Expression part 2
Jesus said, "...he that hath seen me that seen the Father..." (John 14:9). That was one of the biggest parts of His earth-walk ministry. He didn't come to change God's mind about humanity. He came to change humanity's mind about God. He came to show us who the Father really is. And how did He do that? By letting what was inside of Him (the Holy Spirit... love) come out of Him. By expressing God to us. Jesus even went so far as to say, "...Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise" (John 5:19). Here's the trick though--I don't believe Jesus was "watching" the Father and then trying to emulate Him. I think the Father was doing what He wanted to do... in Jesus. The same way that in Him we live and move and have our being... and in us HE lives and moves and has His being! It's not a "following in Jesus' foot steps," deal. It's a, "Jesus making His own foot steps with our feet," deal. It's not us trying to copy God's expression. It's God expressing Himself to us and in us and through us and as us! It's the body following the head, if it's anything. But the body and the head aren't separate. Jesus said, "I and my Father are one" (John 10:30). There's no separation. It's not Jesus AND me, it's Jesus AS me. It's the Spirit--God is a Spirit, not a man--expressing Himself THROUGH man. Remember my example of making funny faces with Logan? Bringing the joy that's inside... out. The manifestation. The love. The love inside coming out. And we don't force it out. We simply know and believe how full of love we are and it overflows naturally. It comes out naturally. It's not "fake it 'til you make it." It, "I AM loved... and that means I am LOVE!" It's a new nature. Not a beast nature, but a love nature. Not a selfish nature, but a selfless nature. It's showing other people God--not by quoting scripture, and trying to force Jesus down their throats and making them choke on Him--showing people God by showing them love. Expressing God--not by "trying" to act like Him--but by letting Him express Himself through you! That's what it means to offer your body as a living sacrifice. Stop trying to do stuff yourself. Stop trying to make stuff happen. Stop trying... and start resting! Give your body... give your soul (mind, will, and emotions) to God and let Him do what He wants to do. And it's not secret what He wants to do! Jesus said, "If you've seen me you've seen the Father." And what did Jesus do? He went around and interacted with people. He healed people wherever He was. He met needs. If you were hungry... Jesus fed you. He kept the party going. He accepted people. He made people feel better. He loved people. See, if God IS love, then love is the expression of God! And like I said yesteday, it's not about, "I have to do good and not do evil or I'm not expressing God." That's the wrong tree. The tree of death. Because the number one things Jesus did... the thing that He explicitly said He was here to give us... is that He lived. He gave us LIFE, and that more abundantly. And what is abundant life if it's not a life full of love? To live is to love and to love is to live! God's expression... His life... is love!