John 1: 2 - 5 NKJV
I just got out of a long distance relationship. We've all had those at one point or another, right? Well, with me I was trying to have a long distance relationship with someone important to me. Someone who had promised to be with me always. Someone who had forgiven me for all I had ever done. The trouble is, I wanted a more personal relationship with Him. I don't think I'm wrong in feeling this way. The problem with this relationship was that I've been told that He could never be close to me because of all the troubles I've caused. This long distance relationship I ditched was one with Jesus. How could someone refuse a relationship with Jesus? Easy, when you consider what my alternative was. The choice I had was one where Jesus was nothing but a figurehead seated in heaven looking down on whatever rights or wrongs I would do. How personal of a relationship is that? The relationship I traded that in for is one where Jesus and I are one {John 17:21}. In this relationship, Jesus is right here with me {Galations 2:20}. This isn't some kind of wicked heresy, but simply a different way of seeing our relationship with Jesus. Are we to believe that God would not desire a relationship with His creation? If you believe that then you're the heretic and not me. I think of the relationship which Gods original creationshared with Him in the garden. Who wouldn't want such a relationship with God? Well, it's ours for the taking...if we accept it. For me, it was coming to the realization that, despite all I had been taught about Jesus, that He was eager to share Himself with me. Yes, the desire of Christ Jesus is to be one with Gods children. He wants to be a intimate part of all we do. How is it that Jesus can be one with us if He is in heaven and we're here on earth. Well, that's where we all too often get tripped up.
20“I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who 10will believe in Me through their word; 21g“that they all may 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. 22“And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23“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.
John 17: 20 - 23 NKJV
Modern christian theology is big on seperation thinking. The idea that we are all sinners and that God is seperated from us in heaven. I guess that there is some merrit to that, but if not for Jesus we might not enjoy a more personal relationship with Him. If not for Jesus. If not for Jesus who became sin on our behalf sparing us the punishment and guilt of our sins {2 Corinthians 5:21}. As a result, we are now dead to those sins that once defined us {Romans 6:6-11}. With the sin issue defeated, there is now nothing standing in the way of a more personal relationship with Christ. Yet we continue to hold on to our old habits. All too often we choose the guilt and shame of a long distance relationship with Christ over the freedom of being one with Him. This in no way means that Jesus does not desire for us to be with Him, only that we fail to realize what we already have in Him. The desire of Christ is not to turn us away due to what we've done. The desire of Jesus is to bring us to Himself because of what He's done. Does that sound like you are meant to be seperated from Christ? Well, for too long I thought this was my future. I did not realize what I already had. I believe that the desire of Jesus is that ALL would come to the knowledge of a personal relationship with Him {John 3:16 - 17}. I never liked long distance relationships anyway.
~Scott~
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