SWORD OF THE SPIRIT                                                                                               1186

“Palpable Christianity”

For the cloud of the Lord was on the tabernacle by day, and fire was in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel throughout all their journeys. – Exodus 40:38

The presence of the Lord was palpable to the Israelites during the Exodus. Something is palpable when it is tangible, noticeable and manifest and this was certainly the case with the pillar of cloud and fire.

Moses had a special relationship with the Lord, meeting and speaking with Him on the mountain and in the tent of meeting. The fact that he had been in God’s presence would make his face glow which was tangible evidence to the people that he had been with the Lord.

When Moses came down from Mount Sinai…Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God… – Exodus 34:29-35

Later we see how the apostles, empowered by the Holy Spirit provided tangible evidence of the presence of God in their lives to those around them.

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus. – Acts 4:13

What about you and me today? How palpable is our Christianity to the world around us? Do our actions cause others to say, ‘They have been with Jesus’ or do our actions cause them to say ‘Hypocrites!’ because our actions are not in alignment with our stated Christian values and beliefs?

For some who desire to walk a compromised path with one foot in the world and the other in Christianity it is easier for them to ‘hide’ their profession of faith when in the worldly contexts of life. This is not the way that Jesus wants us to be.

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. – Matthew 5:14-16

Walking a compromised path is a snare not only to ourselves but also to others. Jesus was quite blunt and scathing in His statements about being a stumbling block to others. Can you imagine how Peter felt when Jesus told him he was a stumbling block to Him?

But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” – Matthew 16:23

If we do not strive for integrity in our Christian lifestyle, what example are we setting for others, especially for children? Jesus expressed woe to those who cause children to sin.

…whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes! – Matthew 18:5-7

We are called to palpable Christianity. As born-again Christians we have the manifest presence of Christ in us. Our faces may not glow, but our lifestyle – our day-to-day actions – speak louder than any words we may preach. For some people we are the only ‘bible’ they may read.

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? – 1 Corinthians 6:19

I know that this is a challenging word. It challenged Peter and he overcame the weakness of his flesh by the power of the Holy Spirit. We too can overcome the fleshes desire to compromise with the world by the same Spirit of God.

May you be a palpable Christian. May those you meet through divine encounters and throughout your daily life recognize the presence of Jesus in you and give glory to the Father.