Now it is Eonian life that they may know thee, the only true God, and Him Who Thou dost commission, Jesus Christ
Johns Account 17: 3, Concordant New Testament Translation
The question was raised this week among us, what is it that God wants? Why is it that we ask of Him, why God? Those within the church talk a big game when it comes to recognizing and knowing His will for us, but they all too often fall short. See, the churches view of God is one which is based upon our separation from Him. Therefore, when it comes to knowing the Fathers will for us, their teachings are often based upon that separation theology. I have heard the will of God described as recognizing our own sin nature within us. Of course, this is a false teaching. For the church either refuses to recognize or ignores what Christ Jesus has accomplished for us on the cross. That not only did Jesus die, but that WE died there with Him {Paul to the Galatians 2:20, Paul to the Romans 6:8}. In the eyes of those within the church, Jesus died alone, with even the Father seemingly turning His back on His beloved Son. More false teachings from the church. To understand what the true will of the Father is, we must first understand who He is. The apostle John gives us a valuable clue the true nature of the Father when he proclaims that God...is love {First Epistle of John 4:8}. Yes, above all else, God is love. Knowing this, we can delve deeper into that question of what the desire of God truly is. So that is what I shall attempt to do.
So, what does God want? I believe that the ultimate will and desire of the Father is that His children would come to know Him for who He is. Jesus speaks to us that eonian life, our eonian life, consists of our KNOWING the Father, the "Only true God, and Him Whom Thou dost commission, Jesus Christ" {Johns Account 17:3}. So, this is Jesus telling us the one true desire of the Father. That we would know Him. This, above all, is the will of God. I can definitely understand this, for precious few believers today actually know God for Who He truly is. As a young believer, I never knew Him as I do today. What is it that changed all of that? I grew up in the church, adhering to and swallowing the teachings of the separation theology. I grew up believing that my sin separated me from the God who loved me enough to create me in His likeness {Genesis 1:27}. Yes, I knew that He loved me, but that my own actions had caused Him to be upset with me to the point that He turned His back on that which He created out of His love for me. Does this sound like a loving God? It's not, it is the false image of the Father spoken of and portrayed by the church for thousands of years. This is the image of God that I grew up with. Knowing He loved me, but that I had let Him down through my sins. Ironically, these were the very same sins which Christ Jesus has given Himself for {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}. So, despite the truth spoken of in the evangel of Paul that Jesus has died to sin "Once for all time," those within the church will continue to treat sin as a relevant issue {Paul to the Romans 6:10}. Again I ask, what is it that changed my thinking about Who God is? Well, one Easter Sunday, as I sat listening to another prepared sermon on the resurrection of Jesus, the pastor invited all who felt that they had "Unresolved sin" to come forward to be prayed over. I stood up, but not to go for prayer, to leave the church entirely. The question in my mind was, how is it that this pulpit pounder could teach of the forgiveness of the risen Lord Jesus one moment, then act as if that meant nothing at all the next? But this is the message of the church when it comes to sin. This has never been the intention of the Father Who loves us. His desire is not that we recognize that we have sinned against Him, but that we see Him for Who He truly is.
He who is not loving knew not God, for God is love
First Epistle of John 4: 8, Concordant New Testament Translation
~Scott~
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