We can know the God because of Jesus. Jesus is the Son of God, the image of God, the exact representation of God's being. All the law, all the Prophets, all of Scripture has pointed to Jesus. In Jesus all the fullness of God lived and walked among us. In Jesus, we see the glory of God. All the mysteries of wisdom, knowledge are made known. The Son has perfectly revealed the Father.
But God can know us because of Jesus too. Because Jesus was tempted in every way just as we are... God is able to empathize with us in our weakness. Jesus is our high priest. He is the sole mediator between God and man. As we pray to the Father, Jesus intercedes on our behalf. Romans 8:34 says, "Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died--more than that, who was raised to life--is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us." We approach the throne of grace confidently.
Its great to know and be known by God. But can we walk like Jesus? We mentioned last week that Jesus never used his God-Advantage, his "God Card" When Jesus faced trouble he didn't call down legions of angels. No, he leaned upon the same resources and relationships that are readily available to all of us, by faith.
For example:: (1) Jesus had to rely on God just like us. He couldn't arbitrarily answer to his own prayers. Hebrews 5:7 says, "During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission."
(2) Jesus had to rely upon the Scriptures when tempted (Matthew 4:10). (3) Jesus had to surround himself with relationships, as much for his own encouragement and strengthening as theirs. For example, he pleaded with his disciples to "stay" with him, "keep watch" with him, and "pray" for him (Matthew 26:38).
Jesus didn't have a superman cape. He prayed. He trusted the Word. He leaned on his rag-tag, group of disciples. It's all the same kind of things we can do.
Sometimes a person says, "I don't know Jon, my Christian faith has failed me. It may work for you but it doesn't work for me." If Jesus had to do it with prayer, the Word, and the Church are we thinking we're greater than Jesus that we can bypass these things, and still succeed?
Another key to Jesus' success was his relationship with the Holy Spirit. Jesus was conceived of the Holy Spirit. Born of the Holy Spirit. Baptized in the Spirit. Filled with the Holy Spirit. Anointed by the Holy Spirit. He ministered in the power of the Holy Spirit. Preached, taught, healed... was raised from the grave by the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus' relationship with the Holy Spirit is one of the most central features of the gospel. The Holy Spirit punctuates, underlines, underscores every aspect of Jesus' life from beginning to end.
If Jesus did in fact have a God-card, or divine advantage, it was the Holy Spirit. But guess what? That same advantage is available to us. The Bible invites us to repent and be baptized, that we'd be forgiven and receive the Holy Spirit. In John 6:7 Jesus told his disciples, "it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you."
Our relationship with the Holy Spirit makes the life of Jesus accessible and possible to us. Apart from the Spirit, we'd have no other recourse, but to resign ourselves to the miseries of life. But as it stands, Romans 8:11 says, "If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you." In Ephesians 1:19-20 Paul says, "I pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God's power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God's right hand in the heavenly realms."
If your failing the Christian life ... Maybe you're not praying. Maybeyou're ignorant of the Word. Maybe you haven't surrounded yourself with authentic, spiritual relationships. Maybe you've been attempting godliness in with sheer willpower instead of walking in the power/presence of the Holy Spirit. If you are skipping any of these ingredients, of course your failing! But its not God failing you, its you failing yourself.
2 Peter 1:3-4 says, "His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires." Whatever advantage Jesus had in Spirit, we also have.
What if we understood the power a relationship with Holy Spirit gives us? What might we attempt if only we understood? What victories might we experience in life? What mountains might be moved? Is it even our prayer, "Come, Holy Spirit, Come?"
We know God because of Jesus. God knows us because of Jesus. But now we have this power to become like Jesus because of Spirit.
A lot of believers are confused about the Holy Spirit. Sometimes churches overemphasize the peripheral and sensational aspects of life in the Spirit instead of the everyday reality of living in the Spirit. This isn't a critique... but I was at a church recently and people were speaking in tongues. The service would stop as prophetic utterances were shouted from the pew. A song leader kept breaking into holy laughter as she sang. People were being slayed in the Spirit. A man danced erratically by the stage. The pastor was receiving spiritual insight about people's lives in real-time. Even in Jesus' day people we're mesmerized with signs and wonders. But the purpose of signs and wonders is to point to the reality of something itself...
Would you agree, Disney World is pretty amazing place? Lara and I went there a few years ago. Do you realize how many colorful sign, brochures, billboards, TV ads point travelers to the wonders of Disney World? Signs might excite us, but they're not the reality themselves. When have you ever gotten to Disney World only to start thinking about all those amazing signs you saw along the way? You were too busy enjoying self! Signs are the servants to the reality. If we get mesmerized with a sign itself, we may never move beyond the sign, to the actual reality! When you experience the true power of the Holy Spirit in your life, the signs tend to fade in importance.
I've never been about seeking signs and wonders. BTW, the greatest sign we'll ever need has already been given... it's the resurrection of Jesus (Mt 12:38-42). The resurrection of Jesus is a sufficient foundation for faith. No more is needed, really.
People also get confused wherever the Spirit works, because inevitable there is a divine and human element. When a person is "slayed in the Spirit", is that their human spirit or the Divine Spirit operating? When a person declares a prophecy is it of God or of man? The Bible says we have to test every spirit to see if its of God. When people fall on the floor and convulse in the Spirit--we don't always have enough context to know whether that of God or man. I don't know their story. I don't know their faith. I don't know their heart. Just because a thing happens in a church service, or in the name of Jesus, doesn't mean we must take it at face value. Be discerning.
Let me come back to this issue of signs and wonders. What are some everyday ways we can identify & experience the Spirit-advantage in our lives?
The Spirit is a Spirit of Wisdom/Knowledge. The miracle is God illuminating your heart/mind with knowledge of his purpose, plan, promises. (Show Isaiah 11:2)
The Spirit is a Spirit of Holiness. The miracle is God changing your character giving you fruit of love, joy, peace, patience... (Show Galatians 5:22)
The Spirit is a Spirit of Grace. The miracle is God changing your disposition from one of hardness, anger, bitterness to one of grace/warmth? (Show Zech 12:10)
The Spirit is a Spirit of Truth. The miracle is God changing the dark areas of your life into light, so you're no longer slave to all fears? (Shows Psalm 18:28)
The Spirit is a Spirit of Revelation. The miracle is God speaking through you to bring a person to place of conviction, or even faith... advance mission! (Luke 12:12)
The Spirit is a Spirit of Power. The miracle is God actually healing your body, healing your mind, healing emotions, saving you from power of a sin? (2 Timothy 1:7)
The Spirit is a Spirit of Life. There are two kinds of life in the Bible. There is life to the full (NOW) and eternal life (NOT YET). The Spirit gives both, so that its always true that life is ever-increasing and ever-lasting, not ever-diminishing. (Romans 8:2).
Congressman takes POPES water... we could have had living water if just ask (Jn 4:10)!