A Relationship with God
Do you desire to have a closer relationship with God? If the
answer is “Yes,” you have probably been told that the way to get closer to God
is through, “confession, Bible Study, prayer, regular church attendance and
obedience.” I submit this is a way to feel even further away from God then you
do now. Why do I say this? I want to
focus on the last two items in the list. Confession of sin is said to be
necessary because it removes the “wedge” that sin puts between us and God.
However, the truth of the matter is that “God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s
sins against them (2 Corinthians 5:19).” If God is not counting our sins
against us, there is no wedge that comes between us that needs removing. It has
been said that a “closer relationship with God is built on a life of obedience”
because “obedience is the way we show our love and gratitude toward God.”
Usually, obedience is defined as our response to the commands of God. Commands
that were actually designed to show us we could not be obedient to the
righteous requirements of God. The author of Hebrews said, “There
remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters
God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from
his. Let
us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall
by following their example of disobedience (Hebrews 4:9-11).”
Obedience to God
is resting from our works, not trying to execute a list of behaviors in an
effort to get closer to God. We get closer to God through discovering who we
are in Christ as a result of our faith. When we realize that our sins do not drive
a wedge between us and God, we are free to “approach the throne of grace
with confidence, so that we may
receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need (Hebrews 4:16).”
Our confidence to approach God is a result of recognizing that because of
Jesus’ obedience we can get closer to God, not because of our confession and
obedience. When we are free to receive the love of God, then we will thank Him
for the forgiveness we already have, study His Word to find out more about our
identity in Christ, pray for God’s guidance and wisdom, seek to fellowship with
like-minded believers and obey the leading of the indwelling Holy Spirit. After
all, “God, who has called you into
fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful (1 Corinthians 1:9).” We
have a closer relationship to God because of His faithfulness to us, not ours
to Him.
True Christian Fellowship
A Christian friend of mine wondered aloud, “If I were
involved in a car accident, would anybody at church know it happened?” Her
point was that there were many people at church who simply do not know each
other. It is quite sobering and honest. As Christians, we all understand how
the Lord says to not forsake fellowship and to encourage each other. However,
for the vast majority of the body of Christ, me included to a large degree,
fellowship means briefly exchanging pleasantries over a cup of coffee during a
break in church. But, how many of us
truly know the people around us at church? We see them every week, recognize
their faces, maybe remember their names, but do we know them? Do we know what
they do for a living, how they came to the Lord, what their struggles are, what
their skills are, or their experiences? I have friends that we know each other
inside and out. Why? It is because we have spent time together and shared
experiences with each other. We have created a natural bond because of it.
Yet,
many of them are not Christians. In discussing the activity of the early
church, the Bible says, “Every day they met together in the temple courtyard. In their homes they
broke bread and ate together. Their hearts were glad and honest and true (Acts
2:46).” These Christians met daily for fellowship. No doubt there were some
strong bonds built through this practice. Now, I know it is next to impossible
to meet with our Christian family on a daily basis to break bread and eat
together, but do we do it often enough to start getting to know people at a
personal level and truly become friends and build close relationships? Do we
even desire to have that kind of relationship with other Christians? So often
Christians feel alone and isolated from the greater Body at large. There are
things that each one of us has to offer to each other that will help us through
this life without having to always resort to the secular world. And I am not
just talking about spiritual support and guidance, although that is important.
If you have Jesus Christ in common with someone, is that not an incredible
foundation to have in which to build a lasting friendship? Fellowship is truly
possible when you know the people in which you are fellowshipping with on a
personal level. Strike up a friendship with one of your brothers and sisters in
Christ today. It may lead to your heart being glad, honest and true.
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