Simply Jesus

What began in simplicity and power as a relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ soon became complicated. In the beginning I found the Word of God leaping off the page into my heart, giving me life directly from God. I found my life and heart inexplicably reoriented, refreshed, and cleansed as I spent time in prayer enjoying God's presence. That's how it started; in simplicity, with life coming from a fresh relationship with God in Christ.

It soon got complicated. Someone told me I needed to read the Bible every day and pray every day. Then they showed me how. I learned there were at least 14 different methods to study God's word. I learned about memorizing Bible verses. I learned how to make a "prayer list". I learned I was supposed to join an official "church" where there was a seminary trained pastor who would baptise me, run a Sunday school program, and teach me the Bible as I attended faithfully and brought my friends, tithed, etc.

Somewhere in there I began to take the practices I was learning and using them to evaluate my relationship with God. I began to try to "build an intimate relationship with God" which sounds like a good goal, but let's just say I discovered I had some "issues" that began a downward spiral. What "issues"?

Well, what if I asked you honestly, "Tell me about your relationship with God? How close to God are you?" Stop. Consider. Do you have good feelings? Negative feelings? What comes to mind? A list of things you should do and haven't or a list of things you shouldn't have done and but did anyway? Those issues.

Can I share with you God's wonderful answer to our "issue". It may even be good news. If you believe in Jesus, right now YOU have the same relationship with God as Jesus Christ. It's a gift eternally. That is God's answer for us... NOW, to enjoy forever. God has seen all our attempts to obey His standards, He sees our desire to learn His thoughts, He listens when we pray, etc. and sees all of our attempts to "build a close relationship with God". He comes to us, and makes a deal. "I'll do you a favor. Let's set all your efforts to build a relationship with me aside. I'm going to give you MY SON'S relationship with Me. I'm going to give you His place in my heart. The love I have for Him; it's Yours. I'm am a holy and righteous God; My Son is everything I delight in, so I'm going to give you Him as your righteousness. One last thing, My Son and I really enjoy a thrilling exchange of love in the Spirit. I'm going to join His Spirit to yours in an eternal fusion. You can now give up on establishing your own intimacy with me. I'm going to allow you to experience My Son's intimacy with me... as a real experience of His Spirit pouring His love out to me through you. Okay?"

Jesus has eternally enjoyed living in the bosom of the Father. In fact, He's completely One with His Father. And God adopted us as SONs... that means He's given us Jesus Christ's relationship with God for our eternal enjoyment. Wow! We can now enjoy Jesus Christ's relationship with God as our very own. Although our enjoyment and experience of this relationship can fluctuate, the relationship itself never changes. So, as the Word says, "Since you've received Jesus Christ the Lord, walk in Him"... crying with the Son's own Spirit "Abba, Father".