God Is With Us

For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily"  (Col. 2:9, NKJV).



His name is Jesus (meaning "this Lord is salvation"), but He is "God with us" ("Immanuel") in the flesh or incarnated.  The full nature of God is manifest in Christ (cf. Col. 2:9) and God is personified for us to see, all we need to know is in Him and what we can know.  The whole revelation of God, as He is to be known and worshiped, is in Christ Jesus--to see Him is to see the Father and to accept and worship Him is to do so with the Father. Jesus left us, but not as orphans, the Holy Spirit was given as a Comforter and Paraclete to guide and enlighten us.



We are actually better off with the Holy Spirit within us than when Jesus walked the earth as the God-man among us.  We have both the whole counsel of God and the inward witness of the Spirit to be our inner comfort and witness.  Christianity is about Christ and to remove Him is to disembowel it and neutralize its teachings and reality.  You can remove Muhammad from Islam or Buddha from Buddhism and the religions stay intact, but not so with our faith: it is about Jesus beginning and ending, all else is circumference--every other issue is peripheral.  We could not know what God was like except for the incarnation, and our access to Him would be limited without His intercession and meditating on our behalf. 



We need to know what God is like to know how to live and Jesus is the express image of God with skin on for us.  Of men inspired by God or inhabited by God, there have been many, men called by God and lead by God numerous, men of God and godly men countless, but Jesus stands out unequaled and unsurpassed as the God-man, unlike any of His predecessors and disciples--you simply cannot improve on Him.  He is not a lord nor a god, but the Lord and God personified--the Word become flesh, and the Word is God.



According to Francis Schaeffer, Christianity is about "the God who is there."  Sometimes we may wonder where God is, but He is right here as close as His name, and we might wonder and realize He was there all the time.  Surely, He was there and we knew it not--that is the commentary on some people's spiritual life. For wherever two or three are gathered in His name, there He is!   As the title implies, Immanuel, Christians have the Holy Spirit and God with them wherever they go never forsaking us (cf. Matt. 28:20).



We must endeavor to attempt great things for God and expect even greater blessings in return because we can be assured that God is with us and will guide us all the way.  When God is in something, it will succeed.  There is a story of Saint Theresa, who said she desired to erect a convent, and when asked of here resources, said she had twelve pence.  They told her that even Saint Theresa couldn't do much with only that; she replied that God and Saint Theresa could do anything.  We can see that the only important thing is whether God is in it or not; we don't bring our plans to God for approval, but find His will and do it and He will provide the resources.  If we are led to do something from the Spirit, God will provide.



Jesus became what we are and what He was not, but continued to be what He was--He never gave up His divine nature, but became man as the God-man.  He is not a deified man nor a humanized God, nor a man with divine attributes, nor a God that acts or appears as a man.  He is not a God in human disguise either, but fully man and fully God, perfect man, perfect God--two natures united mysteriously into one nature forever.  He feels our pain because He Himself experienced the worst man could dish out Himself.  Could you identify with a God who knew no pain nor had any first-hand experience as a man in our world?  Not only can we relate to Him, but He identifies with us and is in a position to make intercession for us.  God is with us when we need Him most, and whatever happens, we will not be overwhelmed because of His presence through the Spirit abiding in u



We must be careful not to limit Him nor put Him in a box:  He was a great teacher; He was a divine Healer; He was a miracle worker; He was a great leader, etc.  You cannot speak of Him in comparative nor superlative terms, such as saying He is Jesus the Great, or even the greatest leader, teacher, model, nor influence man has ever seen or for that matter, it diminishes Him by saying these things, for He cannot be compared but must be contrasted, the fullness of the Godhead dwelling in His nature for our benefit so we can know God personally and have a relationship with one that identifies with us on our level and we can resonate with Him, which is mutual.  He feels our pain!  Pronouncing Him in human terminology such as Jesus the Great doesn't do Him justice and no man can be what He was nor step into His shoes and do what He did (a regular man could do what Muhammad did, but no man can do what Christ did!).



Jesus took on the infirmities of man in the weakness of the flesh to identify with us and dwell in our midst.  He always was, is, and will be the Lord of all and couldn't be our Savior, if not God with us!  He emptied Himself of the independent usage of His divine attributes and obeyed the Father's will and didn't act independently on His own--for He could do nothing of Himself.  The wonderful thing is that we can taste and see the Lord is good and find it out for ourselves and experience His presence in the same Spirit that His disciples did, opening our eyes to spiritual truth and showing us the way.  In the final analysis, Jesus will not barter away His nature nor cease being God with us in the flesh!     Soli Deo Gloria!

Jesus Emptied Himself

He became what He was not; He continued to be what He was."--Athanasius, the father of orthodoxy

"But he emptied himself by taking the form of a slave and by becoming like human beings. When he found himself in the form of a human, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross" (Phil. 2:7-8, CEB).

"I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me" (John 6:38, NIV).

"I have ... [completed] the work you gave me to do" (John 17:4, NIV).

"The Son can do nothing by himself" (John 5:19, NIV).

"My food is to do the will of him who sent me,"  (John 4:34, NIV).

"... whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say" (John 12:50, NIV).

"Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself" (Phil. 2:5, MSG).


NB: In God's economy, the way to be filled is to be emptied and we must empty ourselves of all our love for self or empty ourselves of all which contradicts God. Putting God first is the only place to put God. He will not accept second place or play second-fiddle.


Paul talks about the kenosis or emptying, of Himself concerning Christ in Philippians 2. The definition of the doctrine of kenosis is that Christ voluntarily laid aside His glory, restrained His power; accepted hardship and human limitations, and confined Himself in His human nature to the limits of space, time, and knowledge of man's experience. He never gave up any part of His divine nature, but became subordinate to the Father's will, not doing anything He didn't see the Father doing or even saying anything the Father didn't tell Him to say. Note that subordination doesn't mean or imply inferiority, but only a sphere of authority and domain of responsibility. 

He voluntarily gave up on the independent use of His divine privileges and powers to live as a man in all his weaknesses. He wanted to be able to identify fully with the human predicament and condition, in order to intercede for us on a sympathetic basis, knowing the pain and suffering first hand. Likewise, we can resonate with Him. In plainspoken language, Jesus became the subordinate One to save those who were insubordinate!

He spared Himself no problems common to man! He was truly acquainted with suffering and grief on our behalf in order to be a faithful high priest, savior, and king for us--that we can relate to and can be identified with. Everything about Him was a story of and typical of humiliation because He left His throne in heaven to humble Himself all the way to the cross in obedience to the Father's interposed will. In so doing He represented us and the Father was able to accept His obedience vicariously for us so that we could be justified by an act of imputation. Yes, Christ didn't just die for us but lived the perfect, moral, and spiritual life on our behalf too (that is why He told John the Baptist that they "must fulfill all righteousness").

He came to die, the only man who ever lived, whose mission it was to simply to die and lay down his life. From the very get-go, He was a man on a mission par excellence and set His sights on Calvary. He asks us to carry our cross and follow Him, but our crosses pale in comparison to His and He asks us to do nothing He didn't do, and He spared Himself no level of suffering--at least He was honest enough to warn us and tell us to count the cost of discipleship, for He exempted Himself no pain. In sum, we must acknowledge Him as the living, victorious Lord of Life and Victor over Satan, sin, and death, our enemies--He is Lord of all or not at all!


But Christ's life is more than an example for to follow as the so-called guide to life or humanity, or some good life to mimic: He was born under the Mosaic Law and lived subordinate to it in perfect obedience on our behalf--so that His perfect righteousness could be imputed to our account. He must be seen not simply as a martyr for a good cause (for He laid down His life willingly), but as a victory over death and the only way to conquer it. Indeed, His cruel death was not the end of Him! The Pharisees' worst nightmare came true: He rose from the dead and transformed the lives of the witnesses and disciples who saw Him. 

Benjamin Franklin wrote in his Autobiography that "we should imitate Jesus and Socrates," but there is no comparison between the two; Jesus is in a moral category by Himself and we don't compare Him, but contrast Him--we don't speak in terms of comparatives or superlatives either. Calling Him the best man who ever lived, or the best teacher, best example, or example of mankind doesn't do Him justice--we don't say Jesus the Great either because this is an insult to His glory and puts Him on the level of other so-called great men of history. What Alexander the Great did was a mere human achievement, but what Jesus did was divine! Pascal said that what Muhammad did any man can do, but no man can do what Christ did.

Jesus had very humble beginnings, not born as one would think of a conventional king, and died in conditions of what has been termed as "ignominious." Crucifixion was repugnant! Everyone can relate to Christ on some level, not just kings and princes, but the common man in his predicament and forlorn situation. For instance, Muslims cannot conceive of a God or Savior being "defeated" by man and dying on a cross in humiliation. They see the cross as an ignominious death too low for God. But this is God's way of defeating Satan: let the devil think he won and do all the evil he can, and turn it into good or a victory despite his attempts. God indeed does turn evil into good by overruling it by Providence. Like Psalm 76:10 says, God "makes the wrath of man to praise Him."

Jesus never gave up His divine attributes, but only their independent use or for His own advantage. While on earth in His subordination, He obeyed the Father and did His will perfectly: "Although he was a Son, he learned obedience by what he suffered" (Heb. 5:8, NIV). You can see every one of His attributes played out and at work in the gospels, but nowhere did He seek to display them for personal gain or to subvert the Father's will. His subordination was completely voluntary a and His subsequent glorification and exaltation was well-deserved due to His work as our Savior. You might think it's strange to show your love by dying for someone, but this was the only way to save us and Jesus said that to lay down your life for a friend is the sign of no greater love--He gave it all, the ultimate sacrifice!

In application, we ought to have the same mindset as Christ ourselves, who didn't grasp the concept of equality with God, but humbled himself--let this mind be also in us, because in God's economy, the way up is down, emptying comes before filling, and humility before honor; he who humbles himself in God's eyes will be exalted! Having the attitude of John the Baptist, who proclaimed in John 3:30, ESV: "He must increase, but I must decrease." We must empty ourselves or forget about ourselves to serve others, not being full of ourselves in the process! We ought not to think of ourselves more highly than we ought (cf. Rom. 12:3), but to regard others in honor, giving preference to them (cf. Rom. 12:10). Soli Deo Gloria!

The Antiestablishment Christ

"Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities [powers that be in KJV], for there is no authority except that which God has established" (Rom. 13:1, NIV).
"What can the righteous do, when the foundations are destroyed?" (cf. Psalm 11:3).
"All that is necessary fo revil to triumph is for good men to do nothing ." Edmund Burke

People are against the establishment and even resent authority and authority figures for that matter, especially the government, but note that all authority is ordained by God and we ought to obey except when in conflict with Scripture. Government is not a necessary evil, according to Augustine, but necessary because of evil. There are even people who are against the church as part of the establishment but for Jesus and don't see any contradiction. Jesus, according to Humanist historian Will Durant, was the greatest revolutionist in history. Jesus was antiestablishment par excellence!

The church is not an institution or an organization, but an organism--a living relationship and fellowship of believers on a mission. There is a difference between establishment and institution that we should beware of. You don't have to be for the establishment, or the system, to be in favor of the institution of government per se, or its branches.

The establishment may include a police force that profiles illegally, for instance, and you are against it. This is why we protest to show our disdain for the status quo and don't have to accept injustice and inequity. Jesus did a lot to overthrow the establishment of the Pharisees and Sadducees but posed no viable, practical threat to Caesar. He was a threat to the Pharisees' turf and influence. You could say He upset the religious apple cart! Jesus was a controversialist and wasn't afraid to take a stand for what was right and to condemn the hypocrisy of the religious leaders.

It is not good to be a troublemaker; Paul had this reputation as "ringleader" of the Way, and also Elijah, who was "the one who troubled Israel". But heresies must come to show who is approved and this does not give us free rein to be divisive, contentious, argumentative, nor judgmental--instead, we are to be peacemakers, sometimes standing in the gap and reconciling opponents.

Note that God has ordained and established the institutions of family, church, and government and we ought to be in submission to them as appropriate (cf. Rom. 13:1). We can be against a certain leader and still be for the institution for which he stands, i.e,. respect for the office, not the officeholder. We are not to ever become revolutionaries to overthrow the government for Christ, so as to usher in the kingdom, but that doesn't mean we cannot be reformers and heroes of our cause. We have no social commission as a church to "reclaim America for Christ." We must stand up for our faith and not only declare our Christian colors but fly them proudly and individually be social activists of our faith. We must not lose by default! And we must maintain law and order in society and faith in the institutions or the powers that be, for if the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do? (cf. Psalm 11:3).

The rule of law was first expounded by Rev. Samuel Rutherford in his book, Lex Rex, or "the law is king." We believe in the rule of law, not men! It upset the whole royal landscape. We are not to be a nation of men ruling but laws ruling. No one being above the law and equally subject to it ("equal justice under the law"). Any form of the perversion or miscarriage of justice or its corruption is forbidden by God. It seems sometimes like what James Russell Lowell said, "Truth forever on the scaffold, wrong forever on the throne."

Christians have no right to wreak havoc on the social order or to support an uprising or revolution, even if they disagree with the "system." We must limit the powers of government leaders as Lord Acton warned: "Power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely." If we disagree, we not only have the right to protest in civil disobedience but the mandate as long as it is concordant with God's will and Word.

This is supposedly a constitutional republic and that means it abides by the rule of law and no one is above it. It's been the tradition that the law is king, not the king and even the king must obey and submit to it. We are a nation of laws, not of men, which would give us a highly whimsical and capricious government.

You don't have to agree with the system to be for the preservation of our institutions. Christians have no right to wreak havoc on the social order and to create or fuel chaos or anarchy, on the other hand, we are salt and light and to be of positive influence. Christians should care a lot more about preserving our institutions than getting their agenda accomplished, no matter how noble in intent (results and unwanted repercussions matter too). We must beware of authoritarianism from any party, which can devolve when the checks and balances of the branches of government are dysfunctional or special interests control.

Augustine said, "An unjust law is no law!"  It's our right to protest or to do civil disobedience when the government demands unjust or immoral laws be obeyed--we must obey God and not man in these cases. But we are to be model citizens otherwise and not a liability to our nation's success and prosperity. Soli Deo Gloria!

The Doctrine Of Christ

"Know ye that the LORD, he is God..." (cf. Psalm 100:3).

JESUS IS LORD! "That rock was Christ..." (cf. 1 Cor. 10:4).

"In him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily" (cf. Col. 2:9).

"It is right for me to feel this way about all of you since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel..." (Phil. 1:7, NIV).

"He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it." (Tit. 1:9, NIV).

"You, however, must teach what is appropriate to sound doctrine" (Tit. 2:1, NIV).

"Christianity is Christ; all else is circumference." --John Stott, theologian


Christianity is all about Jesus--all else is peripheral or circumference, as John Stott says. If you remove Christ, the faith is disemboweled--unlike Islam or Buddhism, in which the founders can be removed and the religion remains intact. Without Christ, there's nothing left but ethics and pie-in-the-sky dreams. 2 John v. 9 says that if we "do not continue [abide] in the doctrine of Christ" we "do not have the Father"; this is to say that we must get the doctrine of the deity of Christ correct to be named by His name of Christian--Jesus said that Him being the Son of God is the Rock of the church to Peter. Paul knew of early heresy when he wrote Corinthians in 2 Cor. 11:4 that they had fallen for "another gospel, another Spirit, another Jesus!" They're not worthy of the Name!

The cults (and they all have something nice to say of Jesus) masquerade their faith as false teachers or wolves in sheep's clothing to sound innocuous to the innocent and naive, but they are dangerous--it's just the bit of truth mixed with an error that makes them dangerous. People get enough of Christ to become immune to the real thing! Jesus never made it easy to become a believer or disciple, but discouraged the halfhearted and insincere, not seeking shallow conversions or pseudo-conversions without any substance. We all must count the cost and be willing to carry our crosses for His sake.

This is why cults (or fringe movements which are really sects, not denominations) are so dangerous to Christianity--they parade themselves as genuine Christians and have a knowledge falsely so-called to fool the naive and unsuspecting students of the Word. They are simply very aggressive and the believer may be fooled because he doesn't have the answers to their challenges. Just because they name the name of Jesus, don't be fooled, because inwardly they are ravenous wolves ready to devour the sheep. The Bible warns us not to flirt with the enemy nor to welcome the false teacher who creeps in unawares or we share in his evil deeds--they are to be shunned or avoided, not fellowshipped with!

We must fight fire with fire and know how to meet them with the ammo of the Word or not try to convert them at all--they are already convinced of their heresy and may not welcome truth nor recognize it. The Bible clearly teaches Jesus as the very incarnation and personification of God in the flesh--not sent from God, a prophet of God, a mere king, the messenger of God, spokesman or surrogate of God, part of God, only a God, inspired or anointed by God, but God Himself, co-equal, co-eternal, and co-existent in essence and glory with the eternal Father--anything less is simply heresy!

CAVEAT: THE PERSONAGE PORTRAYED BY THE CULTS FALLS SHORT OF THE REAL JESUS, GOD THE SON, SECOND PERSON OF THE TRIUNE GODHEAD.

To assign Jesus to a label of some well-intended, but failed and misunderstood religious reformer or martyr, do-gooder, healer, miracle worker, good teacher, or anything less than the Son of God in all its glory and essence is blasphemous and belittles Him--even to call Him the greatest of all men or our best example of morals is an insult to His person in all its dignity glory, and majesty. For to claim He was a good man or teacher would belie the claims He made and make Him out to be more a devil and deceiver than a good man--any like claim doesn't do Him justice and is merely condescending nonsense.

Finally, we must realize they are seldom convinced by argument and we must rely on the power of the Spirit's witness and the testimony and conviction of the Word of God (cf. 1 Thess. 1:5; 2:13; Romans 10:17) as we abide in the doctrine of Christ (cf. 2 John 9). Soli Deo Gloria!

Who Indwells The Christian?

Most Christians will testify that the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, and hence the third person of the triune God does indeed indwell us. But do you realize that Christ himself has taken up residence if indeed you are born again? Rev. 3:20 which pictures Christ knocking at the door of our heart is a case in point where Jesus seeks to live in our heart and not just in our head as head-knowledge. Paul says in Gal. 2:20, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me...." We should come to the realization that not only is Christ God Almighty but that He takes up residence within us.



You may say that the word for "in" is to be used figuratively and not literally (Scripture warns against quarreling about words in 1 Tim. 6:4 and 2 Tim. 2:14), but Scripture after Scripture verifies this doctrine, and the clarity of Scripture forces us to take the obvious meaning, rather than argue over the meaning of words, "which only ruins the hearers." Col. 1:27 says that the mystery is "Christ in you, the hope of glory." Col. 3:11 says, "...but Christ is all and in all." Rom. 8:10 says, "But if Christ is in you...." Eph. 3:17 says, "So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith." Gal. 4:19 says, "My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you...." This concept is not taught from this vantage point, simply because most Christians never actualize the role of Christ in their lives. When others see Christ in you, you will know what I mean.



The union with Christ is called the mystical union, or the unio mystica in Latin. If you want to believe that this is only in theory or figurative, I won't call you a heretic; I'll just think that you don't quite get it--Jesus wants to be real to you! In a sense you are denying the Trinity unwittingly, because Jesus, being God, is omnipresent and by definition, there is no conflict with Him living in our hearts (Eph. 3:17 says, "that He may dwell in our hearts by faith")--or do you deny that possibility, thinking that Christ is limited to a physical body in Heaven?




Though Christ became a man He is still, and always was and will be God. (The finite cannot contain the infinite.) "Jesus Christ, the same, yesterday, today and forever." During his earthly humiliation He merely gave up the privileges of Deity and His independent usage of His attributes; He never gave up any of His divine attributes--He is no less God than the Father or the Holy Spirit. And so, Jesus is physically in Heaven seated at the right hand of the Majesty on High, but in spirit, He is omnipresent--just like the Father. Jesus is here in a special way when two or more gather in His name or when we share the Lord's Table as He promised--this is another proof of His omnipresence (N.B. though Christ is in a body, He is not limited by it in His Deity).




The Monophysite heresy said that Christ was either a humanized god or a deified man, but not perfect man--perfect God or the infinite God-Man, as is taught in Scripture. The Chalcedonian definition of Christ was that He had two natures in one person which was neither mixed, confused, separated, or divided. He is vere homo, vere Deus, or truly man, truly God, joined together in a hypostatic union, beyond our comprehension (referred to as the unio mysticall).  'We are not to confuse the nature nor divide the person!  



Martin Luther was attacked for his belief of what became known as "ubiquity." His view was that Christ was physically present in the communion elements, which lead to the doctrines of transubstantiation and consubstantiation. These were wrong views of His omnipresence and I will not fault Luther for not being right on everything--he was human.




Let's not forget the Father, who also takes up residence spiritually. Eph. 4:6 says, "one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all." Yes, the entire Godhead indwells the believer! (1 John 4:15 says, "Whosoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.) A pertinent exhortation is John 15:5 as follows: "Abide in Me and I in you...."This doctrine is the test that Paul used in 2 Cor. 13:5 which says, "Examine yourselves, whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves.    Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you? Unless indeed you fail the test."  We are also exhorted to test ourselves at the Lord's Supper in 1 Cor. 11:28.




In summary, we should be as confident as Martin Luther that Christ lives in us. Billy Graham tells of how Martin Luther overcame the devil: "When the devil comes to the door, Jesus answers it, and when he asks for me, Jesus says, 'Martin doesn't live here anymore--I do!'"   Soli Deo Gloria!

Jesus Freaks And Holy Rollers

It is an honor to suffer shame for the name of Christ-like it says in Hos. 9:7 when the inspired man is called demented, (not to be an offensive Christian though) and to be his ambassador proclaiming the good news; but holy rollers think they are "holier than thou" and refrain from so-called secular activity or worldly things, such as going to the movies or theater, watching TV, going to sports events or even concerts. The Amish tend to have this type of religiosity and think they are better by virtue of their separatist-type living and peculiar way of life-an insult to progress and technology.



My pastor seems to be proud to advertise himself as a Jesus freak, but he is an avid hockey fan and is not a holy roller also. These are not mutually exclusive terms and one can be both. Isaiah chapter 65 condemns those who think they are "holier than thou." 1 Pet. 1:16 says that because God is holy, we are holy ("You shall be holy, for I am holy," 1 Pet. 1:16) Because we are in Christ and have imputed or transferred holiness, which means consecration or being set apart for a use--otherness or "apartness." The only holiness we have is Christ's--not our own.

For instance, some believe in shotgun evangelism, in that you should tell literally everyone about Jesus, (which I call promiscuous and indiscriminate witnessing or canvassing) regardless of whether you have earned the right and have a testimony, and whether God has opened the door or not. The person who engages in this type of spreading the Word hasn't learned how God opens doors and even closes them. This apparently does more harm than good and puts a bad name of Christianity, because Jesus was not a freak or oddball, but a well-balanced and adjusted personality to be worshiped and adored. If these unbelievers actually met Christ they could find no fault in him just like Pilate didn't. I think this does more harm than good and is a waste of time--we are just being a stumbling block to the unsaved and not being productive.




You earn the right to speak up for Christ and don't ever be ashamed of your witness and testimony on Christ's behalf. Talk to God about the person before talking to the person about God! I believe the Great Commission was given to the church and not to individual believers who are to be witnesses (and we are, either good ones or bad ones). We should be in a church that is fulfilling the Great Commission and not just making converts but making disciples, teaching them to observe all that Jesus taught. But note well that follow-up is absolutely imperative!   Soli Deo Gloria!

Jesus Freak Or Flakey Brother

"Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach ... Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil" (1 Tim. 3:2,7, ESV, emphasis added with italics).

"How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger who brings good news, the good news of peace and salvation..." (Isaiah 52:7, NLT).

"The best measure of a spiritual life," says Oswald Chambers, "is not the ecstasies, but the obedience." [Don't go by feelings, they are as variable as a weather vane in a whirlwind!]




By way of definition, I define a Jesus freak as one who has sold out lock, stock, and barrel and serves God with reckless abandon, loving God with his full heart, mind, and will.

Being a so-called "Jesus freak" (note that respectable people are usually not freaks by definition), and it isn't something you advertise, by wearing attire to that effect (don't tell me or announce it, show me and prove it--don't toot your own horn or brag, let another do it for you!): it's something you demonstrate by your daily witness and share with your testimony.

Jesus didn't go around advertising or promoting the fact that He was the Son of God or even Son of David (a Messianic reference), but He didn't deny it either. Nicodemus, for example, recognized that God was with Him! The prophet Daniel had the reputation of great integrity and piety in his faith, but he neither flaunted it nor privatized it. We are never called to show off our faith or to look for trouble, but to look for open doors and in the process never to privatize our faith or hide it from the public either. There comes a time to make a stand for Jesus and show our Christian colors, and there are times to keep it to yourself. According to Isaiah 52:7 (quoted above), even the feet are welcome of those who preach the gospel, and the key is that we are not to be offensive Christians, but only to bear the offense of the cross itself! I'm afraid they have a "zeal for God, but not according to knowledge" (cf. Romans 10:2).

If you are really a Jesus freak, you shouldn't have to tell someone, they should be able to discern it by your life's witness, whether you're a hypocrite or not. It's not a good idea to put Christian lapels on and try to make airs that you're one of the few real Christians who aren't ashamed of Christ. We must be sensitive to the One who opens doors no one can shut, and not strive to force them open by ourselves. We don't shove our religion down people's throats or push our faith on others, whether they are willing to accept it or not. The divine order is to pray to God about a person's salvation, before talking to that person and salvation about God!


Christians aren't called to be "freaks" in the common meaning of the term, but to have a sound mind and witness, and life that cannot be reprimanded or frowned upon. One example I should bring up: Putting Christian-promoting bumper stickers on your vehicle, when you have bad driving habits, bringing disrepute to Christ's name, which is really taking His name in vain. Now, all I'm saying is that we don't just tell our neighbor we're "Jesus freaks," but we become "Jesus freaks." How would it sound if you went around saying, "Hi! I'm a genius!"

Real Jesus freaks don't need to advertise--it's plain to be seen--there's evidence! I hope by "freak" one doesn't mean eccentric or oddball, as this is never a good testimony (even though John the Baptist was), but just a fully-devoted, Spirit-filled follower of Christ! If we really are, God will open the door and the Holy Spirit will anoint you, and it won't be you speaking, but God in you. I've seen people trying to promote Christianity and have a glum or sullen countenance, and this is a poor advertisement for Christ and does more harm than good. "For the joy of the LORD is your strength" (cf. Neh. 8:10).

Scripture admonishes us not to practice our piety before men, to be seen by them and this means to let God open the door and trust Him for the opportunities and He'll make you a fisher of men! There are certain "sound barriers" in witnessing, and we must be sensitive to the Holy Spirit's leading, and be filled with the Spirit (an example is the first mention of God, sin, salvation, faith, Christ, and finally the plan of salvation and the invitation as barriers to be broken down). Witnessing is to be natural, and not forced unto people when they're unwilling to hear the good news.

God absolutely must prepare a person's heart for the gospel to have any effect and it is only by His wooing that someone will come to Christ, not our persuasiveness or cleverness or gimmicks. In short, we must earn the right to witness and it must not belie our testimony and conversation in life or lifestyle--though there are exceptions to the rule, which only proves there is one.

In the strict sense of the word, all believers are freaks and this is not our home--our citizenship is in heaven (cf. Phil. 3:20)--for we are in the world, but not of it (cf. John 15:19). The spiritual man is appraised by no natural man: "The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man's judgment" (1 Cor. 2:15, NIV). The world is bound to even hate us (John 15:18, ESV, says, "If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you."). The world will reject you: "In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted" (2 Tim. 3:12, NIV).

However, as we willingly and openly confess Christ, we don't wear our religion on our sleeves and display a sort of offensive religiosity or superstition--we aren't Jesus freaks by virtue of claiming to be one, we must walk the walk as well--and the world's observing!

Soli Deo Gloria!

The Unconventional Jesus

Jesus was not consumer-driven or market-oriented, but marched to the beat of a different drummer than the crowds, not keeping pace with His companions and set apart from His enemies and accusers--i.e., the Pharisees who saw Him as a threat to their job security and domain of authority and as the up and coming challenger to the status quo who could really upset the applecart. Jesus didn't claim to know the truth, to tell the truth, or to teach about truth in theory, but to be the very personification of truth itself. The focal point of His ministry always put truth first and with no compromise. Indeed, Jesus did change the course of history (as secular historians will acknowledge) and turned the world upside down. He paid no attention to public opinion or what you would say the polls today, or He only followed the Father's will and agenda to do the work given Him.

Because of this, we must accept Jesus for who He is or we are rejecting Him and compromising His person. The culture in His day was religious and even pagan or to some degree still barbarian! The people expected a liberator and warrior to set them free from Rome but got a pacifist and one who taught about freedom from sin and another "kingdom, not of this world." He defied all human convention in His ministry, picking disciples who were ordinary men and concentrating on these men rather than go for numbers and be concerned about popularity--He changed the course of history with a band of twelve men! He chose to ignore public opinion and to preach the truth! He wasn't afraid of the authorities and the religious establishment and to call them hypocrites. Jesus saw His mission as from above and not of this world, with eternal consequences and results. He wasn't focused on the immediate and short term as much as the long-term effects of His agenda and ministry.

What shocked the authorities so much as how he knocked them out of the comfort zones and never played it safe with His preaching, but spoke like no man had ever done--not by authority, but with authority. He wasn't afraid to rock the boat and upset the religious applecart! Christ never foot-noted His sermons, claiming the authority of the respected rabbis or Pharisees, but claimed His own authority and pronouncement as God's Word. Other religious leaders have played themselves down and were self-effacing, but Jesus made Himself the focal point of His ministry, being self-promoting and self-advancing, making Himself the central issue, and the great question of the day: Basically, the question, "Who am I?" People don't tend to remember Him for His deeds, words, or ministry, but His identity as the Son of God--who He clearly claimed to be.

His credentials were unequaled and unmatched; His claims unheard of and unparalleled; His character and conduct perfectly blameless and unprecedented and very unique and consistent with His claims and credentials; and His effect on history undeniable and permanent, not to mention irreversible and into every manner of discipline. He will never be excelled, equaled, or surpassed in any way--He is unlike any predecessor and no disciple has matched His holiness and perfect nature, and no one can accuse Him of sin but only sense their own unworthiness and sinfulness in view His perfect holiness and balance of character--He cannot be pegged or put into a box; no one can label Him, describe Him, or define Him, but only know Him.

Jesus was a threat to the Pharisees' turf and upset their religious applecart. In fact, Jesus was antiestablishmentarian and fought the system, bucking the traditions of the elders and Pharisees, which knocked them out of the comfort zone and on the defensive, but they could not trap Him in His words or find fault with Him. The only charge that stuck was political, that He claimed to be the king of the Jews; however, He won over all those who dream of changing the system and becoming anti-establishment.

The biggest challenge to the traditions of the Pharisees which had made void the Word of God was His definition of sin. The traditions had externalized the Law of Moses and only made men clean in appearance and on the outside, but Jesus internalized the Law and made sins a matter of the heart and something from within--a matter of the condition of the heart of man. The Pharisees despised Him as the so-called friend of sinners and thought He was contaminated and a Sabbath-breaker--their fetish or favorite command. The Pharisees were attentive to minor points of the Law but missed the larger ones of justice, mercy, and faithfulness--Jesus saw through their duplicity and veneer.

As far as being considered clean by the traditions, for example, He was Mr. Unclean! But what really got the Pharisees angry and out to kill Him was their jaundiced eye and naked jealousy of His popularity with the common people who heard Him gladly. He made them all feel condemned by His His standards of conduct--He hated duplicity but no sin was found in Him, and the closer one got to Him the more sin one became conscious of.

Jesus had a plan and an agenda--He was par excellence a man on a mission--and what the public thought didn't faze Him nor concern Him---He took no cues from the so-called polls of the day. We would do well to follow His example and not pay attention to public pressure and be concerned with the truth. It has been said wisely that He demanded the highest ethical standard, but is also the highest inspiration and motivation to do it. In sum, we must also put our faith in God's plan that defies human reason and convention and realize that God's will is not to be thwarted or frustrated and He has no other plans--there's no Plan B--He completes it with or without our cooperation and help! Soli Deo Gloria!
9

Jesus Our Exemplar

Jesus is the man on a mission, extraordinaire, and no one is in a league with Him in doing the Father's will during their lifetime.  According to any secular standards, Jesus influenced history more than any mortal and is the person behind Western civilization, par excellence. No one gave Him authority, yet He commanded it and spoke with authority, not by authority, such as no man ever spoke--He would say, "You have it heard it said, but I say unto you...."  Without writing a book He inspired and set more pens into motion, granting more themes, without learning or schooling, led to the rise of more universities and scholarly writing, yet speaking with such eloquence, and without soldiers or money, conquered more hearts.



In sum, He taught us more in every field of scholarship more than anyone else in history. He was His own authority and never footnoted His sermons or quoted the authorities, His formula was simply, "It is written."   Millions would die for this itinerant preacher today, who only led a tight-knit band of twelve and an outer band of seventy during his tenure on earth, yet He is the model preacher and best teacher who ever lived bar none. Who was the greatest leader in history? The greatest example of morals?  The greatest leader?  Who did the most good for mankind?  No matter what aspect you're examining, Jesus is the model or icon to emulate.



Even though He only recruited the Twelve, it was enough because He so profoundly influenced them and they were the ones that could do the job (note that Judas was replaced after the resurrection by Matthias and then by Paul).  Jesus never was a number cruncher, always concerned about the quality not the quantity of His loyal band.  If He were asked why He didn't reach out more and have an alternate plan, should the apostles fail, He only would say, "I have no other plan."  Jesus invariably showed us what can be done with a preacher who preaches what he practices and practices what he preaches without duplicity and with candor.

Jesus' methodology or M.O. was unique in that he did miracles as signs to accompany a point in preaching or teaching He was doing.  I'll give you a for instance:  To illustrate Himself as the Bread of Life, he fed the multitude; as Life itself, He rose the dead.  He never did miracles on-demand or for show--never doing the so-called biggie miracle that the Pharisees demanded the ultimate proof. He never did miracles for personal gain, prestige, profit, or to attract attention for Himself.  It's true that miracles didn't hurt the draw, and also they are conducive to people making up their minds about Him; nevertheless, He didn't rely on His supernatural powers to prove Himself--His appeal was to hearts and He came to heal sinners and the sick, who needed a physician, and didn't want would-be disciples who didn't count the cost and weren't fully devoted.



The problem with miracles is that they don't automatically bring faith--sometimes they bring skepticism, and usually, they just bring the desire for more miracles!  Miracles don't produce faith, but faith produces miracles, and Jesus knew this!  Jesus certainly wasn't going to force Himself on anyone but wanted to reach the hearts of the people through His message.  His impact was such that He profoundly influenced everyone that came into contact with Him--there was no middle ground, neutral territory, or fence to stand on.



Jesus' life shows what can be done with little when God is in it:  Saint Theresa said she wanted to erect a convent and all she had as resources were twelve pence; her followers said that even Saint Theresa couldn't do much with twelve pence; she replied that Saint Theresa and God could do anything! When we look at the miracles of the feeding of the multitudes, we see that we do the addition and God does the multiplication, and smallness is no obstacle with God.  Nothing is small or big to God and what He is after is our faithfulness, not our success, which is up to Him in whatever way He sees fit to measure it by--not in the eyes of the world, though.   We are not to compare ourselves with others and wonder or judge, but faithfully do what God has called us to with His blessing.



In conclusion, we see the Jesus model, as the success of a ministry, not in its size or extent of outreach, but the quality of impact it has and the discipleship it does; the job of the church isn't merely evangelizing but teaching and raising up disciples who can do likewise with others as the whole church works in unison and corporately to accomplish the Great Commission as its goal. Jesus wasn't looking for admirers or halfhearted followers, but those who would sell out lock, stock, and barrel-like the original apostles did after the resurrection, willing to die for Him and carry the message to the ends of the earth, forsaking all for the kingdom.  True success is faithfully following the Jesus model and trusting Him for the results and appraisal of our work done in faith.  Soli Deo Gloria!

Knowing Jesus

"I desired ... the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings" (Hosea 6:6).
"[Jesus] will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus" (2 Thessalonians 1:7).
"Now that you know God, or rather are known by God" (Gal. 4:9).
"Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? unless indeed you fail to meet the test!" (2 Cor. 13:5, ESV).

(Note: If anyone says he knows God and doesn't obey Him, he is a liar, according to Jesus).


More important than understanding who Jesus is theologically speaking, is to know Him personally as salvation, and the utmost value is in finding Him. The result: Do you love Jesus? The ultimate question: Who is He to you? In summation, let's realize that to know Him is to love Him!

It is one thing to be content to just be theologically sound concerning Jesus, and quite another to know Him intimately and personally in a living relationship that grows, and doesn't stagnate or static. You can be saved knowing remarkably little doctrine; God is looking at the heart and faith of the individual in Him and not in himself--we are God-confident, not self-confident, relying on our acumen or cognition or intellectual prowess.

Extremely naive and simple-minded people can be saved, and those of great education can miss it entirely--miss the boat! Christianity is not about a creed, but about knowing a person--how we are getting along--relationships are of utmost value. Job 22:21 says, "Acquaint now yourself with Him and be at peace." We must be willing to agree with God and see things His way, and not be stubborn and insisting on our way.

Faith is very simple: Even a child can have it, but it is not simplistic--it is childlike (you must approach God in this way), but it is not childish (God wants us to grow up and become mature). Subsequent to learning enough doctrine to become a renowned theologian we may lack people skills and not know our Lord hardly at all. For example, John Bunyan didn't know very much compared to the likes of John Calvin, but he knew his Lord. It is so much more important to apply what we know and realize that we will not be judged by what we know, but what we sow.

We are called to be lights in the world and that means we are ambassadors who represent our Lord in an evil world. The world sees the gospel according to you--what your lifestyle and story testify of. A man of simple faith who just knows Jesus is God and his Savior may utter simple prayers and have a constant dialogue with their Lord, while the scholar doesn't apply what he knows and just likes to be right or smarter than others.

Jesus said that eternal life is to "know Him" in John 17:3 and Jeremiah said in Jeremiah 9:24 that if we are to "boast" we should do so about knowing the Lord! J. I. Packer alleges that we can know a great deal "about God" and not much "of God." He concludes that a little knowledge of God is worth more than a great deal about Him--touche! This only happens through a living faith and a vital relationship in a daily walk. A word to the wise: God is pleased with faith more than feelings or emotions, and tests our faith. We must learn to cultivate intimacy and get to know our Lord, basically through knowing others who know Him, the Scriptures, and ongoing prayer.

You can even know a lot "about" Christ, and not know Him as a living God, Savior, and Lord. We are to "grow in the grace and knowledge" of Him according to 2 Peter 3:18, and as we do good works we do also "grow in our knowledge" of Him according to Colossians 1:10. Doctrine can be "interesting" but some people are so assured of their relationship and know it must be put in its place--application is what it's about and the Bible was not written to increase our knowledge, but to change our lives. Jesus came to save us, not educate or teach us, though He did that too. In the final analysis, it is not that we know Him, but He knows us (Gal. 4:9) that is significant.

What Jesus is really looking for is someone after His own heart who wholeheartedly follows Him and is yielded to His will (2 Chron. 16:9). Theologians have their place, but this is not for everyone and we shouldn't expect everyone to have the same "interest" in the so-called deeper truths of the Word. It is a good idea to keep our faith as simple as possible and not to have such a heavy yoke to bear, expecting everyone to be at our mental capacity--remember, the "common people heard Him gladly."

Immature believers balk at learning doctrine and we must remember that "solid food is for the mature" who have learned to distinguish good and evil (cf. Hebrews 5:14). We must know where our listeners are and not go over their heads, meeting their needs where appropriate, as Jesus told Peter to feed the lambs. Sometimes it is tempting to "wow" the congregants with our scholarship, but this is ill-advised and we need to not depend on impressive words, but to rely on the power of the Spirit.

The more you know, the more responsible you are. God expects us to be initiators, comforters, instigators, teachers, peacemakers, mediators, good Samaritans, friends, counselors, advocates, cheerleaders, role models, prophets, priests, intercessors, encouragers, brothers, etc., (you get the idea--little Christs making use of their spiritual gift--that is what Christian means literally). You learn to take on the role and challenge of being Jesus to someone who needs you like John Wesley who vowed to be Jesus to everyone: "Do the most good, to all the people you can, all the time you can, every way you can, in as many places as you can, as long as you can, et cetera." He also said, "Earn all you can, save all you can, and give away all you can." What standards to live by!

The pastor has a role to fulfill to preach as if the oracles of God on His behalf and God speaking through him as His messenger; his voice and message may arouse some sleeping soul out of his dogmatic slumber, and save some who hear the Word through him. Paul said that they received him as Jesus Himself and we should be glad when people see Jesus in us (according to the verse "Christ in you, the hope of glory," in Col. 1:27).

But Paul couldn't wait to see "Christ formed" in them. The only Jesus some people will see is the one you show them and the one in you--what kind of example are you? We are not Jesus and cannot become Jesus, but we are His emissaries and icons who bear His image and represent Him and His authority. We cannot bail out theologically or ignore sound doctrine, and people don't care how much you know until they find out how much you care (to use a common cliche). Soli Deo Gloria!