Immanuel. God with us. God incarnate. God in the flesh. Jesus came inconspicuously, lived large in some ways, but not in others. He died a criminal, at least in some peoples’ minds, in a small patch of land that has been the center of much hostility throughout history, with a history often obscure to our modern minds.
Why would God do such a thing for humanity, considering many don’t care? He did it for love. For God so loved the world, each and every person, whether they appreciate it or not.
But we’re different. We know something, or rather someone. As Lewis Sperry Chafer writes in Systematic Theology, “It is one thing to know about God, an experience possible for the unregenerate, but quite another thing to know God, which can be realized only as the Son reveals Him.” You and I don’t know about God; we know God. He came to us, in the flesh, to save us from sin, something we couldn’t do ourselves. We know Him, having been baptized into Him and now are led by Him.
Christians are called to radical discipleship. Not easy discipleship, but radical discipleship. This may mean the call won’t be easy; but anything worthwhile is seldom easy. As you walk with Jesus on a daily basis, listen for the Spirit to move your heart, call your name, and point out directions to go when you are back in your own world.
Consider the following:
- How does knowing God move you to want to live for Him?
- How does knowing God affect your worldview? Your behavior?
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