Manifesting the Life of God
(week 50/02)
Olubi Johnson
2 Corinthians 4:10-11 (KJV) Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.
Here, the scripture tells us God wants the life of Jesus to be manifest in our physical bodies here on earth by bearing about in our body the dying of the Lord Jesus always.
In other words, we reveal Jesus’ life in our bodies by dying.
What does this mean, and how does it happen?
This is what we will be looking at in our article this week.
Recall that the life of God is the spiritual substance inside God that makes Him God. The Bible calls it living water. It is the very substance and being of God.
When we get born again we receive this life into our spirits giving us the witness of the Spirit that we are children of God (Rom. 8. 16).
As we grow spiritually this life begins to enlighten our minds causing us to have a clearer knowledge of God (Eph. 1. 17, 18). It also refines our emotions in our souls, causing us to become more like God in our character (Gal. 5.24).
Then God also wants this life to be made manifest or revealed in our physical bodies.
God’s purpose is for His life to transform us completely: spirit, soul and body (1 Th. 5. 23).
What does this mean and how does it take place?
The life of God manifests in our flesh or bodies at three levels:
Supernatural strength to pray and lead a fasted life. As the life of God begins to have greater influence in our physical bodies, it imparts to us the supernatural ability to pray 2-3 hours daily (including 1-2 hours of prayer in the spirit). In reality we tithe our time (2.4 hours a day in personal concentrated prayer and bible reading and fellowship with God). To do this practically means we cut down on the time we sleep (sleeping only 3-5 hours daily) at night and it takes supernatural power in the physical body to do this consistently. Further, we lead a fasted life, not overcharging our hearts with overeating (Luke 21. 34). We eat enough to be strong and healthy but do indulge in food. We do not eat junk food or what the Bible calls deceitful meat, but are careful what and how much we eat, so we may, like Christ, be able to choose good and reject evil (Is. 7. 15).
Supernatural righteousness to respond only to righteous and not sinful stimuli. In one sense, as the measure of the life of God in your body increases, it acts like a spiritual anaesthetic against sin, causing your body only to respond to righteousness. The scripture says that the senses can be exercised to discern between good and evil (Heb. 5.14). Jesus walked in this level of purity: which is why a woman could wipe his feet with her hair (Luke 7.38) and He did not lust after her sexually (Heb 4. 15). It takes supernatural righteousness to operate at that level.
Supernatural power for miracles and healings. Again we see this in the life of Christ. He healed the woman with the issue of blood by the life of God that was flowing in His physical body and by extension clothes (Mark. 5.25-34).
These 3 levels of manifesting the life of God in the physical body are built one on top of the other: supernatural strength to pray and lead a fasted, will lead to supernatural righteousness so the body will discern between good and evil, this in turn will lead to manifestation of supernatural power, for healing and miracles, in the physical body on a consistent basis.
We manifest this life of God in our bodies by daily dying to self (1 Cor. 15. 31), taking up our cross: which really is enduring the suffering of self denial. (Luke 9.23), praying in the spirit (Rom. 8. 13, 26) and reading, confessing, meditating and doing the Word (2 Tim. 2.15, Josh. 1.8, Deut. 30. 11-14).
As we practice these things they will become habits and indeed the life of God will begin to manifest in our flesh.
