Occasionally we can hear someone say “I see God in you.” Are they actually seeing God in us or are they just observing a reflection of what they recognize as the nature of God? Is our activity reflecting the Eternal One accurate? Are we angry and condemning or loving and enlightening?
While an element of God is in every person as the spirit of life, (a) [see end notes for all Scriptures] should anyone dare to boast that God is in me? Jesus did not even entertain such a thought because he “did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped.” (b) We do not want to entertain the Garden of Eden lie that “You will be like God.” (c) So it is appropriate to ask, how can God move in and through us?
The Spirit Of Life In Us
The spirit in us is the connective link that enables us to sense God’s presence and to interact with Him. Everyone has an aspect of God’s Spirit, even if not consciously aware of it. Our awareness enables us to respond to God in our times, before we consciously exit this natural life and our spirit returns to Him. (d)
The spirit of life makes each person an “offspring of God.” (e) This is why we can sense His presence of spirit without a natural sighting. As we respond to God’s guidance, we live more as maturing children. (f) Our spirit also enables us to perceive each other’s character, attitude and personality (CAP) traits.
We are “created” to be “made” in God’s “image and likeness,” (g) to reflect and resemble Him. It is very obvious that we are a work in progress. Remember, “It is God who is at work in you” and we are to “work out your salvation.” (h) While God is making and forming us, we work-it-out in this natural life.
Each experience we have with God encourages improving and transforming adjustments. While refining changes can begin in an instant, most improvements come in small enlightening doses, moments. God invites us to be “transformed by the renewing of your mind,” (i) so we think and believe appropriately.
Our response to God’s guidance is what actually transforms us “from glory to glory,” (j) into who we are created to be; responsive children that mature into reflections and resemblances of our Eternal Father.
There are two passages in our Bible that say: “you are a temple of God” (k) and you are “growing into a holy temple in the Lord…into a dwelling of God.” (l) These verses however are written to groups, not to an individual. Jesus even said His presence would be in our interacting conversations. (m) In this life, God dwells in our worshipful interaction, in “us.” Together, “we” are the temple of God.
The spirit in us is the connective link that enables us to sense God’s presence and to interact with Him.
Absorbing Presence
When Jesus ascended out of natural sight, he returned to function “with the glory I had with You before the world was.” (n) What was the glory Jesus had with God before the creation? In the beginning of creation God’s spoken Word (Greek – logos) functioned as His creative expression. God’s spoken Word (logos) eventually was uniquely birthed into this world as a son of man. Jesus was getting ready to leave natural sight and return to function once again as the un-fleshed expression of God.
A few days later, Jesus returned to this 
world on that Day of Pentecost, to baptize people in the Spirit of God, just as Jesus and John the Baptist announced. (o) The Greek word translated as “baptism” actually means “immersion.” Baptisms are immersion experiences in the presence of God’s Spirit.
Peter declared on that day that they were observing what the prophet Joel heard God say: “I will pour forth My Spirit upon all mankind.” (p) On that very day, it was reported that in the city of Jerusalem alone, over 3,000 people received immersions in the empowering presence of God’s Spirit. (q)
Baptism immersions are personal experiences that encourage us to personally fellowship with God’s abiding presence. Just like a sponge, our spirit absorbs aspects from His presence and we briefly feel filled with His Spirit. Our absorption can even appear to ooze or drip from us as inspiring expressions.
However, the over-flow effect of a sponge tends to diminish if not immersed often. Such experiences in God’s presence can happen anytime and anywhere. In such times we can receive a delivering release, an enlightening insight, a gifting, an empowering anointing, or simply a strong sense of His love.
Our spirit is the conduit that absorbs from the Spirit of God-in-Christ and becomes “the anointing which you received.” (r) While the spirit in us is the link that enables us to receive from the presence of God, our soaking experiences greatly enhance our soul’s maturing development.
It is our soul’s conscious mind, will and emotion that receive the empowering deliverances, inspirational insights, and clarifying directions. Our time with the presence of God-in-Christ Jesus helps us become better expressions in everyday life of the light and love of our heavenly Father.
Our time with the presence of God-in-Christ Jesus helps us become better expressions in everyday life.
Influencing Presence
God’s expressive Word (logos) is revealed to us today as “Emmanuel, which…means ‘God with us’.” (s) The enabling presence of God is manifested (is visible) “with us,” (t) “in our midst,” (u) and “among us.” (v) God-in-Christ is the guiding light that enables us to improve and become better shining lights. (w)
We can understand more clearly when we look closely at the Scripture’s use of the word “Christ.” The primary Greek word is chrio, which means “to anoint.” (x) The variable christos, which means “anointed,” (y) is often translated as “Jesus the Christ” (the anointed) (z) and several times as “Jesus Christ” (anointed one). Almost every time “Christ” appears in the Bible it comes from christos.
There are a multitude of passages in Scripture that simply say Christ. We tend to use Christ (christos) today as a surname for Jesus. This overlooks the fact that many of these Scriptures could actually be speaking of the anointing presence of God that comes to responders, who become anointed ones.
Jesus even said “The Spirit of the Lord is ‘upon Me’, because He ‘anointed’ Me.” (aa) Jesus was anointed to illustrate God’s purpose for each of us. We are all created to be reflections and resemblances (image and likeness) of God, similar to the anointed Jesus; we are children of God and man. (bb)
Our movement from offspring to children is much like the old Hebrew custom. Children were taught and disciplined primarily by their mother until the age of 13. Then the child was trained by the father into a productive skill. The child was also instructed on how to appropriately represent his father. (In business a son was respected as representing the father)
When we accept God’s call into fellowship, we become more than offspring that learns and is disciplined by this natural life. As “born again” (reborn from above), (cc) we become more responsive to God’s guiding presence and learn to live as good representatives of our heavenly Father. As we are attentive to God’s guidance, we learn how to be more accurate sons of God. (dd)
Jesus cautioned us about deciding who is or is not reborn and led by the Spirit. “The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” (ee) We can only observe the evidence expressions provide.
So, how often are we entertaining God’s presence and seeking His insightful direction? Do we sense His influencing presence in the midst of our interactions? If this is not often, then we may need a re-soaking in His presence, so our expressions continue to be more like our heavenly Father!
God-in-Christ is the guiding light that enables us to improve and become better shining lights.
a) Genesis 2:7; b) Philippians 2:5-6; c) Genesis 3:5; d) Ecclesiastes 12:7; e) Acts 17:22-29; f) John 1:12; g) Genesis 1:26-27; h) Philippians 2:12-13; i) Romans 12:2; j) 2 Corinthians 3:18); k) 1 Corinthians 3:16-17; l) Ephesians 2:19-22; m) Matthew 18:20; n) John 17:5; o) Mark 1:8; Acts 1:5; p) Acts 2:14-17; 10:45; Joel 2:28; q) Acts 2:1-4, 41; r) 1 John 2:27; s) Matthew 1:23; Hebrews 13:5; t) Ephesians 2:6; u) Matthew 18:20; v) Exodus 34:9; Joshua 3:10; w) Matthew 5:16; Isaiah 60:1; x) Acts 4:27; 10:38; y) Mathew 1:16; 27:17; Hebrews 3:14; Philippians 2:5; Acts 3:20; z) John 20:31; Acts 3:20; 5:42; 9:22; 17:3; 18:5, 28; 1 John 2:22; 5:1; aa) Luke 4:18; bb) Colossians 1:15-17; cc) John 3:3, 7; dd) John 1:12; 8:12; 12:36; ee) John 3:8
Keith Carroll, “The Relationship Guy”
Relational Gospel Founder
Created To Relate author