OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD WHILE WE LIVE HERE
Greetings in the name of Jesus:
This last week I kind of danced around this issue with some of my discussion, but this week I would like to get deeper into what actually takes place within us as we try to get closer to God as we live here. I want to take the time to cause us to think about the kinds of changes that we go through spiritually as we start to actually strive to seek after a relationship with the Father.
It is this kind of thing that is very rarely talked about in churches today but can be so valuable to the individual Christian life. Most of us already know of the immediate changes that happen when we make that decision to follow Christ as our Savior. The feeling of weight has been lifted from our shoulders is most often felt as the first kind of relief, and then a happiness and a peace that is hard to explain. That may last for a time but it does not stay with us unless we continue to seek after God. I know of many people who have sought to learn as much as they can, but soon get confused by the tons of ideas and opinions that are shared about different beliefs or doctrines we run into from church to church.
The most important thing I can share with you is to stay close to the foundations that Jesus has given us in following Him. Keeping our commitment as simple as is possible is the most important part of safely growing in Christ. Jesus told us that the New Covenant that God has made with us is based on love; and that is TO LOVE GOD WITH OUR WHOLE HEART, MIND, AND SOUL, AND THEN TO LOVE OTHERS AS WE LOVE OURSELVES" Jesus has told us that all of the other commandments are centered in this love, and around these two commandments. Most of us already know these things if we have been in and around church life very much, but these are only the very beginning of the changes that Jesus has told us about happening in our lives. In order for us to get a more clearly written view of what Jesus has said about the changes in our life as we continue to grow spiritually we need to look at Matthew 5: 3-12. The Beatitudes give us a direct look not only at the changes that will be made in us but also the changes in the ways this world will look at us.
This isn't nearly the secret of the ages that the religious world has made it out to be because just as much as we change on the inside by coming closer to Christ the world around us starts to react to that Godliness inside of us. The real hate of this world for the rule of God starts to come out in its persecution of the genuine Christian life as we see it laid out for us by Jesus. You see no matter what this world may say to you about any freedom or acceptance of others unless the world can control and have power over our lives it will turn to hate and persecution eventually toward any good or truth. As we draw closer to God we can expect for the world that we have always trusted in to begin to pull away. That can cause a real separation disorder in some Christians as they try desperately to continue their relationship with both God and the world around them. Eventually, there must be a choice made between where and what we base our trust and belief in; do we understand that God's Kingdom is truly not of this world, or will we continue to believe the lie we have been living? There are a few things that we can look for as we develop in the Spirit of Christ that can help. We will start that discussion next time. May you richly bless God through your life in Him.
THE UNWORTHY SERVANT
This last week I kind of danced around this issue with some of my discussion, but this week I would like to get deeper into what actually takes place within us as we try to get closer to God as we live here. I want to take the time to cause us to think about the kinds of changes that we go through spiritually as we start to actually strive to seek after a relationship with the Father.
It is this kind of thing that is very rarely talked about in churches today but can be so valuable to the individual Christian life. Most of us already know of the immediate changes that happen when we make that decision to follow Christ as our Savior. The feeling of weight has been lifted from our shoulders is most often felt as the first kind of relief, and then a happiness and a peace that is hard to explain. That may last for a time but it does not stay with us unless we continue to seek after God. I know of many people who have sought to learn as much as they can, but soon get confused by the tons of ideas and opinions that are shared about different beliefs or doctrines we run into from church to church.
The most important thing I can share with you is to stay close to the foundations that Jesus has given us in following Him. Keeping our commitment as simple as is possible is the most important part of safely growing in Christ. Jesus told us that the New Covenant that God has made with us is based on love; and that is TO LOVE GOD WITH OUR WHOLE HEART, MIND, AND SOUL, AND THEN TO LOVE OTHERS AS WE LOVE OURSELVES" Jesus has told us that all of the other commandments are centered in this love, and around these two commandments. Most of us already know these things if we have been in and around church life very much, but these are only the very beginning of the changes that Jesus has told us about happening in our lives. In order for us to get a more clearly written view of what Jesus has said about the changes in our life as we continue to grow spiritually we need to look at Matthew 5: 3-12. The Beatitudes give us a direct look not only at the changes that will be made in us but also the changes in the ways this world will look at us.
This isn't nearly the secret of the ages that the religious world has made it out to be because just as much as we change on the inside by coming closer to Christ the world around us starts to react to that Godliness inside of us. The real hate of this world for the rule of God starts to come out in its persecution of the genuine Christian life as we see it laid out for us by Jesus. You see no matter what this world may say to you about any freedom or acceptance of others unless the world can control and have power over our lives it will turn to hate and persecution eventually toward any good or truth. As we draw closer to God we can expect for the world that we have always trusted in to begin to pull away. That can cause a real separation disorder in some Christians as they try desperately to continue their relationship with both God and the world around them. Eventually, there must be a choice made between where and what we base our trust and belief in; do we understand that God's Kingdom is truly not of this world, or will we continue to believe the lie we have been living? There are a few things that we can look for as we develop in the Spirit of Christ that can help. We will start that discussion next time. May you richly bless God through your life in Him.
THE UNWORTHY SERVANT
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