There are several facts that the ministry of Jesus has established and therefore our lives present evidence to the world of His truth. One of those facts has to do with the identity of those who have been born of the Spirit. The born again experience is the beginning of a spiritual journey on the path to understanding our new identity. While we are on our way to a full understanding we are still able to present evidence that may also help others to start or continue on their path.
Since Jesus is the Master copy of our identity it is a form of idol worship or pride to focus on any other person other that Jesus as a role model of our identity. Scripture does give us permission to imitate followers of Christ but in that we are still looking at how Christlikeness is being reflected in our brothers and sisters. A lot of people are on the journey to becoming like their earthly spiritual leaders and lot of leaders begin to enjoy the flattery and enter into pride.
Romans 8:11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
Our earthly body, after the spiritual awakening of the new birth, begins to experience the effects of life in this material world and becomes sensitive to the Presence of God’s Holy Spirit living within. Our response and cooperation with this new life inside our body is evidence that we present to others. The strengthening of our health and the immunity from sickness and the ability to demonstrate divine healing in the lives of those we come into contact with are some of the first pieces of evidence we present along our spiritual journey. Current religious interpretation of biblical scripture would move our focus on a future time when we will receive this divine health in our new body and overlook the potential of this earthly body to experience what happens once the Holy Spirit takes up residence.
Jesus presented some fantastic evidence of what our flesh and blood bodies can do when the Spirit of God tabernacles with us and our bodies become the house of God. We must not pass over the opportunities to present evidence of the Kingdom of God within by looking forward to a future and better day. Right now we Sons and Daughters of God must learn to use spiritual disciplines to deny the lust of our flesh so we can completely (spirit, soul, body) operate as we were designed by our creator.
Romans 8:18-19 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.
Romans 8:15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”
The world is a jury of our peers and they desperately need evidence to understand that they also can know Jesus the Master and live a life that worships God so they can love their neighbors. God calls and sends us into the world to demonstrate what we see our Friend and Master do. However a lot of today’s Christian religious interpretation tends to encourage us to use the tactics of the Old Testament and build walls of protection. From behind these walls we can pull others out of the world to safety so they can hide in fear of those without until Jesus returns so we are not left behind.
Another interpretation of spiritual reality is that we have been adopted by God and we can walk in the authority of Jesus presenting evidence and causing many people to also become disciples of Jesus. Becoming born again and then hiding out in fear of the evil in the world makes a waste of our Master’s ministry. Not only does Holy Spirit bear witness (Romans 8:16) of this interpretation but creation itself is waiting for us to understand our identity so we can exercise that authority and also free it from the bondage of sin. This will only happen when we begin to live in this earthly body like the heirs of God’s offspring that we truly are.
My friends I encourage you to consciously focus your attention on Jesus our Master and Lord that we may partake in His understanding of our relationship with our Father in heaven. If we do this we can imitate Jesus and effectively fulfill the calling and demonstrate what it means to be Christian. A lot of us will need to enter a process to humble ourselves, repent and let go of our personal will so the great I AM can have reign in this body thus bringing about God’s will on earth.
Once we are free from the use of earthly strategies we can begin to live a more spiritual life. This new life with God’s Spirit, which also quickened the dead body of Jesus, does not only restore our body but He grants us powers that can only be described as super-natural so we can help other see truth. This is the evidence that this world needs in order to cause it to look or relook at what God our Father is offering.
The only fear we should have is in a belief that says “God has left our temple, which is our body”. Biblical scripture clearly states that He will never leave or forsake us.
So we present this evidence, even while on our spiritual journey of becoming transformed. The Spirit of God is willing to tabernacle (take up residence inside) with all men and women thus making each a true body of Christ. We are new creatures, God in man, man in God. This is the way Adam was created and lived before he experienced separation, and this is the way Jesus (the second Adam) has come and restored to us.
We must receive and take up the call and allow God to present evidence through us to everyone we meet. Freely His Spirit was given to us and freely we must give His Spirit to others making them disciples to all nations. This demonstration of our love for our Father is our reasonable service of worship, and it is evidence that we have become new creatures and disciples of Jesus.
Romans 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Romans 8:38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
EVidence LOCKER 