In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit. Ephesians 1:11-13
I met one of my favorite preachers without meeting them. Let me explain. One of my close friends got the opportunity to drive this particular preacher to the airport. Afterward, my friend told me all about their conversation and explained how humble the man was. Before this, I had only heard a few sermons online. My respect for the renowned preacher didn’t come directly; instead, it went through the enthusiastic report of another friend.
Perhaps this is a bit of what it means to be seen through the person of Jesus. Jesus gets to relay our character to the Father and Spirit. The illustration breaks down, but the point is that our personalities are known from the perspective of the one who loved us so much that he died for us. It may sound strange but imagine Jesus explaining who you are to someone. He explains how much he loves you. He tells them about the gifts that you have and the dreams he sees you fulfilling. Jesus isn’t blind to our faults, but he sees past them into the person and character of who he is making us be, not who we often are.
Imagine if we began to see each other through the lens of Christ. What would that look like? We would begin to love each other so differently. We would see past our brokenness and into the persons that Jesus is making us.
This week, experiment with this approach. Ask yourself what God sees in people around you. Perhaps start with a loved one who you interact with often. What will they be like when they are healed fully in eternity? Love and interact with that version of them.
by Aaron Bjorklund
Note. To access scripture links that don’t appear in the email version, read the differently formatted web version in your browser.
