When Jesus is "flowing through" someone

When Jesus is "flowing through" someone in an online community like this, how can one tell?

Surely such "flowing" directly affects things like character, personality, interpersonal skills, demeanour, processing of dissent, perspective, sense of proportion, warmth, balance, humour, behaviour in general ~ all of which are visible, detectable, observable traits?

Surely the evidence that Jesus is "flowing through" someone in an online community is more than them just citing doctrine?

Thoughts?

I’m sorry to point out that having “Jesus flowing through me/them” is another of sonship’s erroneous statements, probably assimilated by him elsewhere. The bible never once talks about having “Jesus flowing through you” nor does it speak about “fountains of blood”. I suspect these sayings are both from the same erroneous source. What the bible does talk about is rivers of life and trees of life as metaphors for the planting, growth and life of the spirit within us, a nation, within nations and for mankind.

Scripture examples

John 4:14
but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life."

John 7:38
"He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'"

Jeremiah 17:13
O LORD, the hope of Israel, All who forsake You will be put to shame Those who turn away on earth will be written down, Because they have forsaken the fountain of living water, even the LORD

Perhaps some here will think me petty, especially when I am known for not taking many of the bible typifications literally. However where I do take the bible literally (or I should say, at face value/description) is in how it describes the machinations of the spirit of god, or Jesus within us and how these descriptions, these metaphors are specific to certain aspects.

Sonship’s “fountain of blood” for example. It doesn’t appear in the bible either literally or metaphocally and it is an incorrect metaphor for describing something which is a “sprinkling”, not a fountain. As well as being absent from scripture the idea of a “fountain of blood” indicates that the blood of Christ is somehow flowing eternally when it isn’t. Scripture says that he died once, for all. We do not come to a sort of mythical “fountain” we come to Jesus personally, to his wounds, his stripes and his blood which is metaphorically sprinkled in our hearts.

“Jesus flowing through us” is another but more subtle erroneous statement. To some it sounds right, but it is not supported in scripture. What it does say in scripture is that Christ “abides in us”. His connection to us is a permanent establishment of spiritual residency. The life that flows through could be argued to be Jesus, but scripture doesn’t support that. Jesus abides but the life, the spirit flows through us. Some here will say that I’m over-egging it, or splitting hairs. I don’t think so.

To answer your question specifically, I have to refer to scripture, I hope you don’t mind.

Galatians 5:22-23 New International Version (NIV)

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.**

Incidentally, note that it says the fruit of the spirit, not the fruit of Jesus. It is the spirit that flows in this metaphor, not Jesus


(Edit: ** incidentally I’m aware that this is not how I behave in these forums. I’m just posting this stuff academically not from experience, to my own disappointment and shame.)

@divegeester said
I’m sorry to point out that having “Jesus flowing through me/them” is another of sonship’s erroneous statements, probably assimilated by him elsewhere. The bible never once talks about having “Jesus flowing through you” nor does it speak about “fountains of blood”. I suspect these sayings are both from the same erroneous source. What the bible does talk about is rivers of ...[text shortened]... . I’m just posting this stuff academically not from experience, to my own disappointment and shame.)

Be that as it may, I still think it would be interesting to hear from people who make such claims.

Romans1009 made a similar claim about the "Holy Spirit" "dwelling" in him and he said his posting was the upshot of that (i.e. the evidence of it) but he is gone.

It would be interesting to hear from others who believe that "Jesus is flowing through [them]", like sonship for example.

@fmf said
Be that as it may, I still think it would be interesting to hear from people who make such claims.

Romans1009 made a similar claim about the "Holy Spirit" "dwelling" in him and he said his posting was the upshot of that (i.e. the evidence of it) but he is gone.

It would be interesting to hear from others who believe that "Jesus is flowing through [them]", like sonship for example.

If Jesus is in a believer then that person abides in Christ. This means to abide in His words and teachings, and to follow and obey these. Sonship believes another doctrine.

@fmf said
When Jesus is "flowing through" someone in an online community like this, how can one tell?

Surely such "flowing" directly affects things like character, personality, interpersonal skills, demeanour, processing of dissent, perspective, sense of proportion, warmth, balance, humour, behaviour in general ~ all of which are visible, detectable, observable traits?

Surely the e ...[text shortened]... flowing through" someone in an online community is more than them just citing doctrine?

Thoughts?

Luke 6
43“For there is no good tree which produces bad fruit, nor, on the other hand, a bad tree which produces good fruit. 44“For each tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they pick grapes from a briar bush. 45“The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart. 46“Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? 47“Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and acts on them, I will show you whom he is like: 48he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when a flood occurred, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. 49“But the one who has heard and has not acted accordingly, is like a man who built a house on the ground without any foundation; and the torrent burst against it and immediately it collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great.”

John 8
34Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.
31So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; 32and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”

@thinkofone said
Luke 6
43“For there is no good tree which produces bad fruit, nor, on the other hand, a bad tree which produces good fruit. 44“For each tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they pick grapes from a briar bush. 45“The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil ...[text shortened]... u are truly disciples of Mine; 32and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”

When Jesus said that he was sent from God, was he correct?

@FMF

When Jesus is "flowing through" someone in an online community like this, how can one tell?

If you are an atheist dead closed to Jesus, why would you if He was ?

It is the "flow of Jesus" you dream of doing away with.

@FMF

Surely such "flowing" directly affects things like character, personality, interpersonal skills, demeanour, processing of dissent, perspective, sense of proportion, warmth, balance, humour, behaviour in general ~ all of which are visible, detectable, observable traits?

Surely the evidence that Jesus is "flowing through" someone in an online community is more than them just citing doctrine?

Thoughts?

No arguments.

But it is Jesus that you wish to eliminate with any flow of Jesus.

Why deem fake interest in what you are dedicated to riding your life of?

@sonship said
@FMF

[quote] Surely such "flowing" directly affects things like character, personality, interpersonal skills, demeanour, processing of dissent, perspective, sense of proportion, warmth, balance, humour, behaviour in general ~ all of which are visible, detectable, observable traits?

Surely the evidence that Jesus is "flowing through" someone in an online community is mo ...[text shortened]... with any flow of Jesus.

Why deem fake interest in what you are dedicated to riding your life of?

What's your answer to the OP question?

Is it like Star Wars, when a Jedi feels the force flow through him?

@bigdoggproblem said
Is it like Star Wars, when a Jedi feels the force flow through him?

All joking aside it is probably that vein of popularised mysticism from which the phrase in the thread title originates.

@FMF

What's your answer to the OP question?

You ended the OP with.

Thoughts?

So I submitted mine.

It is, however, futile for the atheist who intends that there be no God to flow His life towards him that he should deem fake objective curiosity by asking:

When Jesus is "flowing through" someone in an online community like this, how can one tell?

I think the Lord Jesus doesn't force the flowing of Himself brute force style coercively on the man decidedly choosing a career to reject God.

Some fool like me might keep arguing. But Jesus is likely to stop flowing where the welcome sign out front says "Do Not Enter! In fact Do not EXIST to ME!"

FMF do you want the Spirit of Christ to flow to you through some Christian ?

@FMF

It would be interesting to hear from others who believe that "Jesus is flowing through [them]", like sonship for example.

Me rejoicing in Jesus flowing through me AS HE PROMISED (John 7:38,39) (not me) is not a statement that I have some authority over you.

The flowing of the Spirit may be for my enjoyment and have nothing to do with bludgeoning you with some Niagara Falls torrent, forcing you to change directions in your personal life.