Part 5: Do You Know Who You Are?
God initially established the nation of Israel (not the Israel we know today, but rather the peoples that were descended from Jacob whose name was changed to Israel) to be an example nation to everyone else upon the Earth, that all might come to know God’s glory. Likewise, God has purposed to use the Body of Christ in this New Covenant age as a beacon of hope to those “outside.”
We have already visited the following scripture, but it’s important to highlight again how God views us once we come to be filled with Him. If you haven’t already, take dedicated time to meditate upon this, and you’ll realize just how profound it is. In the Old Testament age, the presence of God was the temple (earlier, it was the Tabernacle). Today, God has made a way for us human beings to be the dwelling place of His light, love, and power on this Earth. Wow!
Ephesians 2:19-22, “Therefore you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone. In Him the whole building is fitted together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord. And in Him you too are being built together into a dwelling place for God in His Spirit.”
With Jesus as our foundation, we become the source of Truth on Earth so that others (searching for Truth) may be drawn to find the same freedom we once found. As God transforms us through the shaping power of the Holy Spirit within us, we “become the Living Word” on Earth – Jesus on Earth. What an honor and privilege! After all, isn’t this the ultimate reason for our personal salvation? Our reconciliation with God is meant to set in motion a ripple effect upon our households, our communities, and even far beyond.
We are anointed as messengers, beacons, and signposts. When we open our mouths to declare the goodness of God and the way to a personal relationship with Him through Jesus Christ, we plant a seed of hope within the hearer’s being. Though some will be “pricked in their hearts” (Acts 2:37) right then and there, some people might take further “watering” (1 Corinthians 3:8) before they’re willing to humble their flesh. Whatever the case may be, God promises that His Word will never be wasted, and it will always end up accomplishing that which it is meant to.
Isaiah 55:11, “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”
It truly takes humility in order to receive the promises of God, and the Word of God is the only tool that can chip away at pride and stubbornness or bring peace and assurance to the fearful and doubting. Amazingly, as children of the Living God, we have been nominated as custodians of God’s Word, whether it’s directly quoting scripture or sharing messages that the Holy Spirit puts upon our hearts. We are ambassadors of Truth (2 Corinthians 5:20). Only a lighthouse can guide a wayward vessel to the safety of the shore, and we have been chosen to shine a guiding light unto those that are lost in this world:
Matthew 5:16 “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
Matthew 10:27 “What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops.”
Matthew 10:32-33 “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.”
Luke 8:16 “No man, when he hath lighted a candle, covereth it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed; but setteth it on a candlestick, that they which enter in may see the light.”
Acts 10:42 “And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead.”
Acts 2:36-37 “…God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?”
2 Timothy 4:2 “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.”
1 Corinthians 3:8-9 “…he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.”
1 Corinthians 9:16-17 “For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel! For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward…”
2 Corinthians 5:20 “Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.”
James 5:20 “…he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.”
The keys to being an effective beacon of light are 1) our testimony – our overall conduct in this life, and 2) opening our mouths in faith that there is power in God’s Word. We can do nothing of ourselves, so we are not to stress over trying to convince or convert – or debate and argue. We play our part and then leave the rest in God’s hands. We are simply the instruments, but God is the creator of the music that sings to open hearts. Knowing this enables us to relax and be at rest, knowing that all we have to do is be the light and love of Jesus and speak the Word of Truth. This is the first part of our blessed commission.