What Do Others See?

Knowledge – it can be such a good thing. Yet, it has a down side. Knowledge that comes from self can get in the way of knowledge that comes from God. When Jesus was in His home town, He did not perform the miracles as He had in Capernaum – not because He couldn’t, but because the people had come to see the ‘show’, not to worship God. Their knowledge of Jesus growing up in the home of Mary and Joseph brought with it disbelief that He was indeed the Messiah. (Luke 4:14-30)

Some of us who grow up in the church struggle with knowledge about who Jesus is… not because we haven’t learned all about Him in years of Sunday School, but because we are so familiar with that ‘information’ that we fail to seek the ‘person’ of Jesus Christ. We become self-righteous because we know the right behaviors, but our hearts are not in love with Him.

Paul says in Romans 2:28-29, “A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man’s praise is not from men, but from God.” We could substitute ‘Christian’ or ‘church member’ for ‘Jew’ and then substitute ‘baptism’ or ‘confirmation’ for ‘circumcision’ and that would be a pretty good picture of who many of us are in the church. Paul says, “As it is written: ‘God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.’” Romans 2:24 We give God a ‘black eye’ when we call ourselves Christians, but we have no personal relationship with the Living Christ. We confuse others if we parade ourselves as Christians, but we are not disciples and servants of the Living Christ.

Today, God is reminding me that He desires close, intimate relationship with me – not just good behaviors or doing everything ‘right’! As He loves me, so He desires to love others through me – so that they will also desire a close, intimate relationship with Him.