ENJOYING GOD

Something is missing from our lives. It’s the enjoyment of God as our supreme treasure, our “Pearl of Great Price”… our “Treasure in a Field.”  Something is wrong with our approach to life. It’s our foolish determination to enjoy something else, some paltry thing of this momentary pilgrimage on earth, as much as only God can be enjoyed and to value our pleasure more than God’s glory.  Experiencing God is in itself a source of greater pleasure than experiencing anyone or anything else. If we would taste the intimacy awaiting us in the Godhead. If we would experience what it is to draw near to God and to feel Him draw near to us. If we realized how we’re the ones to whom the Father and Son through the Spirit reveal themselves and in whom They make Their home. Then we would keep our Self’s addictive desire for earthy blessings – Your Best Life Now -- in its place – nailed to the Cross of Christ, and focus on our Blessed Hope – our Best Life Later. As Self dies our desire to desire anything but God dies also leaving God as our first thing passion.   

Hear the words of the Apostle Paul: “I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content … And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content … Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have … giving thanks always for all things to God… For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you … Now godliness with contentment is great gain.” When our first thing passion is Jesus we will accept life’s circumstances with contentment, thankfully recognizing God’s sovereignty in all matters of life. The gain of contentment is Joy… the Joy of the Lord!

The knowledge that God and man can live in fellowship is hidden in Christ. It is too wonderful for sinful, corrupted human nature to discover. But we have, in Christ, the way into God’s presence without fear. Those who enjoy this communion are gloriously united to God through Christ and share in all the glorious and excellent fruits of such communion. The Spirit is inviting each one of us to walk a very different path, to embark on a radically different journey.  We are bidden to come as we are, boldly, without fear -- even though our soul still sometimes seems a cesspool of foul muck with no living waters in sight, abandoning ourselves to God for whatever He chooses to allow, waiting for Him to reveal how near we are to Him already in every circumstance of life, and to then draw us nearer still. This is the way of the Spirit -- Walking in the Spirit -- where the supremacy, majesty and sovereignty of Jesus are the fulcrum on which all else is balanced, and to love Him with the Father’s love is our only desire.  

IN CHRIST:

CONTENTMENT… THANKFULNESS… JOY…

(Phil. 4:11; 1 Tim. 6:6, 8; Heb. 13:5; Eph. 5:20; Jn. 17:26)

REST

“There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.” Human rest involves physical and mental rejuvenation, something we all need, but this is not the rest the writer of Hebrews is referring to. “For he who has entered His (God’s) rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.” The rest referred to in these verses is not merely a rejuvenation of our natural energy, rather the exchange of our natural life for Christ’s divine life. Saints, we are pilgrims in a foreign land -- far from our real home -- living in a decadent stress filled world which wants to destroy our faith and neuter our testimony. We desperately need to be filled with the divine energy of the all sufficient Christ-Life – the river of living water – to live effective radiant lives.

Our Christian journey here is difficult, made doubly so by walking in the power of our flesh – relying on human rest to rejuvenate. But when we choose to submit our carnal fleshly nature to death in exchange for Christ’s divine nature, we begin to walk in the Spirit of His resurrected life – no longer Self-reliant  but fully Christ-Reliant – having the power and energy of the Godhead! The life of a saint is not meant to be easy – Jesus said “Narrow is the gate”: There is only one way to access the Kingdom of God… Jesus!   “And difficult is the way which leads to (eternal) life”: “The Way” will be difficult but it is also meant to be victorious… overcoming… endued with supernatural power. “And there are few who find it”: If you are expecting countless billions of people to share God’s Kingdom… think again. There are “few” who find eternal life, and “few” who find the rest of God.

“Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest.” The word “diligent” ( Gk. Spoudazo) means to pursue with conscientious care and carries the sense of earnest, eager, haste, zeal and commitment. And yes, it is a command. We must abide in the Rest of God to experience the “Peace of God” that surpasses all understanding, and the “Joy of the Lord” that releases supernatural strength. Rest, Peace, and Joy should be our daily reality as we journey on The Way home to God’s eternal Kingdom. It’s a spiritual journey… walking in the Spirit… by faith…

LEST ANYONE FALL …

LEST ANY OF YOU COME SHORT OF IT…

(Heb. 4:1-11; Matt. 7:14; Phil. 4:7, Neh. 8:10)

“THE WORKS THAT I DO”

Jesus said that the works He did, we would also do: “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.” For most saints, signs, wonders and miracles come immediately to mind when contemplating this verse. “Works”, from the Greek ergon, means labor, business, employment, something to be done, and was used in relation to all kinds of activity during the first century. The Amplified Bible has it, “If anyone steadfastly believes in Me, he will himself be able to do the things that I do.” So what are the things that Jesus did? *He fasted to draw nearer to God. *He spent nights in prayer petitioning God. *He communed with God sharing the intimate thoughts and feelings of His heart. *He only did what He seen and heard the Father doing… followed the very heart of God. *He loved sinners. *He demonstrated obedience to the Father, “learning obedience through the things He suffered.”   *He carried His Cross willfully, sacrificing Himself for the Father’s agenda. *He demonstrated love for the Father. *He was passionate for the passions of the Father’s heart. *His trust in and dependency on the Father was 24/7 – come hell or high water -- absolute and decisive. *His mantra was “Thy will be done.” And yes, He performed signs, wonders and miracles in accordance with the Father’s will.

Saints, we cannot divorce the works of Jesus from the nature of Jesus, His character, virtues, values, and attitude. To do the works of Jesus we must become Christlike. Jesus was/is in the Father and the Father was/is in Him, allowing the Father’s life to reanimate through the Son. Saints, Jesus is in us and we are in Him, which, by the way, puts us in the Father and the Father in us. When we “steadfastly believe” in our Savior we will fully submit to His Lordship and willfully put Self, our carnal fleshly nature, on the Cross of Christ. Within this process of our transformation into Christlikeness comes the empowered to do the “things” that Jesus did. It really becomes Jesus living His life in and through our life as our life:  ^“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.” We no longer live… when the Christ-Life comes alive in us. We must give full attention to the divine life living in us to experience the “greater works” Jesus promised…

“GREATER WORKS”:

OUR TRANSFORMATION INTO CHRISTLIKENESS

(Jn. 14:12; Jn. 14:10-11, 20; Gal. 2:20)

THE ATTRIBUTES OF GOD (Two)

The Apostle John said, “And everyone who has this hope in Him (Jesus) purifies himself, just as He is pure.” The Apostle Paul said it this way:  “Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” What God “promises” is to receive us, dwell in us, walk among us, and be our Father if… IF, we cleanse ourselves perfecting holiness. Paul also said: “Put to death your members which are on the earth”, literally a command to kill the carnal fleshly desires of Self and all that is earthly within our hearts.  And, Paul said in another place: “Therefore if anyone cleanses himself ... he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.” Notice Paul defines “sanctification” as cleansing ourselves, and states our sanctification prepares us for “good works” making us “useful” to God. James, the brother of Jesus, said it this way: “Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded ... Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.” The writer of Hebrews said it this way: “Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us”, literally let us strip off and throw aside every hindrance (to our relationship with God), and that sin which so readily, deftly, and cleverly clings to and entangles us. And, Jesus said it this way: “Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” Not may be -- this is not an option -- but “shall” be perfect.  God’s Church... His Body -- the born again blood bought saints of God -- is called to cleanse and purify itself, becoming “a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.” This happens as individual saints discard the spots, wrinkles, and blemishes of life in pursuit of the Christlife. As we pursue holiness we are likewise pursuing spiritual maturity... perfection, for the road to perfection is the road of holiness... the road of transformation… the road of being “conformed to the image of His Son.” You see, the Christlife can only emerge in holy vessels... vessels of honor. It is the difficult road less traveled as Jesus said: “Narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” And for this we need the attitude of willingness... willing to do His will, and Grace... Superabounding Grace.

EndNote: Hear James, the brother of Jesus: “What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him … Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works ... But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead … For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”

Just as Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice in obedience to God, we must offer Self, our carnal fleshly nature, on the cross of Christ as a sacrifice… righteous works, to an expectant God who loves us too much to leave us the way we are! Saints, our transformation into Christlikeness is the most important “good/righteous works” we will ever offer to God, a true act of spiritual worship which pleases God and prepares us for Kingdom life, our ministries, and our giftings. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

These “good works”, to cleanse our-Self, purify our-Self, humble our-Self, are willful acts which align our heart with God’s heart allowing the Holy Spirit to bring forth the character, virtues, values, and attitude of Christ within our heart... perfecting holiness, fulfilling the command/prophecy of Christ: “You shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.”  God’s expectation should be our goal!

FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD

(1 Jn. 3:3; Matt. 5:48; 2 Cor. 6:16-7:1; 2 Tim 2:21; James 4:7-10, 2:14-26; Matt. 7:14; Rom. 8:29; Eph. 5:27, 2:10; Heb. 12:12-1)