At The Summit

 24“God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. 25“Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. 26“And He has made from one jblood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, 27“so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us."
Acts 17: 22 - 27 NKJV

It's a claim spoken by many a pastor week after week, "Get closer to God."  Hence begins the week by week and perhaps even the lifelong struggle the chirstian endures as he tries to make himself "Good enough" for our Lords forgiveness.  We offer challanges, tithes, fasting and on our knees prayer in order to reach that summit where God dwells and we dwell with Him.  It's here where we want to stay, not only near Him but with Him.  To be in His presence where our heavenly Father is only a monents whisper away.  We invest many an hour in this quest to reach that place.  Of course, one of the rarest of sermons in the modern church is the one of our joy of just how close we ALREADY ARE to our heavenly Fathers presence.  In Acts 17, the apostle Paul tells us that "He is not far from each of us."  Yet our struggle to get closer to God continues.  What did Paul know that we today seem to have forgotten?  Well, for starters it's that we who have accepted Christ Jesus today now live in a restored relationship with God.  Yes, we were indeed born under the curse of sin perpetrated in the garden, but through the truth of Christ, we are no longer bound to that old man which once defined us.  Again, it is Paul who assures us of our pressence in Christ Jesus.

20“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

I have become convinced that the reason that the truth of Christ is not preached in the modern church is that if it were, the church as we have come to know it would no longer exist.  For the modern church has staked its reputation on the traditions and requirements it has preached for thousands of years.  The message of our endless efforts to become more like God/Jesus is one which has been shouted from the rooftops for centuries.  Never mind that this message runs contrary to the finished work of Jesus on the cross.  For it is Jesus Himself who became sin on our behalf that our old sin nature would be put to death with Him {2 Corinthians 5: 21}.  We are told Jesus died to forgive our sins, and in the very same breath we're told to ask our Lords forgiveness for our daily sins.  Excuse me, what sins did Jesus forget to wash away as He died?  It is teachings such as this which keep many a christian in the bondage of our church traditions.  We are told that we need get closer to God.  Friends, it is useless for us to work ourselves into a frenzy in our quest to get closer to God.  We're already there.  This is exactly what Paul was getting at as he proclaimed, "It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me."  if the Spirit of Christ Jesus resides within us, how much closer do we need to be to Him?  How much harder do we need to strive in order to get there?  In our attempt to reach that summit where God resides, our heavenly Father waits to meet us exactly where we are.

~Scott~