The World Needs To See Jesus

"Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority." - John 14:8-10

So the disciples wanted Jesus to usher them into the presence of God the Father. They wanted to see God. Jesus response - If they had seen Him (and they obviously had) then they had seen the Father. That reminds me of John 17.

"My [Jesus] prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me." - John 17:20-23

So if you have seen Jesus then you have seen the Father. Likewise, if people have seen you then they should see Jesus and, in turn, they will see the Father. And then - the world will know that the Father sent the Son and, in turn, the Son has sent us. I suppose the question is - who do people see when they see you and me? I personally find that very convicting.

As I typed this out a painful memory came back to me. A negative example, if you will. When I was probably a freshman in high school, I had done something - don't know what - not even then - and my mom said to me - "Don't do that, you remind me of your father!" My folks were divorced when I was 2 years old. A strong message - don't act like your dad. At the time neither she nor I were Christians - but thank you Jesus, that all changed some years later. Do we remind people of the world or of heaven? The natural or the spiritual? Do our lives preach hopelessness or hopefulness?

I am not talking about putting on our spiritual game face. Giving the appearance of being a Christian. I am talking about being the fragrance of Christ in all that we do and say, all the time - everyday - under any provocation to act otherwise. 

"Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing." - 2 Corinthians 2:14-15

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory. 

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone