He who has seen me has seen the Father. (John 14:9)
When God raised you from death to life, it was not so that He could simply add another Christian to His family of faith. Rather, He was adding another “congruent Christian” to His family of faith who would put the love and grace and faithfulness of God on display before a watching world. This is what I call the “Currency of Congruency.”
When Jesus said, “If you have seen me, you have seen the Father,” He was telling us to look at Him to see what the Father was like. Why? Because the life of Christ was completely congruent to the Father. Having taken on human flesh, Jesus lived a life that displayed exactly what His Father in heaven was like. When someone saw Jesus, they saw the Father also, because of the cosmic congruency in which Jesus lived out His life here on earth. As John wrote in the unforgettable introduction to his gospel, “No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known” (John 1:18).
Congruency is God’s currency in the Christian life. As it has been said, “You are the only Bible some people will ever read!” When the unbelieving world is watching us, what do they learn about the truths of the Gospel and our God? This was the admonition Paul gave to the Philippian church: “Conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ” (Philippians 1:27). When we are living incongruent lives, the world has no idea what our God is like. Worse still, the world gets a false impression of what God is like. To fail in our lives to do what we profess with our lips is to paint a distorted picture of the Divine.
Now, I am not suggesting in any way that you and I can live a perfect life of congruency. Only one Man—Jesus Christ—has ever done that. But I am saying that we should desire to live a perfect life of congruency like Jesus lived. Knowing that we will frequently fall short of that goal should in no way keep us from pursuing the kind of life that is pleasing to God, because it puts on display the truths of the Gospel.
I remember being brought up short the first time I was asked, “How attractive do you make God?” I understand that God is already attractive; but the point of the question is, am I living in such a way that others see a reflection of who God truly is and how He relates to us? I’ve said it here many times before, but it bears repeating: You are the only Bible that some people will ever read. Do your attitudes and actions proclaim the love and grace of God to others?
Let me ask you: “How attractive do you make God?” What kind of God do others see when they see you living out your life? Make no mistake, there should be a clear connection between the Gospel we preach and the Gospel we put into practice. Remember, God told us about His Gospel in the Scriptures, but He showed us His Gospel on the hill Golgotha. The Son was the Father’s Currency of Congruency on Calvary, and it is the call of every Christian to live congruent lives. May God help us to do just that!
This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!
Grace for the Race 