The Dwelling Place of God

It is amazing how God has graced mere men with His presence.  God has made a way for us to enter into His presence, and for His presence to dwell in us through the Holy Spirit.  Paul wrote of what Jesus accomplished in Ephesians 2:18-22:  "For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. ¹⁹ Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, ²⁰ having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone, ²¹ in whom the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, ²² in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit."  Along with all followers of Christ, we are individually and collectively a dwelling place of God.

How remarkable, that God would dwell with and in men!  For all who have tasted and have seen God is good forever changes the way we relate to God and others.  A.W. Tozer wrote of the importance of recognising and cultivating the presence of God in his book The Pursuit of God: "Ransomed men need no longer pause in fear to enter the Holy of Holies.  God wills that we should push on into His presence and live our whole life there.  This is to be known to us in conscious experience.  It is more than a doctrine to be held; it is a life to be enjoyed every moment of every day...The world is perishing for lack of the knowledge of God and the Church is famishing for want of His Presence.  The instant cure of most of our religious ills would be to enter the Presence in spiritual experience, to become suddenly aware that we are in God and that God is in us."  (Tozer, A. W., The Pursuit of God. WingSpread Publishers, 2006. pages 34; 36.)

So how do we "push on into His presence?"  We like clear checklists for these questions, but God does not provide them for our convenience.  It is not done with the blood of bulls or rams but by the blood of Jesus Christ by faith in Him.  Often seeking God begins with choosing to leave or lay aside something else.  God promised the children of Israel who returned from captivity in Jeremiah 29:12-13:  "Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. ¹³ And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart."  This principle is true throughout all scripture.  Paul said to the inquisitive men of Athens in Acts 17:27, "that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us..."  God is not only interested to be sought and found, but for people to know Him.  Pursuit is a relatively short phase in earthly relationships, but the Christian's pursuit of God is to be a continual action which marks all lives of God's faithful followers.  The more we pursue Him the more we find and know Him, and the more we know Him the more we want to pursue Him.

Let us not assume this pursuit of God ends when the Holy Spirit takes up residence in our hearts.  It is then when we can commune with God in earnest.  The Holy of Holies was unapproachable by all but the High Priest on the appointed day, but Jesus has made a way for us to enter God's presence to find grace and help in time of any need.  Is there ever a time when we are not needy?  God avails Himself to those who beg for help; He will feed the hungry and quench the thirsty.  He will grant wisdom to those who sense they lack it and humbly seek Him.  When speaking of abiding in the presence of God it is not so much "How To" that is needed but "Will I?"  God has chosen to make His habitation in people who fear Him.  Having invited Him in by the Gospel of Jesus Christ, let us also seek Him with our whole hearts.

Love Without Strings

One thing I find remarkable about God is the freedom of choice He grants to all people He has created.  Some wonder if God is loving because of what He allows, but it is precisely by allowing He shows His love and grace.  In this world overwhelmed with sin, hypocrisy, and hopelessness, it is the stark contrast of God's goodness which leads us to Him.

Remember the parable of the prodigal son?  The son demanded his inheritance of his father, and his father complied without complaint.  His father could have decided to "do what is best" for his son by denying his request, but in his generosity - knowing beforehand the poor decisions he would make with "his" money - the father gave the money and all rights to it to the son he loved.  That is a picture of what God has done in giving us life.  He gives life to people who will wrongly use it to hurt others and ruin themselves, but He freely gives life anyway.  It might be, like the prodigal son, when we are at our lowest point we will come to our senses and seek Him out.

God does not force those He loves to do His will, though they be His own children.  After the prophet Samuel's sons demonstrated they were not leadership material, the children of Israel demanded Samuel give them a king to rule over them.  Samuel was rightly upset by this request, for they were glad to substitute to have a man to rule them instead of God.  They wanted to be like all the other nations when God had made a covenant with them, delivered, provided, established, and fought for them.  After Samuel prayed to God, 1 Samuel 8:7 says, "And the LORD said to Samuel, "Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them."  This is said by a God who has all power in heaven and in earth, who can annihilate His enemies in a moment, the One who discerns the hearts of men and could strike dead all who oppose Him.

People are chronically insecure.  We can feel uneasy because someone does not share our opinion or does something we do not condone.  God did not condone the request of His people, but He told Samuel to listen to everything they said - the same way God listened to everything His people had said.  He told Samuel to first warn the people of the consequences of this foolish decision, but if they did not heed He would grant them their request.  Do you have such confidence in God to refuse to force or manipulate others to do what you want?  God's love does not force others to do anything in return, and keeps loving when others pay it no mind.  How secure is God in His love and grace towards others!  As a husband, parent and friend it is a massive challenge to trust God and love as He does no matter what, to listen to others even when God's Word is not heeded.

After Samuel warned the people of the negative consequences of their choice to have a king 1 Samuel 8:19-22 says, "Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, "No, but we will have a king over us, ²⁰ that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles." ²¹ And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he repeated them in the hearing of the LORD. ²² So the LORD said to Samuel, "Heed their voice, and make them a king." And Samuel said to the men of Israel, "Every man go to his city."  I am in awe that the God who has all power would submit to the poor choice of His people.  Couldn't God cite His love for His people to refuse such a request?  Men would, but not God.  I praise God for such love, for who can know it?  Our responsibility before God is to love others as He loves us, and let us not use love as an excuse to control. 

Labour Day Every Day

"My Father has been working until now, and I have been working."

- Jesus Christ, quoted from John 5:17

It is Labour Day in New South Wales, a welcome day of respite from labours.  That is not to say it isn't a good day for working - like washing the cars and vacuuming them.  Labour is work, and would you agree "work" has largely a negative connotation?  We say things like, "I had to work on the weekend" or say a decision created "extra work."  If we can manage with less work, most people are happy with the concept.

God has been working until now, Jesus was working, and it is fair to say a follower of Jesus should work too - and be happy and grateful for it.  After God created Adam, He put him to work keeping and tending the Garden of Eden.  It wasn't because God chose to delegate work He couldn't handle, but because work is something God does and loves to do.  No one made God work, but God has been working until now.  Kings can do as much or as little "work" as they want, and God had no problem creating work for Himself because it isn't hard for Him.  The work He starts He finishes.

Even at a young age, Jesus realised He had been given tasks by His heavenly Father.  After Jesus was found by Joseph and Mary in the Temple, Luke 2:49 records the works of Christ:  "And He said to them, "Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father's business?"  These are the words of a young teenager who knew something many people never learn:  God is working until now, and we ought to joyfully work too.  There's nothing wrong with having a rest or a holiday, but work shouldn't be a four-letter word.  If "work" isn't something which pleases you, remember how God is working all the time.  As He works in us, when we cooperate He can also work through us.

Jesus, Our Cornerstone

C.H. Spurgeon wisely said concerning sceptics who prefer to remain sceptical, "Our business is not to supply men with arguments by informing them of difficulties...Unbelievers only 'glean their blunted shafts, and shoot them at the shield of truth again.' Our object is not to conquer them in logical encounters, but to save their souls." (Spurgeon, C. H. Lectures to my Students. Grand Rapids, MI, Zondervan Publishing House, 1989. pg. 270)  Today I read a passage in 1 Samuel which illustrates this tendency to hold onto faulty ideas and idols well.

The Philistines had captured the ark of God in battle and placed it in the temple of their god, Dagon.  1 Samuel 5:3 says, "And when the people of Ashdod arose early in the morning, there was Dagon, fallen on its face to the earth before the ark of the LORD. So they took Dagon and set it in its place again."  During the night, the idol Dagon fell before the ark of God.  Instead of ditching their god which had eyes but could not see, they propped up the image again.  It was a strange thing Dagon had fallen, but the image would surely be secure due to their efforts.

The story then gets better.  1 Samuel 5:4 reads, "And when they arose early the next morning, there was Dagon, fallen on its face to the ground before the ark of the LORD. The head of Dagon and both the palms of its hands were broken off on the threshold; only Dagon's torso was left of it."  I wonder if the Philistines were surprised when they found Dagon smashed to bits when they entered the temple in the morning!  The KJV says only the stump of Dagon remained intact.  What a strange thing, that Dagon would again fall prostrate before the ark of the God of Israel!

1 Samuel 5:5 shows the sad folly of unbelief in God and His mighty power:  "Therefore neither the priests of Dagon nor any who come into Dagon's house tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day."  Instead of reverencing the God of Israel before whom their idol fell, they chose to honour the place where their idol fell and rid themselves of the ark of God.  Why didn't they reject their idol instead of God?  Our natural tendency is to be loyal to a fault, even to faulty ideas not supported in scripture.  Our faith in Christ and His Word is a most reasonable one, and though we do not know all things in knowing God we have His great wisdom at our disposal.

Instead of trusting in ideas or things of this world which ultimately will fall and fail, let us choose to place our faith on Jesus Christ, the Chief Cornerstone.  Jesus has proved His power over sin and death.  Not one who builds on this foundation will not be put to shame!  Jesus affirms in Luke 20:18, "Whoever falls on that stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder."  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!