Manifesting the Life of Jesus (Tamil) — Zac Poonen

God's Light in a Dark World

Brothers and sisters, we've been considering since the day before yesterday about the light of God. And we saw how way back in the beginning when the earth was covered with darkness, God said let there be light, teaching us that that is God's desire in a dark world.

If you were to look at this world from heaven, you would see it as a world covered with darkness. Spiritual darkness caused by sin, sin among all the unbelievers and a lot of sin among the believers and all sin brings darkness.

Darkness in the homes of unbelievers, darkness in the homes of believers. What is God's desire? Let there be light. What is that light? In the Old Testament, we read thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.

In Psalm 119, we also read the entrance of God's word gives light. The only light that this world had right up until Jesus came was the light in the Old Testament. It was a written word, commandments, laws.

But when Jesus came into the world and lived here for 33 years, he said, I am the light of the world. And we read a lovely verse in John 1 and verse 4. In Jesus Christ was life and that life was the light of the world.

It was not just the written word like in the Old Testament. It was more than a word, it was a light. See in the Old Testament, they could only proclaim the word of God and say that's the light. And any preacher who only proclaims the word is back into the old covenant.

But when Jesus came, he did not only proclaim the word though he did that. His word was backed up by his life because the word had become flesh in him. And so he could say, I am the light of the world.

And that light was a life. It was a life of humility. It was a life of total purity. It was a life of perfect love for people. It was a life of total submission to his heavenly father. He wasn't a rich man.

He did not excel in the scientific field or academics. Those are not the light. It was the life of God manifest in a human being. And after he went up to heaven, he sent the Holy Spirit. And when the Holy Spirit fills a person, he can be the light himself.

Believers as the Light of the World

You remember we saw that Jesus said in John 9 verse 5, as long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. But when he went up to heaven, he did not leave the world without a light. He told his disciples in Matthew Do you know what that means?

That means you and I should be able to stand up and say according to Matthew 5 .14, I am the light of the world. It's real. It's an awesome responsibility. This is what God desires. Jesus did not travel the whole world.

But he was the light of God in the place where God put him. You and I don't have to travel the world. Jesus traveled in a much smaller area than most of us have traveled. The state of Israel is only something like the size of Kerala.

A small state. That's all. Jesus stayed there. But in that small place called Israel, he was the light of the whole world. And he tells you and me, if you are a disciple of Jesus Christ, you are the light of the world.

In the midst of the darkness of sin, you and I have to demonstrate the purity and the humility of the life of Jesus Christ. The love that Jesus had for evil people, the forgiving attitude that Jesus had to people who killed him, his total purity, the pure way he behaved with women, the pure way in which he handled money.

If we fail in these areas, whatever else we may do, we have failed God. And if you claim to be a believer, my brother, sister, even if you never knew it till today, remember the Lord says to you, you are the light of the world.

And that same desire that God had right from the beginning in Genesis 1, let there be light. That is his desire in placing you wherever you are. If you work in an office and all surrounded by unbelievers, you are the light in that office.

If you live in an area of this town, you are a light in that area. If you are married, your home must be like a light in that area. The homes around you may fight and quarrel and yell and scream because that's darkness.

But in your home, there must be no fighting. There must be not the noise of quarreling and yelling in your house. That's what it means to be the light of the world. But very often Christians substitute activity for light.

We think God wants activity from us. No, light first of all. Activity, the devil has got plenty of it. If you turn to the book of Job, Job was the first book that God wrote in the Bible. I don't know whether all of you know that.

Genesis was written by Moses 1 ,500 years before Christ. But if you read the book of Job, there is no reference to Abraham, Isaac or Jacob. It's the only book in the Bible which has no connection with Abraham, Isaac or Jacob.

No reference to Moses or the law. It's very clear that Job lived long before Moses. So if Moses wrote Genesis, then Job was the first book in the Bible. And that's very interesting that when God decided to write a book for man, he wrote about a man of God.

And he wrote about a man of God about whom he could boast to the devil. Remember, that's the first book God is writing for mankind. No, there are two ways you can read the Bible. You can read it, you know, like a theological book that you study.

Or like you study a chemistry book and try to understand all the equations and all there. Or you can read the book with the light of the Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit will give you a glimpse into the heart of God.

That's the way you should read it. There was a great scientist who once said that all the discoveries in science were actually thinking the thoughts of God after him. See, there are so many laws that God has placed in science.

Millions of years ago, he placed those laws into this universe. Scientists discover those laws. That is thinking the thoughts of God many years after he taught them. No, we must read the Bible like that.

Thinking the thoughts of God after him. Not about scientific facts, but about the heart of God for man. And I want to encourage all of you to start reading the Bible like that. Ask for the Holy Spirit to give you light on his word, so that you can look into the heart of God through this book.

There is no book in the world like this. I have spent fifty years looking into this book to see the heart of God. And I discover things today, even now, new things. So when you think of the first book that God wrote for man, you see the heart of God there.

God's Witness Concerning Job

What do we see? God wants a man on earth whom he can point out to Satan and say, have you seen a man like that? This man who is living in this town, Satan, have you seen him? There I see the heart of God in his desire for man.

What does he say about Job? You know, when Satan came and stood before God, he asked Satan, where are you coming from? And Satan said in verse 7, Job 1 .7, I have been walking all over the earth. Satan roams around, he is in the second heaven, in the heavenlies, but he has got permission to roam around all over the earth.

Satan and the demons are walking around the earth. They are not in hell. Their headquarters are in the heavenlies. And from there they walk around the earth. And he is called the accuser of the brethren in Revelation chapter 12.

He goes around looking, looking, looking to see whom he can accuse. He is also called the deceiver of the whole world. He goes all over the world trying to deceive people. With false religions and even Christians, he seeks to deceive with a wrong understanding of God.

With a wrong understanding of the Bible and especially a wrong understanding of the meaning of the word grace. He is a deceiver of the whole world. If you don't allow the Holy Spirit to help you to look into the heart of God, the devil will deceive you left, right and center.

He is the deceiver of the world, but the accuser of the brethren. He doesn't accuse the world. He deceives the world. But Revelation 12 says he is the accuser especially of believers. Remember that when you accuse a believer, you are just holding hands with the devil.

We have to expose wrong doctrine, deception to bring the light of the world. But we are not called to accuse people. There is a lot of difference between exposing wrong doctrine and accusing people. But many Christians don't seem to understand that.

They mix up the two. When they expose wrong doctrine, they also accuse people. So, when the devil is moving around the world, he is looking for someone who claims to have faith in God. Nowadays, he is looking for those who claim to be Christians.

He is looking for those who say they are born again. And especially for those who say we are filled with the Holy Spirit. And he observes their lives very carefully to accuse them to God. This is what it says in Revelation 12.

He says, Oh God, look at that fellow. He says he is better than other Christians because he is born again. And he also says he is filled with the Spirit because he speaks in tongues. But look at the way he lives.

Look at the areas of his life other people don't see. Tell me God, is that your child? Is he your representative on earth? Don't you see what his life is like? Don't you know he is a hypocrite? Don't you see how he lives with his wife?

See how he has brought up his children? See all the unrighteousness and money in his life? And that sister who covers her head and looks so holy in the church? See how she talks to her husband at home?

She speaks in tongues, but see what tongue she uses to her husband at home? Is this your child? What can God say? God is not unrighteous to say, No, no, no, I shut my eyes to all that. It is all covered in the blood of Jesus.

That's what some preacher will tell you, but God doesn't say that. He is a righteous God. You say, but we have an advocate, Jesus Christ. But he is called in 1 John 2, a righteous advocate. He is not like earthly advocates who will cover up your sin and plead for you.

Unless you honestly acknowledge it and confess it, then he will do it. But if you cover it all up and pretend before people you are okay, Jesus the righteous advocate will never plead for you. And so the devil says, look at that hypocrite, look at that hypocrite, look at the other hypocrite.

God says, you are right. But, have you seen Joe? One man. I know Satan that I don't have many people. But have you seen Joe? When you read that, how do you feel? I remember many years ago when I was a young man, I read that.

Tremendous desire rose up in me. I said, Lord, in my generation, I want you to point to me. Not only me, I pray there will be many like that. I want to be one of those whom you can point out to the devil.

Say, examine his life. See his attitude to money. Look at the thoughts that go on in his mind. Look at the sites that he goes and looks at on the internet when he is on a computer. When nobody is watching, when nobody is watching him.

Go and live in his home 365 days and see how he talks to his wife. See how he has brought up his children. See how he relates to his co-workers. See the type of church he is trying to build. I want to ask you, my brother, sister.

Do you have a longing that God should be able to boast of you? What is your ambition in life? Is it just to go around doing something for God? No, some people say that. Why don't you do something for God?

Waiting for God's Will Instead of Religious Activity

You know what Jesus taught us to pray? Thy will be done on earth as it is done in heaven. The angels don't tell each other, come on, do something for God. You know what the angels in heaven do? Why do we need to know that?

Because Jesus taught us to pray, thy will be done in my life exactly like the angels do it in heaven. That's why I want to know how Gabriel does God's will in heaven. Because he taught me to pray thy will be done in my life on earth like that.

You know what Gabriel does? Or Michael or all the other angels? They don't run around doing something for God. They wait before God. God, what will you have me to do? They don't listen to the ideas and opinions of all the clever angels around them.

Human beings and Christian workers are like that. But not a man who knows God. He waits before his Father. The angels wait and God says, do this, they do that. And when they finish doing that, they come back and wait before him.

That is how God's will is done in heaven. If every angel went around trying to do something for God, there'd be total confusion in heaven. And if they came on earth trying to do something or the other for God, there'd be confusion on earth.

You see this picture in Mary and Martha. Martha wanted to do something for Jesus in the kitchen. But Mary, she waited waiting. Lord, I want to hear your word. You tell me to do something, I'll do it. And Martha who was busy doing so many things, was so irritated with Mary who just seemed to be sitting waiting.

This active type of Christians are always very irritated when anybody talks about waiting on the Lord. She comes to complain to Jesus. Jesus told her in Luke 10, 42. Martha, you're worried about so many things.

I'm not interested in all your activity. There is only one thing needful for man. And Mary has chosen the good part. Learn from her. It's not activity I want. Wait on me and do what I tell you to do. That's how Job was.

One man who was like a light for God in a dark world. I want to say to you my brothers and sisters, the world is much more dark today than in Job's time. Gross darkness has covered the earth like the Bible says.

You know what God is looking for? Not a lot of Christians who run around trying to do this that and the other. But burning shining lights. Not like these shooting stars. You know some Christians are like that.

They start out with great zeal and burning and shoot through. And a few years later, darkness. Darkness. Where is that star that was shining so brightly a few years ago? God doesn't want that. God wants us to be like those stars that burn and burn and burn and burn till the end of our lives.

And that is the life of Jesus. Even if you don't do much for the Lord, you would have done the greatest work for God if you burn as a light for Him wherever you are. So, no, there were many things Job had.

He had good family. He had a prospering business. But God doesn't say anything about all that. He says, Satan, have you seen Job, a man who has a tremendous fear of me? Now you got to look into the heart of God.

The Fear of God and True Holiness

When God looks for a man, what is he looking for? Job 1 verse 8. A blameless and upright man. He may have been a clever man, but that's not important. He was a very sharp businessman, not important. God had prospered his business tremendously, not even mentioned.

Many of us boast that God has blessed our business. It's true. God blessed Job's business. But God doesn't even mention that. Because there are a lot of ungodly people whose business is also prospering.

The richest people in the world are not Christians. That's not the mark of God's blessing. The mark of God's blessing is not that you got a PhD in your education. Because there are a lot of atheists who got PhD as well.

So, if you say God blessed you, then God blessed those atheists too. People who say Jesus makes me prosperous. Our Muslim friends say Allah has made them prosperous. I've heard that in the Gulf countries.

They say Allah has given all the oil to us Muslims. Allah has blessed the Muslims. Our Hindu friends say Lakshmi has blessed us. Which is right. Does Allah make people prosperous or Lakshmi make people prosperous or Jesus makes people prosperous?

It's a fantastic deception, this prosperity gospel. Because if the prosperity gospel is true, then we have to say that Allah and Lakshmi are doing a better job than Jesus. Because those people are hundred times richer than Christians.

That is the clearest proof that this is a deception. What is the mark of God's blessing? It's not money. It's not God blessing our business. It is God making us holy. Inwardly, in our thought life, in our speech, in our eyes, God doesn't make you pure in your eyes and pure in your thoughts and pure in your speech.

Every other thing that you call God's blessing is a deception. Have you seen Job, a perfect and an upright man? One who fears God. One who fears God means he shrinks back from sin. One of the best examples I can use is this.

If you put your hand on a hot stove, nobody has to tell you to pull your hand back. It's automatic. That is the picture I have of the fear of God. The very thought of sin, pull back. But if you have leprosy in your hand and your sensation is gone, you can put your hand on that hot plate and not feel anything.

The Bible speaks about people whose conscience is seared with a hot iron, whose conscience has developed leprosy. They don't fear God. They don't shrink back from sin. That's what God boasted about in Job.

Man who fears God and turns away from evil, he shrinks back from evil. Anything which is unrighteous shrinks back. Anything that's impure, he shrinks back. Do you know the number of young people who call themselves Christians who are watching internet pornography?

Christians who are singing songs on Sundays, they don't shrink back and they make excuses. What to do brother? I didn't want to go there. It came up. It doesn't come up. I have sat in computers for many, many years.

I use a computer every day almost. How is it I have never once gone to a pornographic site till today? It doesn't come up. You choose to go. If you don't want to go, you don't have to go. So, don't find excuses saying, oh it comes up.

It never comes up unless you choose it. As long as you find excuses for your sin, you will only sink deeper and deeper into it. Do you know what is the greatest need among believers today? It is to fear God and shrink back from evil.

Have you ever felt bad in your heart because sometime during the day, you spoke a rude word to somebody? Have you spoken rudely to somebody and immediately felt convicted? It happens. We can slip up sometimes.

A God fearing Christian is not one who never falls. But if he does fall, he shrinks back immediately. Just like if you were walking outside and you fall down, you don't lie there even for one minute. If you can fall into any sin and lie down there for one minute, one minute, if you are going to be there for one minute, you don't fear God.

I think of the illustration of a pig and a cat. You see, a pig can fall into dirty water, but it sort of enjoys it. Now a cat can also fall into dirty water, but its reaction is different. It doesn't stay there for one minute.

It won't stay there for 15 seconds. It comes out immediately and licks itself clean. That's the difference between a believer falling into sin and an unbeliever falling into sin. Yeah, a believer can fall.

A God fearing man may fall. He shrinks back immediately. If that doesn't happen in your life, you must say to yourself, I do not fear God. I cannot be a light for God in this world. You may give money for God's work.

You may go to church every Sunday. You may read the Bible for half an hour religiously every morning. You may be a pastor or anything, but you are not a light for God. You are not a light for Jesus in the world.

The life of Jesus is not shining through you. And I believe this is the main area where Christians need to repent. There are many things we need to repent of. But number one, that we don't fear God as we should.

That's what God is looking for. Are you going to change now that you hear God's word? Have you seen something in the heart of God of what God desires for you? Job lived in the Old Testament before the law.

So he could not have the standard of life that we have today. Job's life was an up and down life. In the beginning when he lost his property and his children, the light shone brightly. He said, I came naked.

The Lord has given and the Lord has taken away. Praise the Lord. He didn't sin. Then next he lost his health. He said, God can give me adversity or blessing, I will accept both. He didn't sin. But after a few days, when the reality of what he has lost and his sickness hit him, then he began to complain.

Why have you made me a target for your arrows, oh God? And then sometimes he would rise up again. Even if God slays me, I will trust him. And then he would sink into the dumps again. Oh, I had such a good life, why is God treating me like this?

And then again he would rise up. He would say, I know my Redeemer lives. His life was up and down and up and down. But for us, the light is not the life of Job. It's the life of Jesus. It's not even the life of Elijah.

The Life of Jesus Rather Than the Life of Elijah

I remember when I was encouraging people to live a life totally free from discouragement. One brother who was a full-time worker, he told me, brother, even Elijah the prophet was depressed. Who am I?

I said, brother, if Elijah is the author and finisher of your faith, you better be depressed. But the author and finisher of my faith is not Elijah, it's Jesus Christ. But the author and finisher of my faith is not Elijah, it's Jesus Christ.

Can you show me some place in the Bible where Jesus sits under a juniper tree and says, Oh, Father, take away my life? He could never be depressed. He was always triumphant. The devil was scared of him.

Do you know my brother and sister? If you make Jesus the author and finisher of your faith, the devil will be scared of you. The Bible says he will run away from you. He will not walk. The Bible says he will flee.

He couldn't do that in the Old Testament. But when the life of Jesus comes into us, and you really live that spirit-filled life, your life will not be this up-and-down life. Most believers, if they are honest in their testimony, they will have to say their life is an up-and-down and up-and-down and up-and-down.

Sometimes on the mountaintop, especially after a meeting or a conference, and then a few days later down in the dumps, and then some other conference or some revival meeting or some message or book, they are up again.

Up and down and up and down. This is a mark of life without the Holy Spirit. You always need something to prop you up. But the life of Jesus, in him was life and that life was the light of man. The question is this, can we have the life of Jesus in us?

The Old Covenant and the New Covenant

Is it really true or is it just sort of a figure of speech? I want to show you something in 2 Corinthians 3 and 4, which you may not have seen till now. I am constantly discovering amazing things in this book.

Because it is the word of God. There is a depth here like a well from which you can keep on drawing water and it never finishes. It is like a river, the water is always fresh. Now here is the difference between old covenant under Moses and new covenant under Jesus.

You know, in your Bible it is written old testament, new testament. But that is what man has put there. There is nowhere in the Bible where God calls the 39 books old testament and the 27 books new testament.

It is all man's interpretation. It is 66 books which is the word of God. We need all of it. But there is an old covenant that God made with Israel through Moses. Hebrews 8 says that has been abolished.

Like British Raj was abolished from India 62 years ago. Like British Raj was abolished from India 62 years ago. Like British Raj was abolished from India 62 years ago. Like British Raj was abolished from India 62 years ago.

Like this, God made an old covenant with man. But many Christians are living under the old covenant. They live under rules and regulations. In the new covenant, all those rules have been replaced by the Holy Spirit.

You don't need the old covenant. Of course you need it if you don't have the Holy Spirit. Of course you need it if you don't have the Holy Spirit. Because the old covenant is better than no covenant. But the good news is that there is a new covenant.

Where God works inside us to desire His will and to do His will. Where God works inside us to desire His will and to do His will. He says, I will write my laws in your mind and in your heart. Do you know what that means?

In the old testament, He wrote it on two tablets of stone and gave it to Moses. It was outside. Keep it. And when a preacher tells you God's laws and says keep it, that's sort of old testament. And when a preacher tells you God's laws and says keep it, that's sort of old testament.

But in the new covenant, that is God's word. But God says, Hebrews 8 verse 10 -12 I will write those laws not outside, I will write them in your mind and in your heart. I don't have to write it. If I try to write it, it will be like Abraham producing Ishmael.

It will fail. When God writes it, it will be supernatural, it will be like Isaac. In the Bible, the Holy Spirit is called the finger of God. It's with the Holy Spirit that He writes His laws in our mind and heart.

It's with the Holy Spirit that He writes His laws in our mind and heart. That is why the most important need for Christians is to be baptized in the Holy Spirit and fire. I am not surprised that the devil has made that the most controversial doctrine in Christianity.

Or just made speaking in tongues as the only mark of it. No, it's a baptism of fire. It sets my tongue on fire. It purifies my speech. It purifies my thought life. It purifies my heart from all bitterness and grudges and all that.

And I have to live in that baptism of fire. That the Holy Spirit keeps on giving me the life of Jesus inside. I am not speaking theory, my brothers and sisters. I remember the days, my early days in Christian life, I was a thorough backslider even after being born again.

I never knew the life of victory for many years. Till God broke me. And showed me this wonderful life, the life in the fullness of the Holy Spirit. So I want you to see something in 2 Corinthians 3. He is comparing the old covenant with the new covenant.

The Veil of the Old Covenant and Increasing Glory

And he says in the old covenant, verse 13, chapter 3, verse 13. Moses put a veil over his face. He used to go up to the mount and talk to God. And his face would be shining. And when he came down, he put a veil over his face.

Now if you read in the old covenant. You will see that this was because people were afraid to look at him. You read in Exodus 34. When I read the old covenant, I thought that was the only reason. He put a veil so that people don't get frightened with his glory.

I read in 2 Corinthians 3, there was another reason. Underneath that veil, that shining face was slowly dying out. The glory was becoming less and less and less every day. And it says here in verse 13.

Read it carefully. Moses did not want people to see this glory fading away. So he covered it. That is exactly how many Christians are. There is a glory they came into when they were born again. Or when they were first filled with the Holy Spirit.

But after some years. They know that they are becoming a little careless in their thought life. They are losing their temper a bit here and there. They don't want people to see this glory fading away.

So they put a mask. Lord, don't let anybody see what's going on inside. The glory fading away slowly. Outwardly it looks all fine. The Bible has a word for such people. Hypocrite. Actor. But it is the old covenant that was the best life you could have.

You get a glory. It could be in a meeting like this where you get challenged and the glory shines into your heart. And you make resolutions. I am going to do this. I am going to do that. And after a few days.

Things are not so smooth and peaceful in your home. You have been to slip up in your thought life. You can't afford to let people see it because you have given such a powerful testimony. So. You put a veil over your face.

That is the mark of an old covenant Christian. The glory becomes less and less and less till the next meeting comes along. But in the new covenant, if you really enter into the new covenant. It is the opposite.

It says we turn to the Lord. Verse 16. And the veil is taken away. That veil is the Holy Spirit. Sorry. That Lord is the Holy Spirit. Verse 17. And we have taken away this veil. Verse 18. We have nothing to hide.

Unveiled face. Unveiled face. Let everybody look straight into me. Into my heart. Into my thoughts. Into my financial matters. Into my home everywhere. I don't have to pull the veil over my bank account or my house or any area.

I don't have to pull a veil over my thought life. Unveiled face. Why? Because the glory, unlike the old covenant where it was becoming less and less and less. Here, it says it is going from one degree of glory to another to another to another.

That is new covenant. That means I become holier every year. I shrink back from sin much quicker this year than I did last year. And if I walk like that, by the end of 2010, the reaction will be much quicker.

Dear brothers and sisters. Has the devil robbed you of this new covenant life? Kept you satisfied with this veil underneath which you are trying to pretend to be a very holy Christian? It is very difficult to be a Christian where you always got to be on your guard lest the real person slip out.

Now if you tell a dog to act like a cat. Always say, meow, meow, meow. You can try for some time. You can try for some time. But when somebody irritates it, it will say, bow, bow. This is how many Christians are.

They always try to pretend to be nice Christians, speak nicely and all that till somebody really scratches them and hurts them. I want to tell you there is a better life. Either 2 Corinthians 3 .18 is the word of God or it is rubbish fit to be thrown in the garbage bin.

There is a life where we grow from glory to glory to glory, not backwards. That is the path of the righteous. Proverbs 4 .18, the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn that shines brighter, brighter, brighter like the sun shining in the sky.

Manifesting the Life of Jesus in the Believer

And then in 2 Corinthians 4 it is explained. Verse 6, the same God who shone light into that darkness has now shined into our hearts. The earth could not struggle and produce light and neither can I produce light no matter how hard I struggle.