God Lives in Our Hearts
In our first two articles, we talked about living with God in a broken world and how it all went wrong in Eden. In this article, we will explore how in fact, God lives in our hearts.
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete. This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
1 Jn 1:1-5 (ESV)
John 14 and 15 introduced us to the concept of dwelling together with Christ and therefore with, God. In fact, in John 14, Christ prepares us for this concept by explaining in detail the relationship between God the Father and Christ. This gives us an indication of how God lives in our hearts.
“If you had known me, you would have known my Father also.”
Jn 14:7 (ESV)
“Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does His works.”
Jn 14:10 (ESV)
In John 14:23, Christ extends this invitation to us, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.”
The Relationship between the Father and the Son
It is important to understand the relationship between Father God and His son. That’s how we get to understand how God lives in our hearts.
I think it is easy to overlook just how close the relationship is between God and Christ because in Christ’s incarnation, we see them as two rather than one. In Hebrews 1:3, Paul declares, “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature…” (ESV).
Let’s use the sun and moon as an analogy for the glory of God. Christ was not the moon, not a mere reflection of the Sun. Instead, it is as if a portion of the Sun is carved out and placed to the side. This is the radiance of God’s glory. Christ embodies the rays of the sun rather than being a mere reflection of them.
Jesus in popular culture
There are so many portrayals of Jesus in popular culture. Physically, he is generally portrayed as a baby in Mary’s arms. The world portrays The Lion of Judah as caged and impotent. Often, Christians portray Jesus as a weak, insipid white male with flowing hair and beard. (see my previous reference to Dorothy Sayer’s article on this topic)
In truth, physically, he was a 30-year-old Jewish male. He presumably knew his way around tools and was not averse to being very firm, strong and passionate. Jesus was no weak and incapacitated baby in Mary’s arms. Jesus was not a really nice guy with all the conotations we place on that. He was a powerful, adult man, who knew what he was about. He had a close and sustained relationship with the Father and his will entirely matched that of his Father.
I and the Father are one? At a moments notice the oneness of Father and Son was visible. Lengthy consideration only strengthened that impression. In the same way, anyone who observes a servant of God must perceive that God lives in our hearts.
The Light of the World
John says that he heard him, saw him, considered and observed him and ultimately touched him. All the expressions of Jesus’ physicality were of light. Even a detailed consideration just confirmed the initial impression that here was a creation of LIGHT.
This was deliberate. Christ intended to portray light. He states,
“I am the light of the world. The one who follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”
Jn 8:12 (NIV)
Again,
“Every generous act of giving and every perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father who made the heavenly lights, in whom there is no inconsistency or shifting shadow.”
Jas 1:17 (NIV)
Paul, taking his lead from Christ says,
“So I will very gladly spend for you everything I have and expend myself as well. If I love you more, will you love me less?”
2 Cor 12:15 (NIV)
and again
“But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you.”
Phil 2:17 (NIV)
Representing Jesus
Christ represented the Godhead perfectly to us. Therefore, we are to portray Christ to the world as Paul portrayed Christ (1 Cor 11:1). When you saw Christ, you saw God. He was not a pale reflection. John declares that the observing of Christ brought a message. “God is light and in Him is no darkness at all” (1 Jn 1:5 – ESV)
It follows then that those who observe us must be able to clearly discern this same message. Just as Paul imitated Jesus, we should imitate Paul (1 Cor 11:1). They must see the message of indwelling God. God lives in our hearts. We are willing to forsake all to bring others to the light – to spend and be spent. By this fact we give a message. We must be willing to be spent and to expend our very life to bring them life. Christians must be the ultimate life givers. In that we give eternal life, we are a demonstration that God is light with no inconsistency. That God lives in our hearts.
God is Light!
This is the message that we have heard from him and proclaim to you that God is light!
We can clearly argue that Paul was Messiah to the Gentiles. As imitators of Paul, we are Christ’s message to the world.
Paul makes this clear in 2 Cor 3:
“You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all. And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God.”
2 Cor 3:3 (ESV)
As Peter says:
“His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through the full knowledge of the one who called us by his own glory and excellence. Through these he has given us his precious and wonderful promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, seeing that you have escaped the corruption that is in the world caused by evil desires.”
2 Pet 1:3-4 (ESV)
Our hearts inscribed with the letter from Christ, given all we need to declare the Light of God to men, we are Christ to the people we meet, we are in fact, LIGHT to the people we meet. God lives in our hearts with Jesus through Holy Spirit.
The Foundation of Manifesting God
The foundation of this principle is laid back in Exodus (and before). At the burning bush, God begins to lay out His plan for Israel. Over time He reveals His intent to call aside a people to be in effect, His priests in the brotherhood of nations.
At the burning bush, Moses asks God, “Who are you?” and God’s response in the Hebrew and as closely as we can put it in English is, “He who will be”.
There are so many attempts to get this right that the waters are very muddy indeed, but implicit theme behind this progressive revelation of God’s name is that Israel would bear the name to the nations around them as it is revealed to them. God was stating quite clearly to Israel through Moses that He was willing to manifest Himself in their nation. He is offering Israel to be the light of the world.
Israel bore the name of God to the world (and does to this day). Of course, God expands this invitation to the servants of God called from the Gentiles and known as Spiritual Jews today.
God and Jesus Dwell in us
We inherit God’s name and because we love Him, the Father and the Son come to us and make their home in our hearts.
It is difficult to overstate the implications of this amazing situation. Out of seven billion people on the planet, God has called us and dwells individually in our hearts.
We bear His very presence to the world around us. His goals are ours, and we are no longer obedient. Instead, we must understand His will and in that understanding, work proactively to further and promote His will in a world that is broken and has little time for the things of eternity.
Our Task in a Broken World
In a broken world, we must be willing to spend and be expended to shine a light into the darkness, to be poured out as a drink offering. To pursue the excellence of Christ. To use up every last drop of our potential and abilities in demonstrating the Light that was in the Godhead to a world that must be healed.
In short, if we have the purpose of God as our own purpose, no longer is this about obedience, it is about fulfilling a shared purpose of filling the Earth with the Glory of God.
If God dwells in our hearts, then we will do everything we can to enhance the glory of God and nothing to diminish it. We will shine with the perfect, unblemished light of God, in a broken world.