so much more in Christ
July 5, 2012
In the same way, many of us Christians live like that guy. We're good with accepting Christ as our Savior, good with receiving salvation, access to God, ticket to heaven, etc., but we've been promised so much treasures and wonderfulness here and now in this earthly life that we have yet to take and enjoy! Jesus said that He came to give us life and for us to have an abundant life. When I think of abundant life, I think of the apostles and those during the Acts church period. Theirs was the abundance of joy even in the midst of persecution! Theirs was the access to God's power in preaching, in teaching, in evangelizing, in living, in healing, etc. Theirs was the generosity in sharing with one another, not worrying about whether or not they themselves had enough. Theirs was the Holy Spirit poured out in full measure upon them - empowering them in all that God led them to do ! And we all have access to this in Christ!
"He who did not spare his Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?" (Rom 8: 32) I love that verse. God gave us his Son, and that already is more than enough. We have the greatest gift of all, what else would God withhold from us? We too can live joyfully, a joy not dependent upon circumstances. We too can have the outpouring of the Holy Spirit within us, that we may live by the Spirit and not by the flesh! That we may be led by the Spirit, to the right or to the left, and to be the children of God! (Rom 8)
And yet, so many of us are content with living our day to day lives just the way they are - complaining about our jobs, unhappy with our coworkers, worrying about this or that, finding satisfaction and enjoyment in these worldly pleasures offered to us - media, games, going out, etc, all the while missing out on the greater things. If we have truly tasted and seen even a little of God, can we really go back to enjoying these worldly pleasures? Can we really live the way we've been living? I really don't believe so. I believe we'd be changed people. We'd be living with the joy of knowing so great a God and being called children of the Almighty Lord. We'd want more. We'd want to know God more, to truly encounter Him. We'd grow in a passion and desire for God that could never be satisfied with anything less than Him but which would always be growing in fieriness for Him no matter how much we've encountered Him. Our desire for Him increases and purifies while our desires for the things of this world, the cravings of our flesh & our lust die.
There once was a guy who saved up all his money and was able to finally buy a cruise ticket. He was so glad to finally be on board! Each meal though, when offered the yummy food, he'd politely decline and eat the bread he brought along, for he thought "I've already spent all my money on the ticket, no way can I afford the food". One day, when the trip was almost over, someone came over to him and asked why he didn't eat the cruise food. He answered "because I have no money". And was told in response "the food was all included in the ticket!"When I heard that illustration, I felt really bad for that guy. To think that he had all that available and within his reach, and because of his lack of knowledge and his refusal, he didn't get to enjoy it. There must have been so much regret.
In the same way, many of us Christians live like that guy. We're good with accepting Christ as our Savior, good with receiving salvation, access to God, ticket to heaven, etc., but we've been promised so much treasures and wonderfulness here and now in this earthly life that we have yet to take and enjoy! Jesus said that He came to give us life and for us to have an abundant life. When I think of abundant life, I think of the apostles and those during the Acts church period. Theirs was the abundance of joy even in the midst of persecution! Theirs was the access to God's power in preaching, in teaching, in evangelizing, in living, in healing, etc. Theirs was the generosity in sharing with one another, not worrying about whether or not they themselves had enough. Theirs was the Holy Spirit poured out in full measure upon them - empowering them in all that God led them to do ! And we all have access to this in Christ!
"He who did not spare his Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?" (Rom 8: 32) I love that verse. God gave us his Son, and that already is more than enough. We have the greatest gift of all, what else would God withhold from us? We too can live joyfully, a joy not dependent upon circumstances. We too can have the outpouring of the Holy Spirit within us, that we may live by the Spirit and not by the flesh! That we may be led by the Spirit, to the right or to the left, and to be the children of God! (Rom 8)
Whenever the cloud lifted from above the Tent, the Israelites set out; wherever the cloud settled, the Israelites encamped. At the LORD’s command the Israelites set out, and at his command they encamped. As long as the cloud stayed over the tabernacle, they remained in camp. (Num 9:17-18)These verses very much inspire and awe me. The cloud is God's presence. How amazing it is to be led so intimately by God! To set out at God's command, to stop at His command. In whichever direction He led, they went. There is such ease in trusting in the leading of God, the omniscient, all-powerful, omnipresent, Maker of heaven and earth! What could be more exciting or satisfying? And we have access to this through the Holy Spirit that lives in us !
And yet, so many of us are content with living our day to day lives just the way they are - complaining about our jobs, unhappy with our coworkers, worrying about this or that, finding satisfaction and enjoyment in these worldly pleasures offered to us - media, games, going out, etc, all the while missing out on the greater things. If we have truly tasted and seen even a little of God, can we really go back to enjoying these worldly pleasures? Can we really live the way we've been living? I really don't believe so. I believe we'd be changed people. We'd be living with the joy of knowing so great a God and being called children of the Almighty Lord. We'd want more. We'd want to know God more, to truly encounter Him. We'd grow in a passion and desire for God that could never be satisfied with anything less than Him but which would always be growing in fieriness for Him no matter how much we've encountered Him. Our desire for Him increases and purifies while our desires for the things of this world, the cravings of our flesh & our lust die.
May we ask to be filled with so much more of God, with so much more of His Spirit, that we may live transformed abundant lives in Christlikeness. May we see and taste God and pray to do so, that we may truly know what it means to enjoy something of infinite value & worth, that our desires and all the cheap trinkets our hearts are so often set upon may fall away, never to deceive us again into being satisfied with anything less than our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ day in and day out.
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