Jun 8
Week
Rick Joyner

       To have a Christian worldview is to view the world as Christ does. The way we attain this is not by viewing the world, but by seeing Christ and being changed into His image as we behold His glory. Only when we become like Him in nature will we be able to see as He does. For this reason, the chief devotion of every Christian should be to see the Lord as He is, not as we want Him to be, and to keep Him as our first love and first devotion. We see this in II Corinthians 3:17-18:          

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.

         As we are told here, we must see the Lord’s glory with “an unveiled face” to be changed into His image. The veils that cause us to distort His image, also distort what we are changed into. Many have a distorted view of Christ and the world, because they have not removed their veils—their prejudices, opinions, or the effects of their wounds, disappointments, rejection, or other mistreatment. If they have had a harsh life, then they can tend to see the Lord as harsh. If they have had an easy life or have been spoiled, they may tend to see Him as their divine bellhop who exists to do their bidding.

         The Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians that they were still carnal because they had divisions. Some claimed to follow Paul, some Peter, some Apollos, and some Christ. Though it may seem that to follow Christ is the right answer, Paul chastised them all because they were using this as a point to divide over. As we mature, we will see how Paul presented an important aspect of Christ, and how Peter, Apollos, and others do the same.

         That’s why Paul did not say that he had the mind of Christ, but he said, “We have the mind of Christ” (see I Corinthians 2:16). No one person can contain the mind of Christ, but it is as we come together that we have His mind. As we begin to see this, we understand how an evangelist, who has been beholding the glory of the Lord, who is The Evangelist, is revealing that aspect of Christ. Another who has been beholding the glory of the Lord as The Teacher, having been changed into a teacher by this, is revealing that aspect of Him. As we mature to see this, we see that the unity we are called to in the body of Christ is not a unity of conformity but a unity of diversity.

         For this reason, the mature get excited when they meet others who have a different perspective of Christ than they do and open their hearts to learn from them. In this way, the hand does not say to the foot, “I have no need of you,” but we begin to see how different parts of the body fit together and are necessary.

         As stated in I Corinthians13:12, we see in part, know in part, and prophesy in part, so no one has the whole picture until they learn to put their part together with what others have. We must also do this to see Christ and to see with His eyes. This obviously requires humility. Since God gives His grace to the humble, we should all be in pursuit of humility.

         Our basic goal is to see the Lord as He is and to be changed into His image, so that we will see with His eyes and understand with His heart. It is not possible to see the Lord as He is without loving Him more, because He is love. To love God and walk in His love is the ultimate quest, fulfillment, and joy that we can know on this earth. We will not see anyone or anything accurately unless we have His love for them. This is why we are told in Philippians 1:9:

   And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment.

         Real knowledge, or accurate knowledge, and discernment will only be had by those whose love is abounding, or growing. We will never know anyone or discern anyone accurately if we do not love them. If God so loved the world that He would send His Son to redeem it on the cross, His true followers will also love the world enough to lay down their lives for its salvation. Our sacrifice on its behalf is not for atonement, but so that the atonement of Christ will be manifest.