Part 5 - The Perfect Man

Since Adam fell, only one person has been normal. For thirty three years, the Lord Jesus walked this earth to demonstrate man as God created man to be. Although a man can never become God, God can choose to behave as man at any time He so pleases. This is exactly what happened in the person of our Lord Jesus. Eternally, timelessly, He is never less than God, but He deliberately chose for those thirty three years to behave fully as Man. By being willing therefore to empty Himself and to humble Himself in being born as a human being clothed with our humanity, the Lord Jesus advertised Deity through everything He did, said, and was, allowing that Deity to be heard, seen, known, and loved.

This is why Jesus could tell Phillip, " He who has seen Me has seen the Father....The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works." He was fulfilling the role for which God created you and me: to live and act in the image of God, fully displaying the truth about Him. It was God Himself who did these miraculous works through Christ the Man. God was at work in and through the Lord Jesus, in the completeness, sinlessness, and perfection of His humanity. Here was a man as God intended man to be ! Here was true normality, as evidenced by the good works which God the Father accomplished through His Son and which He now wants to accomplish through you.

This is the divine calling into which you have been redeemed: " For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them " (Ephesians 2: 10 ). This calling can be fulfilled only in the energy and power of the One who indwells you now by His Spirit, just as He once walked only in the energy and power of the Father who indwelt Him through the Spirit. That is why Jesus said, " The Son can do nothing of Himself " (John 5: 19 ), and of you He says,
" Without Me, you can do nothing " ( John 15: 5 ).

Therefore expect and allow Christ to work in and through you just as Christ, in His life on earth, expected and allowed the Father to work in and through Him. Expect Him to do this....and He will. Just say " Thank you " - and let Him surprise you !

For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself. John 5: 26.

Come back next week to learn more about this life-changing exchange !