Making Visible The Invisible
God is invisible. He is Spirit. He became visible in Jesus so that we would be able to know Him. In Colossians 1:15, it says, “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.” He came to reveal the Father to mankind. His incarnation, crucifixion and resurrection made it possible to receive the forgiveness of sins and by receiving Jesus into our lives, our spirit is born again. Thus, we have been granted fellowship with God as a son.
The invisible God is now resident in our lives. His “nearness” is that He is in us. Paul says, this is a mystery, “which is Christ in you, the hope of glory,” (Col. 1:27). What is the purpose of having Christ, or rather, the Spirit of the Lord in us? Is it to just get a ticket to Heaven? Is it to get some spiritual “goose-bumps” along the way? Or is there some other reason?
God desires us to know Him so He sent us His son take on the form of man, (in other words, to have a human body). And He comes into our lives, (body), so that we might make Him known to others. Through every word we speak, every attitude, action or expression we might have is to manifest the nature and very image of God. His Words become our words, His thoughts our thoughts, His ways our ways. If we take on His name, we are to take on His nature.
To have a relationship with God is not to have Him in some hidden, small part of our life. He must be all-consuming, (in every area of our life), to be all-powerful, (life-transforming). Anything less, is a dead religion.
A friend of mine told a story of a young man that went camping in the mountains of the State of Montana. He was warned of bear in the area, but he responded arrogantly, saying that he had his “sword”, (the Bible), with him. Weeks passed and this young man did not return. A search party was organized and when they found his camp, all that was left of him was pieces of his pants with his Bible in the pocket.
You may claim to have Jesus in your life, but how much of you does Jesus have? It is not the Bible you walk around with, but the life you live that is read by others. Make the invisible visible, today.
Scriptures to meditate on:
Col. 1:15-29; I Tim. 1:15-17; I Peter 3:15; II Cor. 10:3-5