of Christianity has a faulty premise. It suggests a sort of "copy cat" religion. That is Islam, Buddhism, New Age, and all major religions of the world. Jesus does not teach us that we are "the light of the world" by copying His life. That would be nothing but "works" which is driven by ego. Jesus teaches us, "I am [your] Life;" hence, the Church is only "the light of the world" to the degree Jesus is living and reigning in the Church and the Church is living obediently in Jesus.
The "faith of Jesus" (Christianity) is an, "in you," faith, not just a faith of Christ walking the Judean Hills 2000 years ago. "WWJD" is Jesus "back there." Conversely, the words of our text, "shall be in you," is Jesus in me, present in the Church, here, now. The ASV is the best translation of Gal. 2:20, "I live in [the] faith, (the faith) which is in the Son of God." The only way I can "live in" such a faith is not by looking back to His earthy walk 2000 years ago. It is living in Jesus and Jesus living and reigning in me, now, here, eternally. It is as Paul wrote to the Thessalonians, "He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together in union with him."
If the faith of modern Christians today is that of copying the Life of Jesus, they allow the enemy to rob them of the glory of the Church, "the hope of glory," i.e., "Christ in you." If you and I go out in any given day and try to "act" like Christians, we will fail. If, however, we choose to live, "whether we are awake or asleep, we...live together in union with Him"---------success!
Father, in Jesus' Name, live in and through me today, but may the "in" be not be overshadowed by the "through." Amen.
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* I will be meeting with a representative of the "Volunteers for Israel" program this coming Sunday, August 9
* Up to date prophetic news at: www.antipasprayerforce.blogspot.com
Looking Unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2
Hebrews 12:2
