July 03, 2018
And he said, ‘The God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will and to see the Righteous One and to hear an utterance from His mouth. For you will be a witness for Him to all men of what you have seen and heard. (Acts 22:14-15)
Of what does the Christian life consist? What is to be the real, daily experience of the true believer?
As Paul is giving the account of his conversion before an angry crowd in Jerusalem, he speaks of what Ananias told him at his conversion. It describes what Paul was to experience. Notice, that all of these things are not merely intellectual, but practical and experiential.
A true Christian ...
KNOWS GOD'S WILL
As believers, we have the astounding privilege of knowing something others will never know. We are able to know the mind and heart of God! We can know what He wants and desires and cooperate with Him to see this accomplished in our lives and the lives of those around us.
This is a supernatural understanding and can only be accessed by spiritual experiences. We know this, not merely by a head knowledge, but through the Spirit of God making us to know things through the Word of God and prayer. (See Paul's explanation of this in 1 Corinthians, Chapter 2). And, knowing God’s desires, we can live our lives fulfilling His will—which is the perfect, most blessed life—and experiencing God throughout each day. His will is ""good, acceptable and perfect"" (Romans 12:2).
SEES THE RIGHTEOUS ONE
Made possible by supernatural spiritual senses, we are able to see Christ. Not in a physical sense, but spiritually. We observe His movement and activity. He is near to us as we draw near to Him.
Our spiritual senses are so enlightened that we see Him daily in creation (Psalm 19) and His presence in the lives of other believers. We watch His activity in the church and know what is of Him and what is not. We are able, by God's grace and Spirit, to observe Him in our lives, the lives of others, in this world, and, in a very real sense, in the next.
Paul would later tell us to set our minds on things above where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God (Colossians 3:1-4). We can observe this with eyes of Spirit-led faith in ways that no natural man can observe. We can see what is happening in the heavenlies and what God desires to happen on earth! And, with this vision, we can pray for “His kingdom to come and His will to be done on earth, as it is (being done) in heaven” (Matthew 6:10).
HEAR AN UTTERANCE FROM HIS MOUTH
One of the most thrilling components of spiritual life is spiritual hearing. What a privilege to be able to genuinely, experientially commune with God! We can hear what He is saying to us in such ways that we are able to know what He desires for us to do. We feel His promptings to give to others, to speak, to be ""still and know that He is God.""
As we read His word, it is not merely an intellectual experience, but we are hearing with spiritual ears (if we are attuned and listening). Spirit to human spirit, we are dialed in to a frequency unheard by mere humanity. God’s intent is for this communion to be experienced all day long as we “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
WE WILL BE A WITNESS FOR HIM TO ALL MEN OF WHAT WE HAVE SEEN AND HEARD
This is the glorious outcome. Our experience, like Paul's and Peter's is so glorious that we ""cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard"" (Acts 4:20).
And this is God's design for the spread of His kingdom. Our experience is so contagious that it affects everyone we encounter. Some, who love their current lifestyle, will try to avoid this Light. But others, who are prepared by God and longing for a new life, will listen and believe!
Contrary to this world's diseases, ours is a life-giving infection. Our constant testimony will speak of Christ to others, explaining why we are so joyful (even in the midst of a dark world) and why there seems to be the touch of God upon our experiences. Our lives produce opportunities to tell be the glorious news of our New Birth.
How could we be filled with discontent, anxiety, or boredom today when we can see, hear, and know The-God-Who-Is?
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