Today we continue our series, “As Jesus Is”, under the banner of the overall series for the year, “Supernatural Manifestation.” We have been looking at 1 John 4:16,17 for months. Recently I added Colossians 1 to it. Let’s get back to both passages today.
The Apostle John said:
And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
(1 John 4:16, 17 KJV)
The Apostle Paul said:
“I am happy in my sufferings for you. There is much that Christ must still suffer. And I gladly accept my part of those sufferings in my body for the good of his body, the church. I became a servant of the church because God gave me a special work to do. This work helps you. My work is to tell the complete message of God. This message is the secret truth that was hidden since the beginning of time. It was hidden from everyone for ages, but now it has been made known to God’s holy people. God decided to let his people know just how rich and glorious that truth is. That secret truth, which is for all people, is that Christ lives in you, his people. He is our hope for glory.”
(Colossians 1:24-27 Easy To Read Version)
Today I will focus in on this statement: “This message is the secret truth that was hidden since the beginning of time. It was hidden from everyone for ages, but now it has been made known to God’s holy people.” The secret truth Paul is referring to is the fact that God came to live INSIDE of us. This morning I will take you back to Genesis and provide you a quick overview of what Jesus did for us.
So what does this mean to you today? A few things.
- In Genesis 1 God made it clear that we were created in His image and likeness (v.26) and that we were created to rule and oversee this planet (v.28).
- In Genesis 2 God formed Adam from the dust of the ground and breathed into His nostrils the breath of life (v.7). God literally put Himself inside of man. The Holy Spirit was living inside of Adam. The Holy Spirit was Adam’s connection to God. Adam had a body, but he did not communicate with God through his body. Adam’s body was his connection to this world. With his body he interacted with this world through his senses. But with the Holy Spirit, Adam interacted with God directly, spirit-to-spirit. This world is sensual, God’s realm is spiritual. Like Adam, every Born-Again believer has a body, to communicate with the sense-realm, and God’s Spirit, to communicate with the spirit-realm.
- God told Adam that if he ever ate of the fruit of knowledge of good and evil, he would die. Adam ate, and he died. He did not die physically (that would happen later). He died spiritually. The Holy Spirit was removed from Adam, and as a result, because of the transgression of ONE MAN, every human after Adam was born without the Holy Spirit. We were created in God’s image. We were created to have God INSIDE of us. But because of ONE MAN, Adam, we lost God’s abiding and indwelling presence. Now every human is born with a void that many try to fill with sex, drugs, alcohol, money, work, and etc., but the void can only be truly fulfilled by the agent that created the void in the first place; the Holy Spirit. The void can only be filled when God Himself takes up residence INSIDE of you. This is the secret Paul was talking about.
- Under the Old Covenant, the Holy Spirit lived in the Temple, above the Ark of the Covenant. The High Priest was the only person authorized to visit the presence of God. One person, once a year, had the right to visit was Adam had living on the INSIDE of him 24×7. But under the New Covenant, there is no need to visit any place. We are the Temple of God, and the Spirit of God lives IN US! (1 Cor 3:16, 6:19 and 2 Cor 6:16).
- Read Romans 5 when you have the time. In this chapter Paul contrasts Adam and Jesus. Adam got us into a mess and Jesus came to get us out of it. Paul said, “For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign as kings in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!” (v.17).
- Jesus redeemed us, NOT back to Abraham, but all the way back to Adam! Jesus redeemed us to the life we were supposed to live. Jesus redeemed us to the place where God lives IN us. Jesus redeemed us to the place where we can live as kings in life, in this world, by the grace of God. Jesus redeemed us to Kingdom dominion, power and authority. Not because we are so good, but because He has chosen to live IN us!
- Paul told us of a mystery that was hidden and it was time for it to be revealed. Here is the mystery, here is the secret: “Christ lives in you, his people. He is our hope for glory.” You get to live “As Jesus is, in this world”, because Jesus lives in you!
Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. I am walking in a greater level of victory, because I am receiving a greater level of revelation. This has nothing to do with what I do or fail to do. The revelation I am getting is of what You have already done. I now understand that I am, because You are! I am all Jesus is. Jesus lives IN me and He is my hope for glory. So as I enter this day, and this week, I boldly declare: “As Jesus is, so am I, in this world!” I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
