Words about the Word - Russell E. Scott - Church of Christ
THE ESSENCE OF CHRISTIANITY
Mankind (humanity) was made in the image of God (cf. Genesis 1:26, 27); but, because of sin, this became a broken and distorted image (Romans 3:23). Then Jesus came into the world. Jesus was “the image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15), the “exact representation of His nature” (Hebrews 1:3). Jesus came to show us the Father (John 1:18; 14:7-9). The essence of Christianity is returning to the likeness of God (2 Peter 1:3, 4).
IS GOD SHOWING THROUGH YOUR LIFE?
A little girl, on the way home from church, turned to her mother and said, “Mommy, the preacher’s sermon this morning confused me.” The mother said, “Oh! Why is that?” The girl replied, “Well, he said that God is bigger than we are. Is that true?” “Yes, that’s true,” the mother replied. “He also said that God lives within us. Is that true, too?” Again the mother replied, “Yes.” “Well,” said the girl. “If God is bigger than us and He lives in us, wouldn’t He show through?”
I like that little girl’s way of putting it. If God lives in us, then there’s no way of keeping Him from “showing through.” The essence of Christianity – the essence of Christian living – is living in such a way that others can see God living in us and through us. We are to become imitators of God (Ephesians 5:1).
IS CHRIST SHOWING THROUGH
YOUR LIFE?
The essence of Christianity – the essence of Christian living – is living in such a way that others can see Christ living in us and through us. We are to become imitators of Christ. Paul said, “Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1). We were predestined by God to become conformed to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29). We are to become transformed into the likeness and image of Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18).
We are even to smell like Him by becoming the aroma of Christ (2 Corinthians 2:14-16).
Can others recognize us as having been with Jesus? (cf. Acts 4:13). By our words and deeds (speech and actions), others will soon come to know if we have been with Jesus (cf. 1 Timothy 4:12).
Like the words of a familiar song: “Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me, all His wonderful passion and purity; may His Spirit divine all my being refine, let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me.”
The essence of Christianity – the essence of Christian living – is living in such a way that others can see God and Christ living in us and through us. It begins when one makes the decision to become a child of God by being born again spiritually (John 1:11-13; 3:1-8), and continues until Christ comes again (cf. 1 John 3:2).
Is God showing through? Can others recognize us as having been with Jesus?
