Jesus said that it was not Him, but the Father in Him doing the works He did. Paul made a synonymous statement in Galatians, saying that it wasn't him who lived, but Jesus living through him.
We've not arrived at the place yet, where we have learned to live through Christ. We've been living for Christ, but not through Him. Paul said in Galatians that, "It's no longer I who live, but Christ that now lives in me." The is the thing now coming to be realized in the Church of the Lord Jesus that will truly manifest the true character of Christ in and through us.
We've been trying to manifest this nature and character in our lives for years. We've made valiant efforts, but always returned to laws and rules to modify our behavior. We always failed in our efforts because the nature and the character resides in our spirit and not in our flesh. We've tried making our body behave like it should through our own efforts instead of allowing the Spirit of God to rule from within us. This isn't from lack of trying on our part or from lack of devotion, but from a lack of understanding.
The supernatural presence of God resides in our spirit and not in our flesh. It doesn't matter how hard we try to keep our flesh in line (and we should). It can't be done by our own efforts. We can make it do or not do good things, but we can't make supernatural things happen by operating in the natural realm. We can only manifest His character by having His Spirit and presence in us. This is why 1Corinthians 13:3 KJV says, "And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned; and I have not charity, it profiteth me nothing."
Although feeding the poor and giving your body to be burned for Christ may be "good things," it's still not the character from within, but the works of the flesh (good works) of man, instead of the actual Love or nature of God from within. Even under the Law, men worked from their own efforts instead of from the spirit. They had no choice because the Holy Spirit and the new birth hadn't been given yet. We, however, aren't called to walk in Law, but by Spirit. We're not called to be bound by works of the flesh man, but directed by the Holy Spirit from within us.
It doesn't matter how noble our efforts seem, they are not enough without the Spirit within us. 1Corinthians 13:9-13 KJV says, "For now we know in part, and we prophesy in part, but when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away; When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things." Verses 12-13 go on, "For now we see through a glass darkly; but then shall I know even as also I am known. And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three, but the greatest of these is charity."
God Himself, Who is Love, must be the true source of what we do and who we are. Otherwise, it's still simply the works of the flesh (man's own idea and effort) and not God, Who is Love, working through us. Some of the meanest people I have ever encountered are Church people. This was true in Jesus' Own ministry when the "religious" people withstood Him even to the point of delivering Him up to death. This sort of religions isn't motivated by Love (God), but is what man thinks it should be.
The only way the world will see Jesus in the Church, is by our allowing Jesus to live and through us. It seems we're always in one ditch or the other. On one hand, we don't wish to seem judgmental and we allow sinful acts to occur without consequence or our saying a word. On the other hand, we've become so judgmental that nearly everything we do is considered wrong. Man's religious laws can never replace the Love of God within us.
When we try being charitable to others, we almost always fail in our efforts. It seems like we can't give to the poor without really then feel poor. We give at the expense of their dignity and self respect. Jesus, though, was always giving and serving the poor while maintaining their dignity. We seem to think our name should be on a plaque that shows how much we have given and done.
We pride ourselves in our giving and workings and don't credit Jesus for them. I understand where we are and how we got here, but we're still wrong. We're still living for Jesus and working for God when we're supposed to be living through Jesus and working by God.
Jesus said and did these things so simply that we missed what He'd done. And, we've concluded that He could do these things because He was Jesus. This made it easier for us to excuse our own lack of surrender to the Spirit.
If Jesus was the only One Who could do these things, then He had no right to make this statement in John 14:12 KJV, "Verily, Verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto My Father." Nor should He say in Mark 16:15-18 KJV, "And He (Jesus) said unto them, God ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not, shall be damned." Verses 17-18 go on, "And these signs shall follow them that believe, In My Name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them: they (those who believe in His Name) shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover."
The acts Jesus spoke of are the manifestation of the Father living through believers and living in us like He was in Jesus. None of these things can be done without allowing Him to live through us. Jesus said that, "It's the Father in Me Who doeth the works." John 6:63 KJV says, "It is the Spirit that quickeneth (makes alive); the flesh profiteth nothing; the words that I speak unto you, they are Spirit and they are life."
The character of Christ is the very nature and character of our heavenly Father. Only He, living through us, can manifest the true nature of love to the world. Jesus never had a youth group, a children's ministry or any of the things we think reveals His character to the world. We must learn to surrender to Him so that He is living through us.
This truth is for the whole Church and not just a few elite persons. It's a personal decision that every individual must make. Romans 10:1 KJV says, "I beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service."
We've always believed it necessary to "clean ourselves up" in order to present ourselves a living sacrifice to God. God took care of "cleaning us up" by the sacrifice of Jesus. Paul says to present ourselves a living sacrifice or give our body over to God to live through and make us acceptable to God. He already lives in you. What He wants is for us to present ourselves for Him to live through us.
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