Jesus the Christ, the One and Only Anointed Messiah

How can we know if we are truly free, or if we are still slaves? How can we know if we have been saved, or if we are still in bondage to sin? How can we know if the love of God reigns in our hearts and minds; our intellect, understanding, reason, wills, imagination, memory, emotions, and the passions and desires of our bodies?

Only the love of God can truly set us free and transform us into the image of God. The love of God comes to us in the form of a person: Jesus Christ, the only Son of God; through his flesh and blood, soul and divinity. Jesus is the only one who can baptize us with the Holy Spirit. Jesus is one with the love of God, one with the Holy Spirit. No one can have this love apart from having Jesus. There is only one Messiah, one anointed savior of the world. A true disciple shares in this anointing (mission) because he is one with Jesus, and Jesus reigns in him.

How can we know that he reigns within us, that he is truly our Lord? How can we know that the love of God reigns within us? What does this love look like; how is it manifested in us? Jesus said, “Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple” (Lk. 14:27). A disciple is one who walks in the footsteps of his master. A true disciple looks, thinks, speaks, and acts like Jesus (metaphorically speaking), in accordance with their human nature. A true disciple is baptized in the Holy Spirit, and is indwelled by the Holy Spirit.

The prophets and Jews were familiar with the characteristics of love; of righteousness, mercy, forgiveness, justice, faith, hope, and charity. But, Jesus revealed a greater love; a sacrificial love that could enable one to love even their enemies, and to give their life away for others.

Who are our enemies, and how can we love them? Our enemies are those who hate us; those who reject us; those who mock us; those who abuse and violate us; those who steal from us; those who gossip about us and slander us; those who destroy our reputation and turn others against us; those who manipulate and use us for their own gain; those who defame us; those who deceive us and lie to us; those who betray us; those who persecute us; and those who beat, torture, and crucify us. Our enemies are those who live double lives; who love their sins too much to give them up.

We can love them by forgiving them; praying for their salvation; showing them mercy and kindness; by not judging them, condemning them, or sentencing them; by not seeking revenge or retribution; by wanting only true goodness for them; by wanting their well-being; by making sacrifices for them. We can love them by doing the opposite of what they did to us. This is what Jesus did! Jesus always tried to defend sinners, but he condemned sin. Those who share in his anointing will do the same.

This is not hard to do for those who love God; for those who are one with Jesus Christ, those who allow him to reign over them as their Lord and savior; those who are filled with the love of God through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The freedom to love their enemies is good news for them. Nevertheless, for most people on this planet this is not good news. It is absurdity, and unjust. They cannot even make sacrifices for their friends, let alone their enemies.

The enemies of those who love God are not people of other faiths, other religions, or other cultures. They are not those who do not know Jesus, through no fault of their own. They are not the poor, the ignorant, the uneducated, the sick, and the handicapped. These are those whom Jesus came to save.

Jesus came to save the whole world. However, if we are honest, even though we are believers we have to admit that we are not saved yet, but only in the process of being saved. This is our hope! We have the forgiveness of sin and access to the Father and the Kingdom of God; but to be saved is to be one with Jesus, and transformed by the Holy Spirit. The final stage of salvation is the resurrection. The canonization of Saints is the evidence of the salvation of humanity; a reminder of why Jesus came into the world. For the past two thousand years, men and women have been tested, for our sake, and proven to be true disciples of Jesus. When we look at their lives we know that Jesus was truly their Lord, and that they were filled with the love of God. They were one with Jesus and his mission. They were transformed by love, through the Holy Spirit.

We are all called to be Saints. Are we? What evidence can we give that we are saved and free from the bondage of sin? Have we really opened ourselves to receive the gift of new life that Jesus has offered us? Have we truly died to ourselves and lived for love? The marks of those who are saved are: freedom from sin, through repentance and dying to self; love for God and neighbor; obedience to the will of God; the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23); and love for their enemies.

The true Church is the body of Christ; in communion with the Roman Catholic Church; and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it (Mt. 16:18-19). Yet, there are many more members, not of this fold, who are also part of the body of Christ,the true Church. (Jn. 10:16)

Let me end this reflection with the words of St. Paul, on the Marks of the True Christian:

Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with brotherly affection; outdo one another in showing honor. Never flag in zeal, be aglow with the Spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in your hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints, practice hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; never be conceited. Repay no one evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends upon you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God; for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” No, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals upon his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Rom. 12:9-21)