I'm going to make a real effort to be true to the outline I gave you for this series of conversations, but I need you to understand that they're interconnected. That being said, my task here may be difficult. But bear with me and with our Lord's help, we may be able to shed some light into some dimly lit corners of understanding. I'm going to start this conversation with a few questions that I want you to keep in mind while we explore the topic of who learning God is. They're important.
If I choose to ignore you, does it mean that you don't exist?
If, I choose to ignore you, will you and I ever have a true relationship?
If I just read a book about you, would that mean that you and I have a relationship?
If someone who knew you told me about you, would that mean that you and I have a relationship?
If you and I were newlyweds, would I know everything there is to know about you from the beginning?
Could you and I be married and not have a true relationship?
How would you and I truly come to have a real relationship?
You might be asking why I would choose to use the word marriage in these questions I've asked. You might even say that it seems a little weird. But let's look at marriage for a moment. Marriage is an institution ordained by our God, and among humans, marriage in it's proper context is the most sacred and intimate relationship that can exist between them (I'll give you a hint to something far more precious: it's a parallel of another relationship). Still, it might seem an odd term to use in relationship to God. But in fact, when I gave my life to Christ, I entered into a relationship with a person who is far greater than any human. I gave my life and heart to a God - THE God. Therefore that relationship is far greater, and in terms of intimacy, there's no one more intimately familiar with us than the one who created us. So no relationship for this reason and others, has greater potential for intimacy than the one we can have with our Lord. Marriage if you study it's meaning as our God ordained it, seems very relative. And for the lack of a more sacred term that humans could relate to that describes a relationship of a higher status and intimacy, I used the term marriage. This one paragraph, if you truly dedicated yourself to understanding it and validating it scripturally could occupy you for a very long time - and would without question, be among the most rewarding moments of your entire life. The dictionary/concordance in my NLT Bible defines marriage in these exact words: "unite in wedlock; figurative of any close union (often with God)".
Now, take each of those questions and insert our God in place of the word you, and yourself in the first position (I) and answer them again. If your first answers differ from the second, then you're not being honest. One of the very first and most important things for each of us to recognize is that our great and awesome God ... is a person. In fact, let's get things in proper context - He's more of a person, more real than you and I. He's the original - we're merely copies of the real thing. We were created in HIS image. But like an image, we're not the original, we're merely a reflection or reproduction of the real thing. Unlike Him, we're not perfect. He intentionally created us imperfect, but we're perfectly created according to His plan. Now I could start quoting scripture for you, but I feel that if something's worth having it's worth working for. I'm convinced that a relationship with, and an understanding of, our God is worth more than anything else that anyone could imagine. So I'm not interested in perpetuating what I feel is a growing disease even among some Christians - laziness. I will tell you where to look though - start in Genesis chapter 1and when you reach the very last word of the last verse in the last chapter of Revelation, you'll begin to understand who He is. But to know who He is - requires experience in relationship.
Our Brothers before us, the Apostles Paul, Peter, James and others expounded on our relationship to our God and on the subject of marriage. So I don't have to. But if you have a hunger for it and you're serious about making this most intimate, holy and sacred of all relationships work like Love intended, you can begin to find what you need there. But reading it isn't enough!!! - no more than my reading about you establishes a meaningful relationship with you. Get serious enough to enter in and see what happens. Take that chance and abandon your pride - abandon your self interests and make Him your first interest above any other and see what happens! I can testify to you without hesitation that His faithfulness is unshakeable - even when you've been unfaithful. His righteousness is uncorrupted even when everyone around you fails. His power to affect the most hopeless circumstances of your life is not diminished by your weakness and His love for you is pure and untainted in-spite of your unworthiness. His tenderness and capacity to heal even the deepest wounds is unlimited - to those who are truly His Children (and He tells us who they are and how to they identify them ... another reason to read the manual).
Disappointed? What I've given here is more an explanation of how to learn who He is rather than telling you who He is. Were you expecting me to tell you more about who our God is? If you're really interested in what I have to say about that, go to the archived articles of my blog. There's a post on October 17, 2010 titled Who God Is. If you want to get the best idea of who He is - go to His Word. If you want to Know who He is - engage in relationship with Him and KNOW HIM.
I love you.Walk in His Spirit.
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