You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

Sweet mystery, God has revealed myself to me.  I find myself in Christ, by God’s grace, through faith.  I now see myself in Christ, as does the Father.  We are reborn into the Christ-life, into the Christ-like life.  The Christ-like life is the nature of new life in Christ, the life known by the Father.

This life seeks the light.  Born of Christ, it seeks out Christ, and lives its devotion to Christ boldly in the open.  In John 3, Nicodemus comes to Jesus under cover of darkness.  In the course of their conversation Jesus says,

“Whoever does truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.”
John 3:21 New International Version

Most translations have “Whoever lives by the truth,” but it literally says “does truth.”  We live Jesus, who is the Truth.  We live as Jesus would live.  We live in the light.  This life draws attention not to God, not to us.  This life is possible only through the Lord.  The Father sees us in Christ, the world sees Christ in us, as we live out God’s grace.

Here is where Christian spiritual disciplines fit into the life of Christ’s disciples.  The Word of God births faith, new life and our journey with Christ.  In Baptismal grace we live the new life in Christ.  In the Eucharist we commune with Christ and so with one another in true community.  Just here, prayer is constantly practicing God’s presence.  Prayer (especially such forms as Contemplative Prayer, Lectio Divina and Centering Prayer) is a spiritual discipline which grows the holy conversation with God.  In this conversation He knows us deeply and we grow in knowing ourselves, while growing in our love for Him.

These kinds of practices open us fully to God, being known fully by His love for us in Christ.  In His knowledge of us, we discover ourselves, we learn a new definition for human thought, conversation and behavior.  We seek the light, live boldly in Christ, doing the truth.

Click here to read Part I, “Knowing” God
Click here to read Part II, “Knowing God”

Text copyright Don Schatz