I hope you have been enjoying these posts of the topic of being God’s partner. It is my goal to show you the scriptures that demonstrate this concept. It is also my hope that you will see yourself as God sees you. I want you to be confident that God sees you as a worthy partner.
If you haven’t noticed, I love to ask questions. Two questions that used to puzzle me was: Why did God need a physical human body to save us? If God is God, meaning if He has all authority and power, why couldn’t He just declare freedom upon all humanity?
You would have to imagine that if God could have saved the world without having his perfect Son be tortured in a fallen world, he would have done it. It may be puzzling, however here are some scriptures from God’s perspective.
Hebrews 10:4-7 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins. Therefore, when He came into the world, He said:“Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, But a body You have prepared for Me. In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin. You had no pleasure. Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come— In the volume of the book it is written of Me—To do Your will, O God.’”
1 Peter 2:24 …who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.
After reading these passages, I was able to conclude that there was something significant to Jesus being born in a human body. This perfect body had the capacity to bear all of the sins of the world. Wow! Whereas, we may think very little of our human bodies, I shared in the last post that God considers our bodies a temple for the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). I hope it is apparent to you that God views our bodies with a higher value than we usually do. I must admit, that I am rarely conscious that my body is the temple for God. I’m working on being more aware of God’s presence within me. More importantly, as a partner with God, I’m beginning to see that possibly my body has a more significant role.
Now, I have another question. Have you ever thought that this world would be so much better if Jesus were still alive? Guess what? Jesus IS alive! I know what you are thinking “that isn’t what I meant. I wish Jesus was alive and back in his physical body walking on this earth now.” I understand that feeling. But Jesus says something very profound in John 16.
John 16:5-7 “But now I go away to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.
Jesus said it would be to our advantage if he goes away!! Those disciples experienced a lot of great things while Jesus was alive on this earth. However Jesus says that having the Holy Spirit with us at all times is better than having Jesus physically with us. Let’s go back to my last question: “Wouldn’t it be great if Jesus were still alive and walking on the earth?” The answer to that question is a resounding “But He is”!
How?
Colossians 1:26-27 …the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Ephesians 4:15-16 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
Do you see it! Jesus is living through us! We are his mouth, hands and feet in this world. Isn’t that amazing? The trinity is one. The “spirit of Christ” is the Holy Spirit living on the inside of you. Romans 8:9 says that Christ in YOU is the hope for the glory of God. God calls this a mystery hidden from the ages. No longer would there be one person with God’s Spirit inside all the time. Now, whoever believes in Jesus will have that same Spirit that Jesus had when he walked the earth. We shared that fact in my last post. Not only would the Holy Spirit be with you but will be IN you (John 14:17). The scriptures give a great picture of this. We are called the Body of Christ. Jesus is the head and we are his body.
Do you see the picture clearer now? Jesus comes to earth as a human. When he is 30 years old the Holy Spirit descends on him at his baptism. After Jesus gets tempted by the devil, he returns to Galilee in the power of the Holy Spirit (Luke 4:13-14). When we trust Jesus as our Savior, the Holy Spirit takes up residence in our bodies, just like Jesus. In the book of Acts 1:6-8, Jesus said that we should be baptized with the Holy Spirit and then we would “receive power, after the Holy Spirit comes upon us”. Do you see the pattern? Jesus believes that the key to success is the Holy Spirit within us. That was the key to Jesus’ success. Let’s see what Jesus did when He and the Holy Spirit joined forces.
Acts 10:38 …how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.
I hope you are getting really excited now. Do you remember in my last post when Jesus said that we would do greater works than himself in John 14:12? At this point, I can’t go any further. I must ask: DO YOU FEEL like a worthy partner for God? Jesus died and rose again by the power of the Holy Spirit and then that same spirit that raised Jesus from dead now lives in every believer. Our body is the Holy Spirit’s temple. The same power that Jesus had, we have and God NEEDS us to release it to a world oppressed by the devil! If we don’t, NOTHING will change!
I can hear the naysayers now. “What do you mean if we don’t nothing will happen? If God wants something to happen, He will do it himself!” Correct?!
From Genesis to Revelation, there is a pattern of God needing a human to partner with him to get what he wants done on the earth.
Yes, God will use great influence, but there are countless times where God’s will is plainly stated and humans beings have thwarted his will. The authority that is given to human beings who have an earthly body is a topic that is rarely taught.
I will give you one example for this post and then many others on our final post. This is a Bible story of a man named Saul who was religious Jewish Pharisee leader who was taking charge of the killing sprees of Christians. Here is Acts 9.
….Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one. Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and to him the Lord said in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” So the Lord said to him, “Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying. And in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he might receive his sight.”
Let’s pause right here. Jesus blinds Saul in a vision. In the four gospels, Jesus is famous for healing blind people. After his resurrection, Jesus declares that all authority has been given to him on heaven and in earth. And now, he can’t heal Saul himself? Let’s continue with our story.
Then Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.”
I love Ananias. He responded like I would have. I would have ensured that Jesus had been keeping up with current events. Saul…was a BAD man. He wasn’t sure if Jesus was talking about the correct Saul. Basically, he was afraid for his life.
But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.” And Ananias went his way and entered the house; he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized.
Ananias was Jesus’ mouth, hands and feet. The works that Jesus did Ananias did as well. Mark 16 says that those who believe in Jesus would lay hands on the sick, in his name, and they would recover. He believed what Jesus said, and the results were exactly the same as if Jesus were still alive and walking the earth.
I hope you all are encouraged and are looking forward to my next post. Not only will you see more examples from the New Testament. Guess what, this has been God’s pattern since the book of Genesis. Stay tuned!
my Father's crown 