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Recognition of Christ

Meeting Christians who talk about God or those who think they know God is not too unusual in today’s world. In comparison, speaking to people who say God answered their prayer is becoming more and more rare. There is a difference in knowing God and knowing about God, the person who knows God is responsive to God’s needs. In real life, the experience of knowing God is demonstrated through those who have been affected with the personality of God and express Jesus Christ through their lives.

Everyone on Earth looks forward to the rising of the sun, enjoys the beauty of a rainbow and yet seeks protection from the falling rain. Rather than acknowledge God, the people of the world have chosen to reject its creator and use his name as a means to curse everything Christ created at the command of God. Even when there is no doubt, the beauty and order of creation makes you wonder how the Earth came into being. The overall design of life forces you to consider that something or someone with intelligence created the world that you can see, hear, smell, and touch. You may be surprise to be asked whether or not you know God, but knowing God demands that you introduce yourself to Jesus Christ at the foot of Calvary. No one has an excuse, because God has made every effort to show his love through the many wonders of the world, demonstrating he’s alive and well.

The majority of men and women know that God created the world and in one way or another worship a God they believe created the world. They see him as the ruler of the universe, but most never desire to submit to his authority. Although God is the source of life his authority is largely ignored.

In the overall scope of God’s creation, man appears to be a tiny part of the universe when in fact he has become the largest group of living creatures on the face of the Earth. What makes man different from the other living creatures on earth is his right to think independently and control his own destiny. God gave man the right to dominate and rule the Earth and the right to say no.  

In the days following the creation God spent time with Adam and Eve advising to avoid sin by not eating the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. During the course of time the serpent came to Eve in a deceptive manner advising her why they should eat the forbidden fruit. Obviously, the serpent gave Eve a reason to disobey God and it is clear that Eve could have said no to the serpent.

Would we in the same situation say no to Satan? Satan aims his reasoning at the things that you want even though those desires are sinful in God’s eyes. Satan’s reasoning presents you with a choice guaranteed to make you think you are doing the right thing. Ultimately God is concerned over the decisions that his creation makes to rule his or her life. Decisions made by Christians can be beneficial or they can be harmful to your life.  The deeds of men tell the creator about the decisions they have made and reveal the moral character of the individual. To God actions speak louder than words. God is concerned about your decisions because eventually your choices affect other people. Your decisions can create peaceful relations or a arena of warfare. Consider this, if you were God, would you allow anyone in your home who creates dissension and doesn’t show respect for you, your family or the things you own?

Everyone in the world wants to be recognized for being a person of worth and have respect for the position they hold in life. For the same reasons God is worthy of praise and wants to be recognized for the position he holds. However, the majority of men have turned their back on God refusing to allow God into their lives. God sent his son to reestablish the relationship God desired but within conditions that sustained God’s worthiness under a plan acceptable to man. Within the grace of God, he revealed that he wants to develop a personal relationship with you as your Father. In a cooperative effort with his Son, God pours his Spirit into our lives to guide us into all truth.

The world has not conceived the idea that neglecting God anytime is a threat to his authority. Instead the world is focused on obtaining the creature comforts the world offers. Therefore, the world busies themselves in the attempt to care for their own needs not knowing that everything they desire is orchestrated as a diversion by God’s enemy.  The world doesn’t know that they are serving the purposes of Satan, which is to assume the throne of God, destroy the earth and make everyone’s life miserable.

The world is faced with two plans for life. Satan offers a plan that is temporal, one that is only good for the life that is on the earth. It is also deceptive in the fact you may be able to obtain the riches of creature comfort, but fails to consider that God created man to live forever. Everything we do has a consequence and that importance will not become known until we meet the ruler of the universe face to face. God is presenting a plan for eternal life up front. In his plan eternal life does not start when you die but right now.  In his plan God warns man of the consequences of sin and how to avoid the things that leads to total separation from God and an environment designed to eradicate sin.

God does not take away life; instead, he devises ways so that a banished person may not remain estranged from him. 2 Samuel 14:14

However, God’s word tells us that man rebelled against God authority through disobedience, which separated man from God. Sin is an overwhelming force ready to pounce, constantly groveling at your door and always ready to take you prisoner as a slave for Satan’s purposes. Once in sin, sin compels you to sin again. Because of the nature of sin, sin desires to enslave you, but you must learn to rule over sin. God has devises a plan so you will not remain separated from him.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

Why did God send his only son and what made his son so special to be able to free man from the bonds of sin? Was it his virgin birth or the fact he was divine? Was it turning water into wine, healing the sick, or feeding of the five thousand that made him stand out in history? These things were only a display that God was with Jesus Christ during his ministry. Only one thing made Jesus Christ stand out in history from all other men was his sinless life.  This made him the lamb with out defect that could be offered as payment for the sins of the world.

Human history points to one person who changed calendars, personal beliefs, and started a Christian movement with a purpose to carry out the great commission.   As a result of his life we no longer have to slaughter sheep, burn, cook or eat of a sacrifice made to God for sin. Instead we commemorate his life with the taking of communion remembering a new covenant made through the blood of Christ that atones for the sin of mankind once and for all.

God honored Jesus Christ in many ways besides seating him at his right side of his throne. He became the cornerstone of the Christian faith.  Every benefit derived from God comes through Jesus Christ. There is no other name by which man can be saved or enter the kingdom of God. We will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ, some will receive eternal life while others will be condemned, but each and every person will stand before God to be rewarded according to how he lived.

For we will all stand before God's judgment seat. It is written: 'As surely as I live,' says the Lord, 'every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.'"   So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God. Romans 14:10-12

Being on our knees to confess that Jesus Christ is our Lord while we are on Earth is a blessing in disguise. Those who repent of their sin, make an effort to please God, but those under the influence of Satan want nothing to do with God and scoff at the idea of repenting. In other words, do you live as servants of the king? Knowing that Jesus Christ is lord demands that we obey his commands.  

He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. John 1:10-11

Although Christ came with a large company of angels God sent other messengers ahead of him announcing the time of his arrival. The magi followed the star to his location, the shepherds were in the field attending their sheep, and the Priest’s of Israel were told of his coming within the scriptures that they held sacred. The prophets prophesied of his coming yet the world did not recognize Jesus Christ as God because they lacked interest in seeking God.

The Priests at Jerusalem were amazed at the depth of understanding Jesus had at the age of twelve. When he grew to an adult they saw Jesus Christ as the son of Mary and Joseph the carpenter. They also saw that the people were following him and listened to his words. Large numbers of people recognized Jesus as the messiah, but the priest a carpenter’s son. Priest’s like Nicodemus believed that Jesus was the messiah and sought his teaching, but a large number of people were ready to make Jesus King by force. Perhaps for that reason, the Pharisees thought it was better for one man to die than the whole nation.    

While a few recognized Jesus as the messiah, the world scorned him and put him to death. They saw him as another religious fanatic who was sent before him to lead the people back to God. They rejected him because he did not keep the law or conform to their expectations.  Still, the deeds of men to rid the world of this troublemaker he completed the plan to reconcile man to God. Christ forgave them from the cross and became the Lamb of God for anyone who would accept him as Lord and Savior.   

Though God attested Jesus Christ as the messiah with signs and wonders but the only sign they read was nailed to the cross announcing him as the king of the Jews. After his resurrection he was seen by more than 500 people who initiated the greatest campaign to recruit believers for the kingdom of God the world has ever seen.  

As Jesus Christ ascended to heaven the disciples were told that he would return in the same fashion. Christ taught his disciples in the upper room that he was going away to prepare a place for them and then return.  His coming was foretold, he came as a servant of God with a promised to return for the elect. In every sense of the word Jesus Christ is what he claims to be.

  "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty." Revelation 1:8

Jesus Christ became as a servant that ransomed the elect and served the needs of God by reconciling man to God. The ideal way every Christian can serve God is to become a servant that serves the needs of others. When one study God’s word, each of his commands has one thing in common. In obeying God commands, you make God more appealing to other people.  Isn’t that what you want for your own life?

 

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