Why do I have Joy in Christ?  Why have this relationship with God?

Learn more about a relationship with God.

Let’s start with identity, two identities actually. Who is God and who am I?  My only way to conceive of either question is to look at the Bible AND at what I have seen in my life.  

It all starts with God and who He is, His identity.  God communicates to us, to me via His word or the Bible.  He shows that He is Holy, perfect beyond my human idea of what perfect is.  God is glorious.  God is light, a light so bright that any darkness or impurity before Him is glaringly noticeable and obvious.

Who am I?  I am about me. I have this hole in My life. I try to fill this hole with things, stuff and pursuit of all manner of things.  I want to be treated well. I want to be respected. I deserve this, that or the other thing.  But God intervenes and takes the initiative, He goes out of His way to show me about myself.  When the light of who God is, illuminates me, I see a lot of truth I don’t want to see about myself, things I never even knew were there!  I see my sin, or I see a lot of what I am not, as well as, contrary to my own opinions of myself, I see what/who I actually am.  I see the greed, the self-centeredness, my selfishness and mostly the darkness in my thoughts.  I see this hole in my life that is a separation or even a death toward God himself.  God and I have no relationship.  I only see His scary wrath, my shortcomings and the destination of hell.

Part of who God is, is not only His rage at my sin, but also His desire to love me.  What?  I have nothing God needs.  I have nothing to offer God.  I am trash in the barrel.  Believe it or not the Bible says you have this problem also, all have fallen short of the Glory of God, all have sinned, none can earn their way into God’s presence or heaven.

So, God took the initiative.  He became fully God and fully man in Jesus Christ.  He lived a perfect, sinless life and became the sacrifice for me and my sin.  The full weight of God’s wrath toward sin was executed on Jesus Christ on the cross. This was done on my behalf because I deserved this wrath, not Jesus or God himself.  God then takes the initiative again and pursues me, God calls to me and you.  God calls me into this relationship with Himself while I’m still in the trash barrel with nothing to offer Him.  He CHOOSES to pluck me from the trash.  He CHOOSES to explain to me His salvation via His word or bible.  He CHOOSES me to receive this faith from Him. Miraculously, a desire to run closer to Him instead of away from Him results.  God puts His Holy Spirit within me that literally makes me into a new creation or as is commonly referred to as being “Born Again”.

Some would look at this more narrowly under their own self and selfishness and say, So If I say a prayer I get to heaven and I get a get out of jail (hell) free card. Or if I do the right things (works) I can be good enough that God will accept me. I get what I emotionally want. I, I, I, I…….  This is unfortunately another pursuit of self. I’m still in the prison of my being in control, my being the god of my own life. It is God that calls, God that convicts our heart, God that gives us the faith to believe, accept and surrender to Him.  God is the one that causes me to be born again into a new creation and to WANT to obey Him.

So, what about this Joy I speak of?  God CHOOSES to also declare me Holy and in right standing with Himself.  Yes, while we still make mistakes and still sin, God CHOOSES to declare His people pure/holy.  How does that work?  Because Jesus paid for all our guilt the Father only sees the Jesus in us.  Boggles the mind but true.  The Holy Spirit is also changing us over time to become more like Jesus Christ in all things.  God CHOOSES to grow us for OUR own sakes.  We still have nothing He needs. We still have nothing to offer God under our own power or worth.  God CHOOSES to grow us. God CHOOSES to grow the presence of Himself in us. So, we grow more against the sin in our lives because it benefits us!!!  This is a great freedom that produces Joy.  I can NEVER measure up and I’m NOT supposed to.  I’m free in God’s power in my life to grow, grow in Him, for MY benefit.  God also CALLS me to do good for my own benefit.  Also, as we mature and grow, God CHOOSES to call us to participate in the lives of others.  WOW!  “Hey Gary, watch what I (God) do in this other person’s life!  Hey Gary, why don’t you join Me (God), allowing Me (God), to use you in what I’m doing in this person’s life.  I (God) want to share with you my joy as I create!!!

A pure master builder, who is holy, perfect and glorious choosing not only to save me from the trash bin, grow me for my benefit but God also CHOOSES to involve me, to share in what He is doing.  A redeemed version of myself similar to what God was doing with Adam in the garden of Eden before the fall.

So when I no longer pursue “Me” and what “I” want, but pursue and surrender all that I am to God, then I get more than I ever wanted in the first place - the empty void or hole filled with God!

Thank you, Jesus!

Jesus asked:

Who do men say that I Am?
Who do You say that I Am?

Gary

May 16, 2019