I have been a "Christian" for about 10 years now ( I am 21) and yet in all this time I don't believe I "know" Christ or God the Father. I have accepted that Jesus died for me to save me so that I would 'live eternally', but that really does mean I now "know" him.
I feel especially distant from Christ. I would like to know him, you know talk to him, ask him about himself, but I don't know how. Why the distance? Mostly because I don't know how to relate to him. A perfect man, sinless, having no weakness....how can I relate to that?! The best conversations of my life (so far) have been in the admitting of my sin and weakness to my 'brothers' ( with the purpose of course to be humbled before God and to ask for forgiveness and to repent asking him for the understanding and ability to change my ways).
When I was 12 I realized that the only thing in life that matters is pleasing God. But I don't know how?! There are far too many things that seem to be the 'answer' for that question and yet I don't want 'man's' answer I want to hear and to know it from God himself.
People say "the answer is in his word!" others say "Jesus is the 'Word' so ask him" still others say "The Spirit is the only one who can 'please' God in 'us' so ask him to cause you to please God". So which is it? What does God, the living God of all eternity say, from his own mouth and heart. My guess is that when God wants us to know something He affirms it with His Spirit and our Spirit is 'bent' in love toward His will. In other words our whole Spirit affirms and rejoices in the 'truth' and there is NOTHING that can convince us otherwise not even our 'minds' , 'hearts', 'others' , or 'satan himself'.
This is part of the quest the Father has me on.
2 comments:
hey matt,
I saw the link to your blog on nick's site. I read your post and have been thinking about it. I believe God's word has made it fairly clear what pleases him. but the difficulty is living that out! Thank God for his mercy, and the grace he has poured out on us through his gift of sanctification! well I don't know what else to say... see ya soon.
Matt
Remember that our relationship with God begins and ends with the cross. What I mean by that is that what we need to consider, meditate on, and rest in is what God has done for us, not what we can (or can't) do for God.
Read Galatians 1:1-5 and consider this:
Paul wrote this letter as a letter of strong rebuke yet where does he begin? He begins with grace and mercy, which is the backbone of our relationship with God.
Consider these four elements when trying to answer the question of how you can please God:
Who is at work, you or God?
God our father and the Lord Jesus Christ are the active participants in everything that pleases God.
How is He at work?
He gave Himself for our sins and He gave Himself for the specific sin that you bring to Him each time. He has specific purpose in every single trial or difficulty through which He takes you.
What is the affect of His work?
To deliver us from this present evil age according to the will of the Father. This is our reason for hope.
Why He is at work.
For the Father's glory.
God did not sacrifice because we pleased Him. What pleases God is our understanding that there is nothing we can do to please Him and then relying totally and completely on the blood of Jesus for every bit of security, comfort, and assurance in our lives. Live your life standing in the shadow of His cross. You were saved for good works so do those good works, but don't look to them to please God.
God bless, Matt.
David S. Spaggiari
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