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Galatians 1:15-1613 For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it. 14 I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers. 15 But when God, (everyone say, “But when God”) who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace, was pleased 16 to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, my immediate response was not to consult any human being.

The Apostle Paul said God was pleased to reveal His Son in Paul.  Wow. I want God to reveal His Son in me! Yes, God gave Christ to save us from our sin, and yes, He wants to come into our hearts and remove our sinful nature from us, but I also believe He wants to do more than work in us; He wants to also work through us.  God wants to do more than just give us life.  He wants to live the life of Christ through our lives.

Paul said there was a pre-Jesus lifestyle and a post-Jesus way of life that he lived, and the post-Jesus way of life involved the Son of God being revealed in Paul’s life to the people around him.  When people saw Paul, they saw Jesus.  Jesus was revealed to them through Paul’s way of life.  My friends, that is God’s desire for the church.  It is His desire for us.  How is God’s Son revealed in us?  How can we live so that people can see Him? I want to suggest three ways.Christ can be revealed in us when we:

  1. Declare the name of Jesus.
  2. Do the works of Jesus.
  3. Display the power of God.

Declare the Name of Jesus. There are a lot of critically important things being discussed these days.  We do not lack for conversation content, but one subject that ought to be first on the lips of a believer is Jesus Christ, crucified, risen, and coming again.  People need to know there is an answer to life’s problems.  They need to hear that there is a Friend who sticks closer than a brother.  They need to be informed that there is a Guide who will navigate them through life’s challenges and light their path, and boy, do they sure need to understand that there is a Way out of here and into a life of peace, joy and love for all eternity.  His name is Jesus.  How will people see Him revealed in our lives if we never talk about Him?  It is in that name that demons tremble and flee (Luke 10:17).  It is in the name of Jesus that supernatural healing is available (Acts 4:10).  Our souls are saved, remade and inhabited by calling upon the name of Jesus (Acts 4:12).

Have any of your friends, family or co-workers heard you declare the name of Jesus recently?  I personally don’t want to talk more about my problems or pains than I talk about Jesus.  I’m not talking about using Jesus’ name as some kind of good luck charm.  I’m talking about inviting Him, through the power of His name, to speak through your life and to demonstrate to others who is in charge.

Second, for Christ to be revealed through our lives, we need to Do the Works of Jesus.

What were the works of Jesus?  Number one, Jesus was a teacher of truth.  He went from place to place, often right into the synagogue, which was the center of Jewish life, in order to explain the truth to people.  Don’t miss that the synagogue was not only the religious center, but it was the social center in that day as well.  It was where the people gathered to talk.  Jesus took truth there!

Social media is definitely the social center of today’s culture. People are gathering every day online.  Bible verses are good.  Memes with Scripture on them are good, and in addition to those efforts, we need to be expounding on what those verses mean in order to help people see how their lives can be transformed by living according to the Word of God.  We are often too quick to get mad, annoyed, and frustrated with people for believing craziness and behaving immorally when the reality is, they haven’t been taught the truth.  It takes patience to teach the truth.  It calls for repetition and consistency which can be energy-draining.  You might feel like you sound like a broken record, but over time, people will be transformed by the truth if you will share it.

Second, Jesus was a friend of sinners.  (Luke 7:34 and Matthew 11:19) He hung out with the poor and oppressed.  He surrounded Himself with needy people.  He was definitely intentional with His reach, with various expressions of kindness, healing and compassion to those who were down and out.  He even invited Himself to their houses. Choosing to be friends with people who have significant needs, with people who will look to you to help supply their needs, can be taxing. You may not be able to supply what they need or make an impact on their current situation, but remember, we can pray for God to supply their needs, and we can ask for the endurance and wisdom we need to walk with people as we help them find the Prince of Peace, the Provider for their needs, the Protector of their futures.

Of course, the works of Jesus involved miracles like dramatic healings.  I definitely believe that walking after Jesus means seeking to impact people’s lives to the same degree He did.  Sometimes that will happen in the form of physical healing.  Sometimes it can result when people are led to forgive others or themselves and when they can experience an emotional healing, that they desperately need.  Other times it is spiritual healing that anchors their life, changing it in a dramatic way. 

I personally don’t believe that the days of Divine miracles are over.  I have had the privilege of praying for people, sometimes by myself and sometimes as part of a large group of people who were all praying for the same thing, and at times, Jesus saw fit to bring the healing.  There have been other people I have prayed for who didn’t receive a physical healing, but they were given miraculous help, help for which there is no explanation other than God hears the prayers of His children.  I do know this; We will never go wrong when we speak healing over people or pray for their healing because doing so demonstrates faith in the God who can heal.  He will not leave us hanging.  He will do SOMETHING in response to our prayers.  It may not be what we ask for, but He will be involved in ways that leave His fingerprints behind.

After we declare the name of Jesus and do the works of Jesus, we need to display the power of God.

What I am referring to is allowing God to be at work in us, especially when we have to endure something painful or hard, because Christ’s power is at work in our lives, we move through those challenges with our peace intact, our praise unbroken and with a clear testimony as we suffer.  You see, where the rubber meets the road, where people will have the best opportunity to see Jesus in our lives is in the moments when we are being tested and tried.  When we are weak, when we are scared, when we are persecuted, when life is hard—those are the moments where when we are truly following Jesus and leaning on Him for wisdom and strength, people will see Christ’s power at work in us.  Paul tells us in II Corinthians 12 that there is a grace-gift, a power that rests on us when we are weak.  It is called sufficient grace, and it is a power that can be seen in and through our challenges.  When we lean on the Lord by faith in times of trouble, people can clearly see the difference that walking with Jesus makes.

Paul talked about all of the hardships he faced.  Life was never easy for Paul as a Christ-follower. II Corinthians 4:7-10 described Paul’s life this way: But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from usWe are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10 We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 

Paul struggled every day. He didn’t struggle to follow Jesus.  Paul struggled because he was following Jesus.  He dealt with physical persecution, spent time in jail, was attacked as he moved about, but he said it was all good because the life of Jesus was being revealed in his body. Paul was glad that Christ was seen in his suffering.  It made him glad.  It was worth whatever Paul had to face if Jesus was being revealed, if Jesus was on display in his life. 

As we declare the name of Jesus, as we seek to do the works He did, may we empty ourselves and be filled to the measure of the fullness of Christ so that the full power of Christ in us collides with every person we meet whether we are moving through an easy or difficult time in our lives. 

I have been a Christian for 45 years and have found the contentment and satisfaction that comes from having Christ in me, but I can tell you that there is another level of satisfaction and thrill you can experience when Christ in you becomes Christ through you.  When you see people making the connection, when you help people find new life, when God’s power begins to flow through you to bring restoration and wellness to other people, there is nothing better.  Don’t just be satisfied with Christ in you, take the steps to allow Him to live His life through yours.

James 5:14-16 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint
John 8:1-11 1Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.2 At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the
Jesus prayed a lot. Prayer was routine for Jesus. Luke 5:16 says, “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.”