Who I Am in Christ?- How God sees His people Pt. 3
In this series, we are exploring Who I Am in Christ- viewing ourselves as God does! First, we explored having a right relationship with God as He has written in the Bible. Link to Part 1 Second, we renewed our view of ourselves by seeing how God views us as his people. Link to Part 2 And Third, we will explore how a God view of us affects how we relate to and commune with others. I will be using Romans 12 as my base but will explore more verses as well. This was laid on my heart this last year as we studied this in BSF.
Well, here we are after being renewed in our view of our relationship with God, then begin to see others as God sees us his people we are going to explore how this change in view then changes how we commune with others. Communing with others is such a vital part to God's view of his church connecting to Him and His people connecting to ourselves.
Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But to each one of us, grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. Ephesians 4:3-7
I have grown up hearing we are God's Church not the building, activities planned, or anything else but us. I believe that this is true but have found more truth about this from Romans. Paul calls for the "church" to be united by the Spirit in the bond of peace. We are one body. This body is one not many churches making up many bodies but ONE body united together Christ being the head. We are the parts that work together, or not, to bring Gods will to fruition. One Spirit, The one who draws us to God. Not this idea of a "spirit" of fake unity that we all are one since we are human but the One true Holy Spirit who is from God who is sent to comfort, pray with us, and draws us to God! One Lord, the only one true God our father, Jesus His son, and the Holy Spirit. One Faith, one belief, and hope, without seeing, that the Word Of God is true and that God sent His son, Jesus, fully human fully divine, to this earth to show us and lead us to God. Then sent to the cross to atone for our sins, appeasing the wrath of God for our faults, and bridge the divide between us and God to fulfill God's will to have a close connection with His people. One baptism, the point that you believe in God calling on Him to come and remain in you and you in Him. God saving us baptizing us into his work and will for our lives.
These truths are what bind us together as the church. To those who do not believe this is limiting, but to those who believe this is freedom. Freedom to be transformed into God's view and love for others. He created us, our freedom is being transformed into all God has for his creation.
God's view of his children is not a denomination or church single bodies but as a whole throughout the world. The ones who call on Him to be saved and return to the true path that God has defined for HIS people to follow. Paul reminds us that these are the most important similarities that God sees his people through. The lens of ONE. The many people make up ONE. My mind and heart has been changed and renewed to remind myself that this world is not my home but my home is in God and future heaven he has for us. Our doctrine is set in this world to guide us but our hearts need to hear directly from the source, GOD, and His Words, in order to follow His will for his people. We allow rules and man's limited thinking to divide the ONE body into so many parts instead of seeing our community and church Body in the light of God- ONE body, ONE Spirit, ONE Lord, ONE Faith, ONE baptism. Any more definition than that and you have reached beyond God's view of us. It seems so difficult to define but If we take time to renew our minds and hearts to commune with the one true God we will begin to see how simple it is to connect to the One body of believers and work side by side using our talents given us in perfect unity and harmony. For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. Romans 12:4-5
Just as we are called to be ONE we are called to be restored, encourage and be of ONE mind living in peace. After we transform our minds to see our through God's lens, we will then be able to use our gifts to build each other up and live in peace with God and the others in the body. In our society now we are so bent on tearing others down if they don't do this or that.... But we are called to restore each other be the difference the ones who build up encourage and be like-minded, in God, living in peace even when the world is falling around us. Restoration takes a transformation of our minds and hearts, forgiveness, and looking through God's lenses so we can become the true creation he created.
Lord, In this life I am in a constant journey of transformation that needs you. I try to do things on my own, but clearly I need you. I need your lens to see others like you do so I can be love to those who need you! May my heart become sensitive to your calling for me that I can be the vessel you created! Forgive me for slipping back into living for the world instead of living not of the world but in it. Help me to continually see you in clarity and see others as you would! In the wonderful name of Jesus, Amen
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