What if it's Us?

I’m prayerful that as I write these words that the power of the Holy Spirit which is far greater than I can even imagine will give me wisdom and clarity to proclaim the truth of our awesome God.

Last week I sat down to spend some time studying the Word, and I ended up reading through most of Galatians and Ephesians.  As I read through Ephesians 1 some verses stood out to me like they never have before. 

I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.  I pray also that they eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.  That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.  And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.  

Ephesians 1:17-23

This whole week I haven’t been able to shake this verse.  It keeps popping into my head over and over again.  The power that raised Christ from the dead is available to us who believe.  We have the same power that raised Christ from the dead alive in us.  HOLY GUACAMOLE…THAT’S GOOD NEWS! 

But for some reason we don’t tap into that power.  For some reason, we live mostly as if we are completely powerless.  For some reason we don’t ask God to do anything in our lives that would be unexplainable.  For some reason our lives make complete sense to unbelievers.  But as Spirit filled followers of Jesus Christ there must be something different about us.  Our lives must look different from those who don’t believe in our Savior.

This morning in class a girl brought up an excellent point…She said, “How do you explain the people who aren’t Christians who seem to be filled with the fruit of the Spirit?”  Our teacher Jeff Spry suggested an answer that has had me thinking all morning long.

He agreed that there are definitely people in this world that seem to be filled with love, joy, goodness, gentleness, patience, kindness, and the other fruits of the Spirit who would not claim to be Christians.  He then posed a question that I can’t stop wrestling with, “What if it is us?”  What if it is us who have become like the world?  What if it is us who are only tapping into the slightest piece of what the Spirit truly has to offer?  What if it is us who have so much more love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control available to us, yet we look no different than nice people who don’t know Jesus?  What if we have traded in the incomparably great power that raised Jesus from the dead to camouflage with the world? What if it’s us?

As I wrestle with this question I pray boldly and in faith that the incomparably great power that raised Jesus from the dead will be resurrected in me.  I pray that each breath that I take will be purposed for the Kingdom.  I pray that The Spirit of our God who is alive in me will work in ways that are completely unexplainable by this world.   

Francis Chan put it excellently in his book Forgotten God, “I don’t want my life to be explainable without the Holy Spirit.  I want people to look at my life and know that I couldn’t be doing this by my own power.  I want to live in such a way that I am desperate for Him to come through.  That if He doesn’t come through, I am screwed.” (Mom...I know you will read this and think..."I can't believe my daughter just typed that word"...but it's a direct quote...I promise I don't say that.)

I want my life to look like that.  I want to pray boldly in faith for things this world says are impossible and bow amazed before my God when He comes through in amazing ways.  I want to be led by the Holy Spirit every step of the way, completely surrendered to His will for my life…even if that leads me to the cross. 

Two last quotes from Forgotten God that sum up some of my thoughts on why this is so challenging for us…

“When it comes down to it, many of us do not really want to be led by the Holy Spirit.  Or, more fundamentally, many of us don’t want to be led by anyone other than ourselves.”  

“The Spirit will lead you to the way of the cross, as He led Jesus to the cross, and that is definitely not a safe or pretty or comfortable place to be.”

I pray that as disciples of Jesus Christ that we will seek to allow His Spirit, which is alive in us to produce unexplainable fruit in our lives.  I pray that we will not camouflage with the world, but that our lives will be filled with the unexplainable acts of the Holy Spirit!  I pray that our knees will humbly bow before the throne of our omnipotent God with requests that can only be accomplished through the working of His incomparably great power.  He is faithful!