Jesus Christ came to do what no human being can do: he came to redeem men, to alter their disposition, to plant in them the Holy Spirit, to make them new creatures. Christianity is not the obliteration of the old, but the transfiguration of the old. Jesus Christ did not come to teach men to be holy, he came to make men holy. His teaching has no meaning for us unless we enter into his life by means of his death. The cross is the great central point.
~Oswald Chambers (1874-1917)
If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. You know Him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Yet a little while and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you also will live. In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in Me, and I in you.
~ Jesus, The Spirit of whom, Living within us, in John 14
Oh beloved, it is true. We are not alone. Not ever again.
We are now, right now, closer to Jesus than the disciples were themselves when they reclined with Him at a meal in the evening. We are more intimate with our Beloved than the disciple Jesus loved – and who laid his head on the chest of his Master.
He is present within in us. This is simply true. And those who have accepted Him as their only possible Savior are saved by Him and indwelt by Him.
It does seem apparent though, that the Person of Christ can be present in a man, yet not overflowing out of him. We are often-commanded to be filled with His Spirit, and yet this command seems to be mostly ignored by most of us who claim to believe in Him.
This Great Lover of our souls is a gentle lover indeed, and will not force Himself on any person. The only path to being completely filled by Him is to yield to His Love for us and allow Him to fill us. The reality of this yielding is shown in but a faint (albeit beautiful) shadow of bride joyously receiving her groom at the consummation of their betrothal. However, a shadow matrimony most surely is. For though there is a partial entry of one partner into another, these moments are temporary – and the deeper oneness of even deeply devoted couples only touches the intertwining of spirits that occurs between G_d and a man in Love with each other.
We are not just not alone. We are one with Jesus. We are united with Him in such a profound way as to actually be His body here on this plane. We have not become only simple conduits, or channels of Him to the world (though we are surely that). We have literally become HIS hands and feet to the people who desperately need to see Him and His Love for them.
So, yeah, we have the incredible privilege of a profoundly pure and intimate and powerful relationship with Him. However, the purpose of our comfort is really not only about us and our comfort. We have been so profoundly comforted that we would be able to bring this same Comfort to others.
Can we see it? We are not just one with Him. We are becoming like Him. We are becoming people who exist for, and are obsessed with, doing the will of the Father. We learn to not even speak but for the prompting of His Spirit within us. We learn to wait in a resting-but-ready state to joyfully move to do only His will as it He reveals it in our lives.
Jesus said that we would do works greater than He Himself did, and it is His ever-growing body which is now able to span the globe and bring His Love to billions over two thousand years – instead of tens of thousands around the beautiful shores of the Sea of Galilee over three. This is very good news.
There is, however, this one issue. Will we yield to His Love? Will we lay our heads back like a bride on her wedding night and allow Him to ravish our souls? Can this fool of a writer say one thing in the first person? i let Him, and He changed absolutely, positively, completely everything in my walk with Him. His Presence burst upon the landscape of my body, soul and spirit – and nothing has been the same since. He has completely renewed my mind, refreshed my aging body, and ignited a fire in my spirit that simply will not go out.
Are you interested? Allow Him access to the inner chamber of who you are dear friend. He is a gentle Lover, but He will not leave you unchanged. Nor, will you ever wish it any other way again.
Oh beloved. Let Him.
