Enjoy the Relationship
When you became a Christian in trusting repentance you were baptised into union with the name of Christ or "into the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit." (See Matthew 28:19 and Galatians 3:26-27.) What does that mean? It means a lot of things but it certainly means that you entered into a relation with God. It means that you pledged your heart's allegiance to God but it means you are "in union" with Christ, that you are one with him. You didn't join a club or sign up for some study course. Like the rest of us you were God's child who went astray and the gracious Lord sought you out in Christ and brought you back into oneness with him (the Bible calls that renewed relationship "reconciliation").
God had never ceased loving any of us (no exceptions whatever!) so his task was not to begin to love us but to draw us back to him where his love could express itself in forgiveness and a host of other gracious realities. But it wasn't a place he drew us to or a situation or a condition--it wasn't anything like that. He drew us back to
himself! God called Abraham from Ur and Haran to Canaan (Genesis 11:31--12:1) and he called Israel out of Egypt to mount Sinai but in reality, as he told Israel in Exodus 19:4, he brought them to himself. These weren't geographical moves as much as they were movements of the soul to fellowship with God.
himself! God called Abraham from Ur and Haran to Canaan (Genesis 11:31--12:1) and he called Israel out of Egypt to mount Sinai but in reality, as he told Israel in Exodus 19:4, he brought them to himself. These weren't geographical moves as much as they were movements of the soul to fellowship with God.
You have begun your Christian life because God wooed and won you and brought you back to him! Jesus spoke of the cross and said, "But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself." (John 12:32) You're not engaged here in a trial of intellectual or religious strength and it's not a test you pass so that God will grant you a status.
Words like "status" and "position" and "place" are good words but they aren't big enough to cover all the truths. Well, in fact, no one word can do that. However we think of ourselves before God we need to see ourselves as the children he loves ceaselessly. We were wayward children that he came in search of and brought us back to himself and to his home.
You are related to God your Holy Father. You're Christ's friend. This being true you'll find you're more sensitive to your sin and more anxious to please--that's true enough but that will be because the friendship already exists. God has befriended us in Jesus Christ. The astonishing truth is that the Holy Father really likes us. So rejoice in that and let the joy of the Lord be your strength.
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