Sometimes I wonder if there is really a desire for Spiritual awakening among Christians, for meeting God where He is, rather than sitting back and waiting for some divine revelation from Him... I wonder because I just don't see that desire to change the heart, to learn to live and love as Jesus did, except in too few instances. Too often it is the temperal, the here and now that captures our attentions; the desire for success, for things, for satisfaction instead of contentment. To love as Jesus did, to be content in our circumstances, indeed is too much work for most of us today. Why, to give up our petty angers, to forfeit our right to get even, to put others ahead of ourselves- it seems like too much work.Yet, when we truly desire a heart for God, when we truly seek after him and begin to experience the natural outflowing of the Holy Spirit through us, those things we clung to so vainly disappear like a breath on the morning chill... To begin to experience loving others like Jesus loves causes a natural outpouring of compassion for our fellow man, a willingness to forgive, to forgo our own desires for the betterment of another. Our desires change, our outlook conforms to that of Jesus Christ, and we become tolerant in our love of our fellow man. We assume the position that it is never about what we can do for God, rather it's all about what He can do through us, if our heart is willing to allow Him to...
We must learn the difference between satisfaction and contentment. We must come to realize that we will never truly be satisfied outside of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, for only He can satisfy the emptiness we all have since Adam broke our community with God; only Jesus can fill the void that we all have that seeks out our purpose here, and seeks to answer what else is there after this? If we find the source of our eternal satisfaction then we can easily find contentment in our temperal setting here on earth. Our contentment is not dependent on our being satisfied, but we can find satisfaction in our contentment, yet often there is discontent once we find ourselves satisfied. Food for thought...
4 comments:
Hi Bud;
You said, truly seek after him and begin to experience the natural outflowing of the Holy Spirit through us.
My question is: What is truly seeking after Him all about, when the scriptures tell us God can only be found by those who seek Him not Romans 10:20?
Thank-you for your question Anonymous.
I am not sure what scriptures you are referring to specifically, referring to God only being found by those who seek him, but there's several comments that come to mind when pondering your question...
First, the message Jesus Christ came to share with us is one of love and forgiveness; agape love, or unconditional love, and undeserved forgiveness. We can rightly attribute this message to God the Father also, for in John 14: 9-11 Jesus clearly states he and the Father are one, and his words are the Father's...
As to Romans 10:20 Paul quotes Isaiah concerning God's response to Israel's obstinate and stubborn heart; God promises to reveal himself to those who did not ask for him or seek him (the Gentiles)because Israel, his chosen people had forsaken him... This passage, mirrored by Paul, gives all people the promise of salvation. Paul was further referencing the Jews of his day, who failed to recognize Jesus as their promised messiah, and God's response by inviting all people to come to him...
We are admonished to seek after God in the scriptures, but need to recognize and remember that God actively seeks after us also. Remember the father's reaction upon seeing his prodical son? The son had turned to home, to seek out his father and beg mercy; the father watched daily, and upon seeing his son he ran to him, and embraced him, and welcomed him back into the family...
I believe seeking after him is an active desire to live as Jesus lived, to learn to be content in all circumstances, and to learn to live in a different reality: a spiritual reality where God rules and we govern our spheres of influence through his power. It is through the resourcing of his power that we experience the natural flow of his Holy Spirit through our lives...
Bud
Thanks Bud for your answer to my question: What is truly seeking after Him all about, when the scriptures tell us God can only be found by those who seek Him not Romans 10:20?
I noted the following in your answer:
"Remember the father's reaction upon seeing his prodical son? The son had turned to home, to seek out his father and beg mercy; the father watched daily, and upon seeing his son he ran to him, and embraced him, and welcomed him back into the family..."
I QUESTION: Is the Father reacting, or are we responding to His action, which moves us to Himself?
For you will note that it was the Father who sent the Son to go and pick us up, and put us upon His shoulder; and bring us unto Himself Lk. chapter 15.
YOU ADD: "I believe seeking after him is an active desire to live as Jesus lived, to learn to be content in all circumstances, and to learn to live in a different reality: a spiritual reality where God rules and we govern our spheres of influence through his power. It is through the resourcing of his power that we experience the natural flow of his Holy Spirit through our lives..."
Now I think the spiritual reality is NOT what we are doing; but rather what God is doing unseen, so that we could do in the seen . . .
After all; it's NOT me living my life; but Christ living in me, so that I could live by faith, and not frustrate the grace of God, when I am found living unto God (Gal. 2:20-21 & 19).
You will note that I have missed the most important ingredient from the above:
OUR CRUCIFIXION WITH CHRIST (Gal. 2:20).
I can see several miraculous events herein described, so that I could walk after the Spirit in the spirit, or in the spiritual; but what I don’t see is practice makes for perfect response.
My question is: Is it possible that you have replaced our crucifixion for practice, so that we could live our life like Christ?
And if not, would you please direct me to some previous testimony from you on our crucifixion.
Hello Again my Friend.
Well, where to begin? I'd like to address the parable of the prodical son, and the insight it gives us into the heart of the Father... You asked is the father reacting, or are we responding to his action... I believe the initial action was the changing of the son's heart, of his perspective of his life, and the realization that life was much better with dad than without him, even if he couldn't be his "son" anymore. When he turned to go back to the father and the father saw him still a long way off, the father ran to him, and met him where he was at. He didn't have to return all the way back, the father met him at his point of need, (when his heart was ready), and embraced him, and forgave him, and welcomed him home. I believe our Heavenly Father stands by the road and waits for each of his children to return home, and when they turn for home, though still a long way off (in their minds) He is there to meet them where they are at.
As to your comment about the Father sending the son to pick us up and bring us to himself, as the shepherd did with the lost sheep, well, I'm thinking we're looking at two different lessons here. I'm careful about mixing parables, for Jesus told each to make a specific point. Jesus identified himself as the Good Shepherd, and this parable of the shepherd leaving the safe flock to rescue the one lost sheep is representitive of his joy of saving one lost soul rather than watching over those who don't need to repent. I don't read in this parable where the Father sent him; what I do read is he, as the shepherd voluntarily went after the lost one, and when finding them, joyfully brings them home. This is one parallel between the two parables; in both we are met at our point of need and ushered home in the safe embrace of our God. I think this parable gives insight into the heart of Jesus; the parable of the lost son into the heart of the Father...
When I referenced learning to live in a different reality, a spiritual reality where God rules and we govern I was referenceing that purpose for which God created man, for Adam was created to govern, while living in spiritual community with God. He drew his power from God. Your comment about spiritual reality being what God is doing unseen, not what we are doing is really just the other side of the same coin, if you will. In other places I've commented that walking in the Spirit has nothing to do with what we can do for God, but has everything to do with what He can do through us when we surrender ourselves to him. Same comment, differnt phraseology.
I'm not sure where you were going with your comments on "our crucifixtion with Christ", but I will address the passage you quoted. Paul, in addressing the church at Galatia, is addressing the question of what it takes to be saved (when the whole passage is viewed in context). As he proclaimed that he preached "the sole cruce", or the cross alone, he was laying the foundation for our salvation being dependent on nothing but the cross; there were nothing else needed for salvation. When he talks of being crucified with Christ he is explaining to the church how legslly, in God's eyes, the penalty for our sins was paid, and how relationally we have reconciled with God. But the crux of the message isn't that we were crucified with Christ, that we shared in his death, but that we have been raised with Him, and through his power we can now grow into his likeness (the process of sanctification). (This explaination is a bit crude, a bit simplistic; it's coming rather freeflow, and not to the depth I'd prefer. Perhaps I'll blog it a little later...)
I haven't replaced the crucifixion with practice; the cross and reserrection is the crux of my salvation. Practicing Spiritual diciplines is the crux of my sanctification, which is a lifelong process, one that won't be perfected until I'm called home. But don't think I believe you have to have works to be saved; rather works are the evidence of the natural outflow of the Spirit as we learn to become more Christ-like, as we learn to completely surrender to His will. (James 2:14-26)
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