The entrance of Jesus in our hearts brings true knowledge of God in us, for who would know the Father except the Son and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. Jesus, responding directly to Philip (John 14:9) and in the hearing of other disciples, proclaimed that anyone who has seen Him the Son, has already seen the Father. For the Son is the Father expressed - the Word of God. The One who communicates and breathes God to us. The Immanuel or "God With Us." Or to put it in another way, the "Father With Us."

The church that Jesus built has the true knowledge of God. What really defines the true Christian church is that she believes or recognizes Jesus as the Son of God and that He has come in the flesh, and that He is Lord. Another strong indication of a true church is the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit as He was given to the church, giving her the power, love and sound doctrine to be as Christ’s witness. Another indication of a true church is her understanding of the grace in the gospel of Christ. There is no way for a man to earn his salvation but he can just receive it as a gift from God by virtue of placing his faith on the Savior Jesus.

As we have Christ in our hearts, or as we have the knowledge of God within us, it places us to that most honorable position; to the most exalted position, that is, in the heavenly realms with Christ Jesus. But that exalted position is also the state of the emptied self, hence, Christ’s Spirit fills our empty selves, and His glory rests upon us. We have come to His resting place only when we have been converted and become His little children. There should be nothing more evident than our lowliness or littleness or meekness before His greatness. Every knee; every part of us, bow and pay homage to his greatness. That is why, John the Baptist said that our Lord Jesus must become greater and that he, John, must become less. Because no servant is greater than the Master, and no student is greater than The Teacher.

When Christ saw the faith of the paralytic and those who carried him, He rewarded their faith (call it effort, perseverance and persistence in coming to Jesus). Here, faith and humility are shown in their seeking the Lord until he is found. A humble soul is one who recognizes the value of the Son that was sent. It is a matter of life and death. Life to those who have Him and death to those who have Him not.

For us who received Christ already and had so much zeal once, must we now cave in to the spirit of idleness? Must we now cave in to a little slumber here and there and so become lukewarm as the Laodecians? Could we now hear Him say to us, "You call me Lord, Lord and do not do what I say?" The true church of Christ holds on to His teaching and preaches the good news and the grace in the good news.

When we first saw the light of the gospel, we were so humbled by our knowledge of a God who has given by grace the gift of salvation. Grace is a favor from God freely given to those who humbly come before Him. Grace and truth came through Christ. So we could not boast that by our own works we have come to the kingdom of light or to the knowledge of it. Rather we have come to the kingdom with our emptiness. That is why God said in Isa 55:1:

"Ho! Everyone who thirsts,Come to the waters;And you who have no money, Come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price..." (NKJV)

We have no money in this world that can buy the heavenly riches. In fact, what God wants us to do is to buy the heavenly jewels with our nothingness. They are priceless, yet they are free. Freely and generously given only to those who are poor in spirit - the humble or the humbled ones.

TRUE RELIGION and the TRULY RELIGIOUS

by Vic Veloria

James 1:27
27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. (KJV)

True religion denotes an intimate relationship with our Lord Jesus. Christ's passion and compassion are in the truly religious to:

• Move and act like Him, especially for the welfare of the poor and needy in society (agape love compels you).
• Act not in conformance to the world but in obedience to the Holy Spirit in order to be conformed to the likeness of God's obedient Son.

In an effort to make clear what Christianity is all about, some theologians have chosen to make these two words, religion and relationship, as two entirely opposing ideas. The word religion becomes negative, where, for one, it means that you are outside of intimacy with Christ. So when they say that you only have religion, they actually mean you do not have relationship with Christ. However, as we consult the Bible, these two words go hand in hand. Religion is not devoid of Christ nor the word religious is devoid of identification with Christ and devotion to Him when applied to a Christian.

Being religious in the above verse simply means being like Christ in His mercy and justice; in His holiness and righteousness.

Hence, do not be afraid to be religious. It is what Christ wants His little children to be.