John 14: 8 - 10 NKJV
I made the suggestion recently to our sunday group that it might be beneficial if we focused a bit at times on the struggles which we faced evry now and then. Even though we usually spend quite a bit of time rehashing verses, I believe the real meat and potatoes of any christian fellowship is translating what we know of Christ into our everyday lives. Sounds simple, right? Well, if that's case, why is there such a hunger for fellowship in our christian ranks? We all have that need to be among the brethren. I don't think that this is simply a need to be among like minded individuals. No, I believe that much of our own desire for fellwship is to be in our Lords presence. We've been told from a early age that wherever two or more are gathered, that He is there {Matthew 18:20}. So it is that we come together. One issue that I have with this kind of thinking is that Christ, or God or whoever, is in no way in our presence unless we are gathered with others around us. This, of course, is ridiculous thinking but it's the way we have been conditioned by what we have been taught. Am I to believe that my heavenly Father, who truly desires a deep relationship with me, will only come around if I have others with me? First off, this would certainly make me feel as if I alone was not important to God. Nothing could be further from the truth. I believe that the original intent of the scripture in John14 was simply to encourage those around us to gather in His presence. However, with that thinking I just caught myself in the institutional trap once again. That is the trap of seperation between God and His creation. It is my belief that God is all in all, that He is all around us {1 Corinthians 15:28}. Why wouldn't this be the case? After all, He did create all that we see, right? Why, then, wouldn't His identity be in all which He created? The belief that there is a seperation between God and His children is one of the biggest obstacles to our having a deeper relationship with Christ. I know, I've been there. The simple fact is that we've been taught that God cannot be in the presence of sin. Since we are all sinners, there must be a seperation between ourselves and God, right? Well, only if you're still tied to the institutional bandwagon.
27For “He has put all things under His feet.” But when He says “all things are put under Him,” it is evident that He who put all things under Him is excepted. 28Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.
1 Corinthians 15: 27 - 28 NKJV
There are a few things one should know whenever you feel as if you could never be in Gods presence. First off is the guilt and shame of sin which the church uses to its full advantage. We feel dirty, filthy and messed up by all that we have done in our lives. We know that God provides us with a way to redemption, but we cannot bring ourselves to come before Him because of all we've done. This is a vicious cycle that is played out every day in christianity. I agree that God cannot be in the presence of sin, but what sin is there that prevents Him from embracing us when we hurt the most? Did not Christ Jesus become sin in our place that our sins would be cleansed? {2 Corinthians 5:21} Of course, we know in our own hearts that this is the truth of Jesus. Yet we struggle with the same sin issues each day. The apostle Paul had a different opinion on the sin issue we all struggle with. It was Paul who proclaimed that, through Christ Jesus, we are now dead to sin {Romans 6:6-11}. That's right, all of that guilt and shame you've felt has kept you from a deeper relationship with Jesus has been for not. God has already dealt with that sin issue which kept us in bondage. What's done is done, all that remains is for you to come to know Him. Of course, this was His desire all along {John 17:21}. It was never God who prevented us from seeking Him out. That was our own doing. Those old feelings of "I'm not worthy, I'm not good enough" and "How will God see me?" have always gotten in the way of our relationship with Him. I would argue that these same feelings have gotten in the way of our own self confidence as well. When we feel that we cannot come into Gods presence unless we bring someone with us, let us consider that He is already among us {Galations 2:20}. That's right, that same Jesus we've spent years seeking has been right here waiting for us the whole time. The only thing keeping us from our own relationship with Jesus is the realization that we can indeed have what He desires for us.
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; kthat 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
~Scott~
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