A Personal Jesus

Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.  For  we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.  Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Hebrews 4: 14-16 NKJV

There may be no greater fear for any christian than that feeling that Christ has abandoned them.  In this I can sympathize, for I have felt this nagging feeling plenty of times in my life.  Now, just because I've felt as is Jesus has left my side, does that really mean that He has?  Absolutely not!  For God has promised that He will never leave us nor forsake us.  The very thought that Jesus would abandon us may seem somewhat laughable, but in the midst of lifes storms, such feelings may run rampant.  It's in times such as these where we become short sighted as to the true location of our Lord Jesus.  For those who have received Him, Jesus is never seperated from His flock just looking down on us from His heavenly home.  No, we have a deeper relationship with Christ than that.  Not only is Christ our Lord and savior, but He is a very personal advocate to those who have received Him.  The popular view that He watches us from heaven simply ignores what scripture proclaims about our relationship with Him.

"I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."
Galations 2:20 NKJV

It is in Galations 2:20 where the apostle Paul gives us a key passage  into the relationship we now have with Christ Jesus.  Far from being seperated from Him as many think, it is Jesus Himself who resides within us.  There is no way we can get any closer to Christ in our daily lives.  So not only, as Hebrews 4 claims, has Jesus been tempted in all things as we have, and yet without sin, but we have a savior who can sympathize with anything we might be facing.  So, any thoughts that Jesus has abandoned in our time of need are simply not true.  How can He who has dwelled within us abandon us?  We have become one with Christ, and He with us.

"I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that that they may all be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.  And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.  Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold the glory which You have given Me; For You loved Me before the foundation of the world.
John 17: 20-24 NKJV

I find it interesting that in my bible that the heading before John 17 are the words "Jesus prays for all believers."  Christian, here was Jesus praying for us!  I am not foolish enough to believe that even here on the eve of His death, that Jesus did not know of those who would follow Him.  Here was Jesus paving the way not only for us, but for those who would believe in Him after we are gone.  This is not the Jesus who abandoned us in our time of need.   No, this is our personal Christ Jesus.

~Scott~