THE EXPANSE OF GOD CONFINED TO A PERSON
Christine Wyrtzen
Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.
John 14:9
The concept is pretty unbelievable. How can you take a timeless, omnipotent, powerful, holy God and confine him to live through a human being? Such is the meaning of the incarnation.
God speaks and planets appear out of nowhere. God pushes galaxies around with the tip of His finger. He breathes over a dead Earth and everything brown turns to lush green. Such unfathomable power, isn’t it? Can this deity be born inside a virgin and emerge as not only the image of God, but God Himself? Jesus said 'yes' and this is what got Him crucified. He claimed to be God. Either He was telling the truth and is worthy of my worship or He’s a liar and should have died the death that He got. For much of the world to believe that He’s just a good teacher without choosing sides is a cop out. Christians are losing their lives because we proclaim that there is only one way to God and it is through Jesus. We are labeled narrow and exclusive. But every religion of the world is exclusive by the mere fact that they espouse beliefs and contain them within the confines of their label.
The expanse of God can live in a person. Only one person ~ and it was Jesus. God, in Christ, restrained His power with wisdom but when it was unleashed, the dead were raised, storms ceased, and the blind were made to see.
Can I even dare to believe that I have not only been made in God’s image, I am a container for the Spirit of God to live in. All that power, wisdom, peace, holiness….lives in my spirit. Can others see evidence of that? Is His glory visible? Am I bold enough, when prompted, to speak words of healing and truth and trust the power of God to work through me? Perhaps I am shy of it because I have forgotten that I can be possessed by a Spirit. Just as the demoniac was possessed by Satan, I am meant to be overtaken and ruled by the Spirit of God. When that happens, it will be quite evident that I am not my own. I'm under the influence. My works of faith will be both glorious and highly controversial.
Help me fully understand what Your incarnation means for me. It’s so loaded with implications and I know I haven’t begun to grasp it. Amen.
Originally published Friday, 04 January 2019.
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