No one explains how your childhood and your mind like to make an independent representation of God. I mean simply the word, “God”. As we come to have revelation and knowledge of God we understand that it is Jesus. However, Jesus is also equally separate from God, the Father. So as we walk with Christ, diving deeper into the heart of Him, we are met with this boulder: the presence of God.
For a year without having an epiphany of being afraid, I came to God hiding my fear of Him (not a Holy fear). Not understanding why nor really caring just a determination to prove I could be in His presence. We have all grown up with parents that are imperfect while we ourselves are imperfect. Our minds connect our earthly father to our Heavenly Father. That logically checks out. We internalized so many cause-effects, rationalities, situations and beliefs about a father-daughter or father-son relationship, we immediately cross that over to our relationship with God the Father. But here is a truth that is foundational. God is HOLY.
I’ve learned that this word means, “to the separated”. God is separate from your idea of a Father. Even as a person. Yes we are made in the image of God1, yet still not equal to God. Therefore, God exceeds the definition of a human, as in, what a human encapsulates. How humans act, rationalize, decide, think, even function. I say all this to encourage: let go of your idea of who God is. You may know Jesus, His character, while also having a space deep within you that is not aware of the true character of God. This was me.
Be honest with yourself, is there any part of you that is afraid, unaware, doubtful or ashamed of a lack of knowledge of the Father? Because if there is, God knew his children would go through this, so He gave us: “Christ is the visible image of the invisible God”.2 This is why the gospel is vital. It’s like blood in humans, without blood, the rest dies. The gospel is so essential that Paul says, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it is the power of God to salvation”.3 It’s salvation because Christ rescued us from a lack of knowledge, of truth. He is the answer to every single problem. There is no situation where Christ is not the answer.4 You were created to have a relationship, therefore, complete knowledge of the Father, its why its so fought in the spiritual world.
When you don’t have a clue, or have doubt, of what thoughts are God’s, or what God could be thinking you must abandon your own idea and look at the cross. When our minds think God is disappointed, or any negative connotation, the bible says, “How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me!”5
The Gospel’s four main points:
- You were created to have a relationship with God
- Sin separates us from God
- Jesus reconciles us to God through His sacrifice
- It is our decision to reject or accept God’s free gift
It is a key meditative process that illuminates the character of God. Ask why this is, and for God to answer through the Word what this all means. In constantly taking up our own idea of God this leads to being stuck in a cycle that repeats like a broken record playing, falling into our own harm.
“For My people have done two evil things: they have abandoned Me- the fountain of living water. And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns that can hold no water at all!”6
We see this in the garden7 and even as being redeemed in Jesus8, we say our way is better. Jesus understands because it is our nature. God doesn’t call the perfect or ones that “know how to walk perfect with Jesus”. Jesus is Holy, separate from the mess in our heads as we go through difficulties yet in all ways understanding, being incapable of indifference.9 That’s one reason God became flesh.10 So this verse isn’t to shame, those in Christ can no longer be condemned.11 But it is to show evidence that Christ understands while making the way out. The solution is to become aware of our weakness and let God begin a process where He teaches you how to return to Him as the source of life and fulfillment.12
“I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious Father of my Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope He has given to those He called– His holy people who are His rich and glorious inheritance. I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe Him.”13
The light is Jesus. The Holy Spirit can open your spiritual eyes to see Jesus. “For God, who said, ‘Let there be light in the darkness,’ has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.”14 I believed God was mad at me whenever I opinionated evil or sin within myself, but do you see how that goes against the gospel? Jesus died on the cross for the sole purpose of COVERING my sin, for redeeming me. To redeem is to exchange and fill. Jesus died to pay my price of sin.15 That’s why in Jesus Christ the true believers can no longer call themselves sinners even though they will fall short of the Glory of God.
This process is very difficult, but also liberating. I believe that is why it’s difficult because you will think, “no way this is real.” But this is the Father: love. For if He did not have love, He would just be a noisy gong or clanging cymbal.16 Same with us. If we don’t come to intimately know the love of Jesus, what are we even doing? Jesus is fervently eager to show the world who He is. How He would like to show us how He loves. “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their own clothing, yet Solomon in all His glory was not dressed as beautiful as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, He will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?”17
This whole verse SCREAMS the gospel. Salvation is not earned, it’s a gift.18 The maturity of our salvation is also a gift.19 The key is a disposition. Which is another topic in itself. When we have the disposition to allow Jesus to work in us, the gospel transforms our hearts, from it the rest of us springs out.20 Jesus says, “seek first the kingdom of God and all His righteousness and the rest will be added to you.”21 I don’t believe “the rest” He is talking about is only about material things, or our desires, but also the maturity of “working out our salvation with Holy Fear and trembling.” This is the work of the Holy Spirit22, of Jesus23, and it begins by seeing the Father for who He truly is.24
Index
1- Genesis 1: 27 AMP
2- Colossians 1: 15 NLT
3- Romans 1: 16 NKJV
4- John 16: 13 NKJV
5- Psalms 139: 17- 18 NLT
6- Jeremiah 2: 13 NLT
7- Genesis 3: 1- 7 NLT
8- Isaiah 43: 1 NKJV
9- Hebrews 4: 15-16 AMP
10- John 1: 14 AMP
11- Romans 8: 1 NLT
12- 2 Corinthians 12: 8-10 NLT
13- Ephesians 1: 16 NLT
14- 2 Corinthians 4: 6 NLT
15- 1 Corinthians 6: 20 NLT
16- 1 Corinthians 13: 1- 3 NLT
17- Mathew 6: 28- 30 NLT
18- Romans 3: 24- 26; Ephesians 2: 8-9 NLT
19- Philippians 2: 12 AMP!
20- Proverbs 4: 23 AMP
21- Mathew 6: 33 AMP
22- Galatians 5: 16- 17 NLT
23- Philippians 2: 13 NLT
24- Hosea 2: 8-9 NLT