From now on, then, we do not know anyone in a purely human way. Even if we have known Christ in a purely human way we no longer know Him like that. 2 Cor. 5:16
I am not a big Alan Jackson fan. I only buy his CD’s to help him out. The poor guy drives old cars and his house is a running joke around
If you are looking for God to step into this world in some dramatic way, you could be waiting awhile. Someone said the other day they would be satisfied with a “
As C.S. Lewis once said, thinking of Christ as a great teacher but only human is not an option for us. He either uniquely the Son of God -- as He claimed -- or He was a damned liar. Hebrews calls Jesus the exact expression of God’s nature and the radiance of God’s glory. We can understand why Paul would say he might once have thought of Christ as purely human but now no longer considers Him as such. Paul had seen the Risen Christ – Jesus glorified, His Majesty revealed.
Yet Paul knew Christ the way we must all know Him, by the Spirit.
All this is not what starts the thought, however. He begins by saying “we do not know anyone in a purely human way.” We are temples of the Holy Spirit. We can know others by the Spirit – as the Spirit enables us to discern truth. We can know another person in the Spirit – as our communication and interactions take place at a different level with understanding that transcend the words we speak. We can know God through another person -- and not always the ones we might expect.
Sometimes when another troubles us, we need to realize we do not war against flesh and blood but against spiritual wickedness and spirits of darkness. There are other spirits in the world than God’s. Some will suck the life right out of you if you are not on your guard. In spite of the pain and the danger, we need to remember that God allows evil to exist and turns it, ultimately, for His own purpose. Not all things are good, but all things work together for good, so says Romans 8:28.
When we find difficulties in our lives, we are encouraged to pray. Prayer brings us into the presence of God – reminds us that He is right here, right now. Sometimes the answer to prayer comes when we have a revelation of God in the problem. I don’t mean that a solution to the problem is suddenly revealed – though that happens. I mean God is revealed. We see Him in the midst of our troubles and trials. We see what He is doing in us and through us.
Seeing Jesus in a hillbilly is a real possibility.
2 comments:
Great post, Mushroom.
Would Jesus be a hillbilly? I don’t know the word as well as you. But I’m unlearning. I think I know it well enough though, and would agree with what you say about Jesus. For one, His spirit is in all, whether they like it or not :-) I don’t think He would care what his house looked like or even if it were “in order” at the moment…maybe only that He was careful to never stop “working on it.” Never lose faith that it will be repaired one day. Others see His otherwise “hopeless struggle” and are Inspired, turning their hopeless to “manageable for now”; which when I check my notes is still way better than hopeless.
“Sometimes the answer to prayer comes when we have a revelation of God in the problem. I don’t mean that a solution to the problem is suddenly revealed – though that happens. I mean God is revealed.”
Yes. Either God exists, or He doesn’t. When you begin with (or rather get back to) the fact (what you know) that “God exists”, then that is no small thing that prayer does. When you place your problem along side the Realization that God exists, and what all that means, the difference in scale can re-energize your spirit, and with it, your faith. Or you pray until it does. Set it straight again. Just knowing He exists may be enough from prayer. “Knowing” is an activity which can and should be practiced.
In a sense, the prayer (the act) itself helps the prayer (the person). Not so much wishing "for something” but to remember. Shouldn’t this be enough if all it does: “I remember You are here and always have and ever will be.”
Now, if this is Prayer 101, I don’t mind. It must continue to work on that level too. It being the foundation. And if so, don’t we need to remember all the other levels depend on at least this one?
I know you know all this, Mushroom, or in similar words. I was just working it out for myself (again) on your property. Hope you don’t mind :-)
Thanks
Thanks, Rick. Glad to see you out and about today.
Don't mind at all. That's why we're here.
In another Alan Jackson song, he says, "I'm a work in progress".
Prayer 101, indeed. Even the name of your blog indicates an understanding of prayer many never realize. Some folks don't shut up long enough to get an answer. You know the view often is that an "answer to prayer" is something -- the check arrives in the mail, the sick get well, or the river stops rising.
An answer may actually be, in some cases, a yes or no. Paul had a "thorn in the flesh" that he wanted rid of. He prayed three times to have it removed. God said, "No, My grace is sufficient for you. My strength is perfected in your weakness." God said no to Saint Paul, and Paul was a man of prayer enough to hear it, understand it, and accept it. The problem -- whatever it was -- enabled Paul because it forced him to be more dependent upon God.
The Apostle had a great work to do on earth but the Lord was also concerned with weaning Paul from his pride and perfecting him as a son in the Kingdom.
Prayer is an almost inexhaustible subject.
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