Part 5 of
10
Jesus
and the Father Are One - Within the Believer
Jesus said “I
am the way the truth and the life…” (John 14:6)
Jesus is “the
way” to what, or to whom? Jesus answers the question in the last
part of the same verse. “…no man cometh to the Father
but by me.” So, “the way” that we seek to understand is… Christ
as the way to union with God the Father.
John
14:6-9 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth,
and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. 7If
ye had known me, ye should have known my Father
also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.
8 Philip saith unto him, Lord,
shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. 9
Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet
hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the
Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? 10
Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the
Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself:
but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.
The Apostle
Paul writes the following to the Ephesian believers, describing the
relationship the Lord Jesus and the Father have with the believer. “…One
Lord (which is Jesus Christ)…One God and Father of all,
who is above all, and through all, and in you all.”
(Ephesians 4:5-6) Not only are Jesus and the Father
“One Lord and God,” but Paul says, they are one “in you all,” that
is within each and every believer.
Do not think
God is father to the lost just because of the words “Father of all”
appear in Ephesians 4:6. The word “all” is the Greek word “pas,”
which may mean, absolutely all or, all that
are of a class or category, depending upon the context.
In this case the context was that Paul was writing to a particular class of
people - the believers at
Ephesus
. Therefore, the “all” in his letter is only intended to apply to
the believers. Only believers are those who are
saved. “… believe on the Lord Jesus Christ ands though shalt
be saved…” (Act 16:31) Our “believing” is based upon our “faith.”
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and
that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9
Not of works, lest any man should boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
In
Philippians 2:9 we read; “(Jesus)…a name which is above every
names.” In Colossians 1:19 we read “For it pleased
the Father that in Him (Christ Jesus) should all fulness dwell.”
Therefore, each believer who has received Christ has received all that
there is of the supreme One Lord and God to dwell within them.
Shouldn’t
we believe what the Scripture tell us? “All fullness” in Christ
includes all of the Holy Spirit, all of the Father, and all of “the
Son.” Therefore, all of God dwells within the believer, as “Christ
in you” (
Col
1:27).
If, as we
have seen, the fullness of God dwells within every believer’s human spirit,
then why do so many Christians pray beggarly, asking for what they already
possess?
Why do some
Christians pray for “more of God,” or “more of the Spirit,” to be
“filled with more of the Spirit”? Some may say, then why does Paul write “be
filled with the Spirit” in Eph 5:18? Paul does not contradict himself.
Note that when Paul says “be filled with the Spirit” in Eph 5:18,
he is saying “be under the influence of the Sprit – not alcohol
spirits” Note the context; Paul prefaces “be filled with the
Spirit” with “And be not drunk with (under the
influence of) wine wherein is excess”.
I’ve often
heard Christians pray for such “things” as “peace” – yet,
Paul says the Christ who indwells them is “the Lord of peace,”
within there spirit already. Peace is not merchandise; peace is “Christ
in you.”
2
Thessalonians 3:16 Now the Lord of peace himself give you
peace always by all means. The Lord be (is) with you all.
If the Lord
is our peace and He never leaves us, then as believers we have peace resident
within us at all times – all we need to do is learn to trust Him who is
our peace. Since peace is from the presence of the Lord God who
indwells us in His fullness, then we have full peace within us. All we need to
do is permit or allow Him, as peace, to rule and guide our hearts…by
faith.
And
let the peace (soul harmony which comes) from Christ rule (act as umpire
continually) in your hearts [deciding and settling with finality all
questions that arise in your minds, in that peaceful state] to which as
[members of Christ’s] one body you were also called [to live]. And be
thankful (appreciative), [giving praise to God always]. Colossians 3:15
(AMP)
Many of the
Christians who know they are redeemed, still pray for patience, wisdom and
holiness, righteousness and sanctification – yet Paul says we already
have all these attributes are also “in Christ.”
“But
of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is
made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification,
and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1:30)
Having
such a resource as Christ’s limitless life within, why might a Christian
still fall short in their Christian living… missing out on the rest and
peace that is in Christ? Believers need to have understanding to see and believe
these truths of the blessings of God the Father’s love and His
full provision for all our needs by Christ in us. Philippians
4:19 But my God (as The Father) shall supply all your
need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
God our
Father is always at work by all means in our lives, including the trials of
life. Not only has the Father deposited the “Spirit of life in Christ
Jesus” into us as believers, but also He is working by the trials of our
life, that we might discover the sufficiency of Christ, and then trust Christ
within us to be our source for the rich supply of all the attributes of
Christ.
“[Not
in your own strength] for it is God Who is all the while effectually at
work in you [energizing and creating in you the power and
desire], both to will and to work for His good pleasure and
satisfaction and
delight.” (Philippians 2:13 (AMP)
“8We
are hedged in (pressed) on every side [troubled and oppressed in every way],
but not cramped or
crushed; we suffer embarrassments and
are perplexed and
unable to find a way out, but not driven to despair; 9
We are pursued (persecuted and hard driven), but not deserted [to
stand alone]; we are struck down to the ground, but never struck out and
destroyed” (2 Corinthians 4:8-9 (AMP)
Paul
here below offers us his own testimony regarding the sufferings that he and
Barnabas endured. Note that Paul then tells us why it is that the Father
allows such things as happened to them.
“For
we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us
(Paul and Barnabas) in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above
strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life: 9
But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, (so) that we
should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead” (2
Corinthians 1:8-9)
Ah, here we
have it. We suffer trials so “that we should not trust in ourselves,
but in God.” It is in this way of suffering that God the
Father does for us what we cannot do for ourselves.
Knowing
and trusting the Father’s faithfulness in His ongoing work, our hearts
should be filled with joyfulness and thanksgiving to God our Father, even as
we face the trials of life.
“For
all [these] things are [taking place] for your sake, so that the
more grace (divine favor and spiritual blessing) extends to more and more
people and
multiplies through the many, the more thanksgiving may increase [and
redound] to the glory of God.” (2 Corinthians 4:15
(AMP)
