Who is Visible in Your Flesh?

Meditations for Ragamuffins

April 10, 2024

Who is Visible in Your Flesh?

“Nazareth!” exclaimed Nathanael. “Can anything good come from Nazareth?”

John 1:46a 

One of the many obstacles we face as we seek to make the life in Christ our way of life is overcoming the vast array of prejudices and pre-conceived notions that are deeply embedded in each of us. It is virtually impossible to meet another person and receive them simply as one, like you, knitted together by God in their mother’s womb. (Psalm 139:13) Instead, our mind processes millions of bits of information, impressions, feelings, and experiences to form a picture of who we think this person is. We are so controlled by our prejudices, we would do well to join our voices with the Apostle Paul, “Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? (Romans 7:24).

Paul found his help in Jesus, and so shall we.

I want all of my relationships to “arise out of my life in Christ” (Philippians 2:5 NEB); therefore, when I sense my flesh-life, my prejudices, trying to ascend in my life, I know it is time to be still before God and remember who I am, and whose I am! As I rest before the Lord, I recall that my mission is to live my life “so that the life of Jesus may be made visible in (my) mortal flesh” (2 Corinthians 4:11a NRSV).

The reality of our lives is that all too often it is not Jesus but our prejudices that are visible in our moral flesh. As we become aware of our prejudices pushing Jesus into the background, our first response is to remember Paul’s answer to his dilemma, “Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus” (Romans 7:25a, 8:1). Our next response is to spend time quietly before the Lord and reaffirm the reality of our existence, “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27). Next reaffirm that the world’s culture is telling you a pack of lies about who God is, who you are, and who your neighbors are. (John 8:44) Then reaffirm your belief that God in Christ Jesus is telling you the truth. (John 14:6).

My Takeaway: It has been my experience that the more I reaffirm the beautiful truth of who I am in Christ, the less my prejudices are able to elbow their way to the forefront of my life.

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2024 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.