I love the French
impressionist painters. I find their work colourful, thrilling,
exciting and inspiring. I don't precisely know why they affect me
this way, but they do.
Thinking about my love for this kind of art led me to ponder
deeper on that word, Impression.The dictionary
which I keep beside my computer (a very necessary accessory for
the webmaster!) lists about four possible meanings for
'impression'. But this is the one I was pondering upon; 'An
affect upon the mind'.
People, things, places, people; they all make an impression on us
don't they? And if we encounter something totally new, we
sometimes talk about 'first impressions'. Those of us with web
sites make 'internet friends' and, in time, we come to feel that
we know these people quite well, although we frequently haven't
got a clue what these people look like - or even how old they
are!
Yet, if one gets to know how a person's mind works quite well
over a period of time, one can actually know rather a lot about
them. But there are surprises. Made an 'internet friend' about a
year ago and, for once, this was somebody who lived in the UK!
Later on I got the chance to meet this person and it was a shock.
Why? Because this gentleman, unfortunately, showed himself to be
rather rude and discourteous. That was the very last thing which
I had expected; especially considering that he was a
fellow-believer!
Yet how much can we ever really know about another person? I
recall the wife of a serial killer being interviewed in the
press; she said that her husband had always been the gentlest of
men within their own marriage.
But can we ever be committed to people we have never even spoken
to? Before we answer in the negative, we should think about these
'stalkers' who stalk celebrities and even come to believe that
they 'love' them despite never having met them! And yet they can
really not know anything about that celebrity, only about the
'public persona'.
So we have to conclude that we can sometimes deceive ourselves
about people we have never met. No Christian living today, of
course, has ever met Jesus Christ. Yet in His case, we
feel we know EVERYTHING which it is most vital to know about
another person! No, we don't claim to know everything which He
did, but everything which is within His character! But how can we
really know so much about a man who walked this earth almost
2,000 years ago?
The Bible reveals that this is something which God has granted to
us; it comes through the work of the Holy Spirit.
This is something which was just not natural to us. It is
something which we could never have 'worked up' Could we ever
imagine ourselves making the committment which we have made to
Jesus to someone like Julius Caesar, William Shakespeare or Lord
Byron? No, the very thought is absurd. What could we ever know of
anybody who lived hundreds of years ago?
Our love for Jesus Christ and our committment to Him whom
'having not seen you love' is evidence of our election by
the Spirit of God! After all, many know of Jesus but refuse to
believe that He is anything more than a 'Great Teacher' (liberal
theologians, for example), but our attitude and response attests
to the gift of faith which has been granted to us.
Yes, this evidence of our election. Lets start putting some
'Scriptural bones' on this;
Jesus said this to the unbelievers;
"He who is of God hears God's words; therefore you do not
hear, because you are not of God"
(John 8: 47)
In prayer to His Father,Jesus also said,
"I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me
out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they
have kept Your word"
(John 17: 6)
Nobody can 'snatch' God's own out of His hand, these people love
God and love Jesus Christ. It is not just philosophical theory or
theological theory to them, The Lord Jesus Christ has come into
their hearts, minds and souls.
Thomas - who saw Jesus in the flesh - doubted, but Jesus
said,
"...Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed.
Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have
believed"
(John 20: 29)
None of us living today have ever seen Jesus, yet our hearts are
full of faith. Why? It is the work of the convicting Spirit of
God. And - in God's sight - we are especially blessed
because of the faith which lies within us, directed - as it is -
towards a man we never saw in the flesh. So - but for the action
of God - there is no reason why we should feel any more affection
towards Jesus than towards any other personality of 2,000 years
ago!
But a few will raise an objection to this thesis; they will say
that we love Jesus in that purely emotional way which can often
be evidenced by mass hysteria or mass delusion. Are there not
many out there who say they 'love' even Elvis Presley, though
they never met him? More to the point; are there not millions who
'love' the Prophet Mohammed? Does any of that 'prove' the work of
the Holy Spirit?
Its a fair question and it should be addressed! But we can
quickly rule out the Elvis enthusiasts! Yes, they are
enthusiastic about his music and memory, but - with all due
respect to Elvis Presley - this is a drop in the ocean compared
to the adoration directed toward Jesus and the firm belief that
He was God in the flesh and now intercedes for them in
heaven!
But the comparison to other great world religion founders is a
fairer one. How do we answer that?
Look I am not going to attack another religion here, but is it
REALLY the same? Do these often deeply sincere followers of other
religions deeply love a man who was also God and who layed down
His life for them? Is it the same degree of love and adoration?
Or is it a sense of inspiring one to deeds and duties and tasks
which must be performed in a very precise manner by a
widely admired example/inspiration/taskmaster? Is the attitude
one of a heart flooded with love toward a God who gave Himself as
a ransom for His people? Or is it one of fear and awe?
Think about it.
Museltof
2002