And the Word
became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the
only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14 NKJV
And
the Word became flesh and dwelt among us; remarkable words. The living Word of
God put on the same flesh we wear and walked among man – and man didn’t
recognize him. The preceding verses tell us: He was in the world, and the world was made
through Him, and the world did not know Him. He
came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to
become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor
of the will of man, but of God.
So should we wrestle with whether or not people see
Jesus in us? As it was so beautifully pointed out to us in church this morning,
we are the flesh Jesus wears now. He is the Word that comes alive in us when we
submit to Him. But apparently, no matter how Christ-like we become, there will
still be people who refuse to acknowledge Him in their midst.
When
asked to prove God’s existence, which has always baffled me, I have to admit
that I don’t have the proof they need. Proof is only proof when it’s the proof
we’re looking for. Jesus dealt with the same unbelief in the days when He
walked the earth. Show us a sign, the crowds demanded of Him. There He was,
God Himself, in the flesh, walking their streets, living among them; the signs
and wonders He presented to them would have brought Sodom and Gomorrah to their
knees in repentance, but the hardness of the hearts that beheld His
skin-clothed face demanded even more evidence.
In
scripture, Jesus asks His disciples who they believe Him to be. The only right
answer was revealed through God the Father, not through man.
He [Jesus]
said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Simon
Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus
answered and said to him, “Blessed are
you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in
heaven. Matthew 16:15-17 NKJV
Renew
your mind through God’s Word (Romans 12:2) – and leave the rest to Him.
Amen! Beautifully said!
ReplyDeleteNot everyone is looking for proof, many are looking for ways to disprove your proof.
ReplyDeleteIt is so unfortunate because they are missing the blessings of being His child.
"Proof is only proof when it’s the proof we’re looking for." That is so true. I never thought of it that way. Maybe we should be asking people what proof they require, then praying that the Lord provides that specific thing to them.
ReplyDeleteI think a lot of unbelievers want that Damascus road experience like Saul; expecting God to literally knock them off their feet and speak to them in an audible voice from heaven. But then, they might claim they must have been hallucinating. Personally, Kathryn, I pray, "Whatever it takes, Lord."
ReplyDeleteWhen proof is all around you and you refuse to see it, only God knows what it's going to take to get your attention. And He will provide it!
Thus, by faith we pray for our loved ones.