Different Kinds Of People

Let's imagine you are at a St. Louis Rams football game waiting for the game to begin. You look over the crowd around you. In front of you sit three men watching the festivities. There is nothing unusual about the physical appearance of these three men.
But if we could look at them with spiritual eyes, we would see remarkable differences. All three have a spirit, soul and body. But that is where the similarity ends.
The first man is trying to face life by using only two basic parts – a body and soul. He either doesn't know that his spirit exists or, if he does know, he is ignoring it as a factor in his life. If we have really sharp spiritual eyes, we can see that this man's soul is sadly ravaged. It is filled primarily with self-concern. A large part of his soul also is occupied by fear and envy and dread and purposelessness and other dispirited qualities. He is trying to live life by whatever power he can muster up in his soul and body. Unknown to him, there is a powerful spiritual nature of self-centeredness dwelling within his spirit and driving him in his independent ways. The man's pathetic inner state may even be reflected in his body: worry lines, vacant stare, stooped shoulders.
Now let's look at the second man. What an enormous difference! Let's look at his inner man first. What we see is magnificent and complex! He is operating out of far more than a soul and a body here. At the center of this man's being, his human spirit radiates with a luminescent quality obviously from another realm. At the center of this radiance resides the very Life of God by a living union of Jesus Christ with his human spirit.
This second man watching the game takes the essence of his life from that other Life within him. Over the years and decades of this man's life, he has yielded to and cooperated with this Life until it now radiates into every area of his being. This man's soul is not preoccupied with self-concern because it is focused on Christ's Life and purpose within him. Joy and peace radiate from his spirit into his soul and can even be detected in the firmness of his steps and the settled expression of his eyes.
Have you ever met a perfect Christian like this? Neither have I. Nevertheless, the possibility exists! While we are weak in the flesh, the divine Life that abides in us knows no boundaries. Neither does a Christian who is in union with Christ and walking is the Spirit. Jesus died and rose again to provide us the resources for this quest. It can be achieved.
But of most concern to us here is the third man. If anything, his condition is more mournful than the first man. His condition is also very puzzling. This man is equipped for life with the same three parts as the second man – a body and soul along with a spirit which contains the divine Life of Jesus Christ. In other words, he is a Christian.
But what is confusing is that, outwardly, this third man has more of a resemblance to the first man who was living a soul life. Even though this third man had within him all he needed to possess the abundant life that could have been his, in actuality he is still basically the same person he was when he became a Christian many years ago.
What is the reason for this sad dilemma? Why is it that some Christians, even though they are so magnificently equipped, grow hardly any from the moment they commit their life to Christ until the day they die?
Surely these Christians are aware of the scriptures plainly stating that a process of transformation is to occur over the course of their lives. Surely they know that after becoming a child of God, they are meant to undergo a series of spiritual changes which, over the years, will cause them to take on more and more of a family resemblance to Christ Himself.
Is it possible that many Christians, even though they do know they are supposed to grow up into a full expression of Christ, DON'T KNOW HOW this is done? Is it possible they have tried and failed? Perhaps repeatedly?
"But we all – with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord – are changed into the same image from glory to glory" (2 Corinthians 3:18).
This is a cause/result verse. The result is being changed into the Lord's glory, and the cause is BEHOLDING HIM. Change by such means is a radical idea, even among Christians.
The concept of change is important all over the world. And in human affairs, it is hoped that this change will be in positive directions. This is, presumably, what we call progress. This change can be brought about by technology, by politics, by education, and by other factors.
The concept of change is also important in religion. The adherents of most religions are somehow expected to change. Christianity is no exception. Once a person becomes a Christian, a lifetime process of transformation begins. It is expected that this believer will change from what he is to what God wants him to be.
How does this change come about?
In most religions, the change is effected by obedience, discipline, and will power. Most religions have a behavior code, a set of ideals toward which its adherents are progressing. Speaking generally, it is the responsibility of each believer to attain to the ideals of his set of standards. Most such progress comes through willpower, grit, obedience, and determination.
Is there a behavior code in the New Testament? Of course there is. Does the New Testament set forth an ultimate goal toward which Christians are striving? Absolutely.
In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus talked much about Christian behavior. Most of the epistles set forth behavior standards. These standards seemed especially important to the apostle James.
There is an obvious Christian ideal and goal in the above quoted 2 Cor. 3:18: Christians are expected to change into the image of the glory of their Lord, Jesus Christ. No other religion holds before its adherents the extraordinary possibility of partaking of the life of its founder and gradually taking on His very image.
But HOW is a Christian changed into this image? According to this verse, Christians take on the image of Christ by BEHOLDING HIM!
What a strange idea – to become like a person by beholding him. How absurd to think that I can take on another person's image that I admire just by continuously watching him.
Of course, Jesus Christ is no mere man. And secondly, beholding is a great deal more than just watching.
This Biblical kind of beholding is something that we Christians need to learn more about because doing it changes us into the glorious image of Christ.
Don't forget that Jesus Himself prayed to His Father that WE would do this, that WE would "…BEHOLD My [Christ's] glory which You [the Father] have given Me" (John 17:24).
And don't forget that this beholding is what the Godhead has been doing from all eternity. Before the Godhead ever created anything, they fellowshipped together in all of eternity past.
Probably the main reason for creation was to expand fellowship. The Father wanted to multiply the life of His Son and plant it inside humans on earth.
The most unique thing about Christianity, setting it apart from every other religion, is that its founder, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, literally comes and lives inside every Christian.
And most spectacular of all, EACH AND EVERY CHRISTIAN CAN, AT ANY TIME, GO INSIDE HIS SPIRIT WHERE CHRIST IS AND FELLOWSHIP WITH HIM! This is the main purpose of His being there.
This simple exercise is probably the most basic of all Christian experiences. It can revolutionize the life of any Christian who pursues this practice.
It may be argued by some that this practice toward an "inward life" breeds a self-centered Christian always seeking to add to himself and to feast continually on Christ's presence. It may be said that a Christian is meant to be outward, not inward.
Fellowship with the Lord does NOT decrease spiritual output. It increases output! Time spent with Christ in your spirit does not take away desire for spiritual service. It adds to that desire. And knowing God's infinite supply for our needs, time spent with Christ is probably added on with extra for good measure to the time needs of our life
Beholding Him in His glory is the best motivation for any kind of Christian work. Encounter encourages outreach.
There is another thing that fellowship with Christ encourages: fellowship with other believers.
When an individual Christian fellowships with Christ, it is an other-realm happening, a supernatural experience. He is learning to draw life from His Lord.
When a group of Christians who have learned how to fellowship inwardly with Christ gather together, they draw His Life from one another. Christ is in each individually and the group collectively. The total fellowship IS GREATER THAN THE SUM OF ITS PARTS.
Our God is not a status quo deity. He is interested in change and growth and results in His followers – not an attempt at change by trying harder in the individual's own human strength and ability, but rather a change in awareness of Christ within by constant, intimate fellowship with Him – BY BEHOLDING HIM!
.There are two basic species of mankind – Christians and non-Christians.
There are also two basic kinds of Christians – those who BEHOLD and fellowship with Christ within and those who don't understand or who ignore the Life of Christ dwelling in union with their human spirit.
When you see people in public, consider them – many different looks, shapes, sizes, personalities, talents, etc. But what is most important to God is the spiritual condition and spiritual awareness of each one. All are represented by the three football fans mentioned at the beginning.

WHICH ONE ARE YOU?

WHICH ONE WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE?

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