Paul the apostle wanted every believer to receive by faith that Christ Jesus lives in us (Ephesians 3: 16-20). He is our new life. Paul wanted every believer to be established in His love, no matter what was happening, for better or for worse.
This love is more than some sentiment:
"Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." (1 John 4: 10)
Jesus did not just die for our sins, but His death completely removed all our sins once and for all and forever. Many people do not have this revelation. I was one of them.
The perfection that people look for in other people really reflects their own attempts to find perfection. Jesus completed a perfect work in us:
"For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified." (Hebrews 10: 14)
We are perfected in our conscience, in that no longer should we have a sense of sin about us, and therefore we have no reason to judge others. When we focus on how imperfect we are, we badger everyone else for not measuring up (to this perversion Jesus spoke when he preached: "Judge not, lest ye be judged" (Matthew 7: 1)) When we rest in our righteousness in Christ, then we in turn are transformed from glory to glory (2 Corinthians 3: 18) and we then receive the grace to love other people (1 John 4: 19)
We do not go to church to get closer to God, because Christ lives in every believer by the power of the Holy Spirit (Colossians 1: 27). We do not go to church in order to be righteous, for that was accomplished once and for all through the Cross (2 Corinthians 5: 17, 21). We go to church to know Him more and to receive more of His love.
We thus go to church in order to receive exhortation to continue in the good works which He has placed within us to do:
"24And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 25Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching." (Hebrews 10: 24-25)
The preceding verses in the same chapter establish the basis for the rest:
19Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; 21And having an high priest over the house of God; 22Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. 23Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
Grow in grace and knowledge of God's complete work in your life, rest in the truth that everything is covered for you. You can then approach Him with full assurance of faith, and then you come to church to celebrate and get excited about doing great things for Him.
The problem for me, among many people in the Body of Christ, is that we are looking for love from people -- only the Love of God can satisfy us, and this love is forever demonstrated to us by the blood of Jesus, which speaks better things than the blood of Abel (Hebrews 12: 24)
No comments:
Post a Comment