Christ’s character is the fruit of the Spirit. When we abide in Christ, the Holy Spirit will enable us to bear love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (John 15:4–5, Galatians 5:22–23). This is one of His key ministries. Each of the virtues of the Spirit’s fruit was demonstrated by Christ in His relationships. When we exhibit these virtues, we reveal Christ’s character, which becomes our character. The world will then see Jesus in us and through us.
Another ministry of the Holy Spirit is to give us spiritual gifts, enabling us to do the work of Christ. Jesus told His disciples, “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing” (John 14:12). When Jesus is incarnated in us, we become His ears, His mouth, His hands, and His feet.
The church is now the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27), which we all are members of. As we manifest Christ, we function as parts of His body.
Some of us can act as Christ’s ears, listening as people pour out their griefs and woes. Whether it is a lonely child, a dying woman, or an imprisoned criminal, we can help begin the healing process in them. In a world that revolves around self-centredness, we can demonstrate how Jesus still ministers to those who are suffering.
Others can function as Jesus’ mouth, bringing life-giving words to those desperately in need of them. It could be a colleague in the office, a neighbour, a distant relative, a stranger in the airport, a postman or cleaner, a construction worker, a refugee, or a widow. As apprentices of Jesus, we are to learn how to speak the words of Jesus—not with shallow clichés and unhelpful generalities, but with a “well-instructed tongue” that speaks “the word that sustains the weary” (Isaiah 50:4).
Through our hands, Christ can reach out to touch the grieving and hurting with healing and comfort. While He was on earth, Jesus touched lepers (Matthew 8:3)—something that others would never do for fear of becoming infected, and also because it would make them ritually impure—and gave them dignity and healing. He was always ready to act radically and compassionately—and to touch the untouchable.
And one of Christ’s followers who did just that was Mary Reed, an American missionary to India. After visiting a leper colony and witnessing their suffering, she decided to minister to them, which involved touching them and nursing their wounds. Soon, she caught the disease herself, and moved into the leper colony, where she became its chief. That position allowed her to preach Christ, which resulted in many converts and the establishment of a church within the colony. Reed served Christ in the colony until she died in 1943 at the age of 84. Through her hands, lepers saw the hands of Jesus and felt His loving touch, and turned to Christ in response.
Consider this:
What does it mean to carry the character of Christ in us and to carry on His ministry through our lives? How does the Holy Spirit enable us to do this? Reflect on your own experience and assess how much of your life is a vehicle for the incarnation of Christ.
Excerpted and adapted from Finding Rest for the Soul: Responding to Jesus’ Invitation in Matthew 11:28–29 by Robert M. Solomon. © 2016 by Robert M. Solomon. Used by permission of Discovery House Publishers. All rights reserved.
Related Resources:
Compassion: Learning to Love Like Jesus.. Displaying the character of Christ is not always easy, especially in a society that promotes selfish ambition. Discover how you can become a channel of God’s love and kindness when you follow the example of Christ—the One whose compassion never fails. Find out more here.
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