I was reading in John about your incarnation, Lord Jesus, where you became Emmanuel, God with us, the Holy One, out of love dwelling with sinful mankind.
In this reading, a startling thought came to me: there are actually two divine incarnations. Yours, of course, where you came to earth and took on a body to live as a human being here. The second one is when the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in the bodies of those who bow before you in repentance and belief and rise up as sons and daughters of God.
The truth is, we participate in an incarnation almost as astounding as yours, Lord Jesus. As you indwelt your prepared body, so we participate in the divine nature as your Spirit indwells our bodies, living with us, working through us, drawing us into Your great Plan of redemption, rebirth and recreation. We are walking Emmanuels, carrying God within us, bringing God with us into all our relationships, activities and actions.
The question is, are we letting the Spirit rule as you let the Father rule in your earthly life? Are we joining the Father in what He is doing? Are we thinking about being Emmanuel to all those around us?
These thoughts have brought me another worldview shift: understanding more deeply the greatness of the work you have given us. As we are indwelt by the Spirit, we are to live with the purpose that Jesus had, to let the light of His presence, the power of His divinity and the goodness of His grace shine continually out of our lives–instead of just living for ourselves, for the moment, for our plans, for our pleasure.
It is, to me, Lord, a sobering, exhilarating, exciting shift in thinking. It leads me to live more consciously in the unseen world, in the expanse of your marvelous plan to give us great purpose and a part in your desire to reach the unreached, to usher in a re-creation of the world, of heaven, of the universe, eliminating evil and ensuring eternal joy.
What a privilege to live as a little Christ, carrying the presence of God for all those around us. Help us to live worthy of this calling, Lord, to be that shining light you desire us to be to the world frozen in sin.
