This week I've been reading "When Heaven Invades the Earth" by Bill Johnson. It's a MUST read for those of are hungry for more of God. As Pastor Johnson shares his insight on God's love and plan for mankind, it caused me to think...."Why did God send Jesus in the Earth?" Of course we're all familiar with John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." But what does that really mean to each of us personally?
As a parent, the thought of giving a sacrificing a child is unthinkable, but certainly not a beloved child with whom I am well pleased. What would make me sacrifice my child? Only a love that is beyond human comprehension could cause a parent to offer his/her child as a sacrifice. It's clear that God loves Jesus and is well pleased with Him, but yet He offers Him up for what? For you, for me, for every person that ever was and ever will be. God Almighty Creator of all loves each of us so passionately, so extravagantly that He took what was most precious to Him (Jesus) and offered Him as a sacrifice to redeem our right to know God not as just Creator, but as Father!
You heard me right, God Almighty desires for each of us to know Him intimately. We say things like, "God moves in mysterious ways," but His ways are only mysterious because we don't know Him. I mean don't get me wrong, we know a lot about God. We have access to more information than ever before, but reading about someone doesn't make you know them. Case in point, I can read a book about Barak Obama or Sarah Palin and gather tons of information, but I still don't know them. Unfortunately, too many believers engage God and His Word like we are gathering facts to write a report. When we do this we miss out what it means to really know Him intimately.
God is not hiding from us, but often we are running from Him. We love God, but we fear Him, like the children of Israel we want to see His provision and His miracles, but we run from His presence. Why? Because we know that in His presence we are changed! As we begin to cry out to God to know Him (not just know about Him), He by His Holy Spirit begins to reveal the things in our hearts that keep us separated from Him. To our flesh it's easier to just know about Him because we can avoid the pain of the change that intimacy with a Holy God requires. But if we choose that path we miss out of the reason that Jesus was born, died and resurrected: INTIMACY WITH GOD!
What makes Christianity different from every other religion? First it's not a religion no matter who says it is. It's an invitation into a loving relationship with the God of the Ages. Second, our God offers us an open invitation to know Him intimately as HE abides in us through the Precious Holy Spirit. Until we come to know Him by allowing Him to abide in us and give us personal experiences with Him, we will always question whether He still heals or is willing to heal. We will struggle to love Him with our whole hearts and never come close to loving others as ourselves. We will miss out on the privilege to sit in the lap of God Almighty and know what's in His heart.
Sounds like we are at a point of decision...Keep going as we are collecting facts about God but never experiencing Him or push pass the safety net of religion and dare to experience Him as He always planned? Obviously the choice is yours, but no this...every moment of your life you have an OPEN INVITATION!
