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Manifestly Apparent

Manifestly Apparent

Words of Faith 10-5-17

Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2017

Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com

Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL

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2 Corinthians 5

[11b] What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience.

 

         The Greek word translated "plain" has nothing to do with clothing style. A good translation is "manifestly apparent", transparent or plain for anyone to see. Who Paul was was plain for God and anyone else to see.

         Paul had sought to be completely transparent centuries before that talked about in popular circles. He lived among the Corinthians and the other believers in a way that was "manifestly apparent". Nothing about Paul and his colleagues was in any way hidden or veiled. He was "manifestly apparent" before both God and any conscience that might listen or observe. There was no "private Paul" that could be revealed through a hidden camera expose.

       This does not mean that Paul was a simpleton in dealing with people. In fact, he was very shrewd. He wrote to the Corinthians believers in his first letter to them--

   To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some (9:20-22).

       But Paul was also transparent. Was Paul duplicitous? Was he dishonest about who he was or his motives? Not at all. The amazing thing was that Paul worked to connect with all these different sorts of people and at the same time he lived a life of integrity. All that he did and who he was was "manifestly apparent". Paul never pretended to be someone he was not. But among observant Jews, he connected through that part of his heritage. Among cultural Jews, he connected through that culture. Among Gentiles, he connected through his Roman citizenship. Among those who were weak, he connected in weakness.

       In all this Paul was manifestly apparent. He was always clear about who he was and what his mission was. He was never afraid of how someone might respond. Today we might say of Paul "what you see is what you get". While the Apostle was quite a complex person, one did not have to be with him long to know the core of who he was and what he was about.

       The tendency in modern life is not to live the way that Paul did. We can find ourselves living rather fragmented lives in which we tend to be much more guarded toward people and even jaded toward the Gospel. People often compartmentalize their lives such that they appear one way in the work place and another way in the neighborhood and still another way on Sunday morning. The world loves to scandalize Christian believers by revealing their background secrets. What is the answer?

       We must realize that Christian believers will always fail the tests of perfection, will always make mistakes and may not respond in the best way under the glare of camera lighting. But we can live with integrity. Better to let our secrets be known than to think they will stay in the darkness. We can submit our lives and hearts to the Lord and to one another in a way that is "manifestly apparent". We can seek and find the dangerous but powerful place of transparency with other believers knowing that our lives are always manifestly apparent before the Lord. This is where we find an abundance of grace that is amazing.

         How are you doing in the transparent department? Are there two or three different versions of "you" running around town, depending on the crowd and the occasion? Maybe it is time to draw near to God and realize that who you are is manifestly apparent to Him.

 

       O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; You perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; You are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord. Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? Who I am is manifestly apparent to You and yet You have loved me with an everlasting love. Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Walk with me and draw me close to those You are saving that I may be manifestly apparent with them. In Jesus' Name.