The Love Letter part 4
Jesus is the Word of God. Everything God had to say TO man, He said THROUGH a man. And that's why we (with Jesus living in us, with the Word being made flesh... in our flesh) are God's love letter to the world. And I really want to try to hit home today that my concept of "the world" doesn't mean "bad people." It simply means people who don't know where they are, and people who don't know who they are. Because according to Revelation 11:15, "...The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever." The only difference between "the world" and the Kingdom is that in the Kingdom the light is shining and we know a few things. We know who we are (Jesus) and where we are (the Kingdom). Let me say it like this: God is the One, "Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son" (Colossians 1:13). Jesus, the light of the world, shined His light so that we could see the world pass away and the Kingdom be established. Jesus went to the cross to prepare a place for us. And that place isn't a faraway heaven somewhere three miles south of Mars. That place is the heaven IN us. That place is the heart of God beating in our chest. He prepared that place for us by finishing the work. By writing His letter (His Word, LOVE) on our hearts. So when I say we are God's love letter to the world, I'm not trying to make a big distinction between "us" and "them." All I'm trying to say is that the difference between the Kingdom and the world is that in the Kingdom we know that we are loved. In the Kingdom we are no longer under the power of darkness. And here's the glorious part-- wherever we go people are reading our letter (the letter that we are). Wherever we go the light is shining. Because even as Jesus said HE is the light of the world He also said WE are the light of the world. The light (that is God, that is love) shines into and out of us. We read the letter of love that God gave us when He gave us Jesus and we also let everyone else read it. But lets make this practical. If I'm a love letter and somebody is supposed to read me... the only way that works is if I'm displaying love. Which is exactly how we "do things in Jesus' name." It's not about going around hitting people over the head with the Bible. And it's not about shoving Jesus down people's throats. It's about love. When I love somebody the Word is made flesh. When I love somebody they have an encounter with Jesus (whether they know it or not). See, doing things "in Jesus' name" isn't about quoting Scripture or threatening people with an angry God. It's about doing things in Jesus' character and authority. It's about doing things in love. Publishing the love letter, if I can say it that way. And when we understand just how full (full to overflowing) we are of the love of God, then it's not just something we do--and it's not something we have to try to do--because it's simply... who we are. We are loved, and we love, and we ARE love. God showed (and shows) His love to man... through man.