10/26/2018
Do we give thanks for our brothers and sisters in Christ? Do we take our own sanctification by the Holy Spirit as more than a distant hope, but as a present truth? Do we find ourselves filled with the glory of Jesus Christ, and allow him full reign as he abides within us? There was a time when I accepted Jesus as fact, but didn’t want the close relationship that He offered; I wanted to follow Him but not to walk too closely, not to accept the changes that walking hand in hand with Him meant. Is Jesus your speaking friend, or your best friend and confidant? Are you sanctified or just aquatinted?
“But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
2 Thessalonians 2:13-14 ESV
We call many people our friends, but they are not all equal in our eyes. We have casual friends, distant friends, speaking friends, close friends, work friends, church friends... the list can go on and on. The point is that we refer to many people as our friends, but there are very few we let inside our shell; there are few indeed that we open ourselves to, and only one that we reveal ourselves totally to. Jesus wants to be that friend.
“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.”
John 15:4 ESV
Unless we open ourselves up and invite Jesus to come in, to give him the freedom to roam our lives with no locked doors, or secret places, then we are withholding ourselves from sanctification... we are placing boundaries on our friendship and fellowship that limit the Holy Spirit who Is the gift of Christ to us.
“If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.”
John 15:7-8 ESV
All of the types of friendship except one are unacceptable to Jesus; each of them comes with limits and stipulations... you can ask this, but not that; you can go with me here, but not there; I will acknowledge you in this way, but not that... well you catch my meaning. Jesus wants to be that sanctified and holy friend who can ask you anything, who goes with you everywhere, who you can be seen with always, the friend who safely reveals your faults to you and makes you a better person without bringing out anger in you. He wants to become more than just a part of you, and for you to become an extension of Him... He accomplishes this through the Holy Spirit that is the bridge between our humanity and His divinity.
“Some pray for the Spirit because they long to have His light and joy and strength, but their prayers bring little increase of blessing or power. It is because they do not truly know or desire Him as the Holy Spirit. They do not know His burning purity, His searching and convicting light, His putting to death the deeds of the body, of self with its will and its power, and His leading into the fellowship of Jesus as He gave up His will and His life to the Father.” - Andrew Murray
If we befriend Jesus in this way; in the way He desires to know us, then the reality of sanctification and holiness come with that friendship, and suddenly we find ourselves as one, and thanking God for those others around us who also know him just as we do.
“If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”
John 15:10-12 ESV
Magnets are amazing things, they have a positive pole and a negative pole, and interestingly enough, if you take two magnets the opposites poles attract one another and the like poles repel each other. So how is it that in a single magnet these can both exist without tearing the magnet apart? It is because magnetism is a loop, or a flow that travels in a loop through the core of the magnet... it isn’t two, but one steady flow. I like to think about my faith in similar terms... I was attracted to Jesus in much the same way as two magnets... my sinful self was attracted to His perfection. My negative pole was attracted to His positive pole. But once we came together then something miraculous happened... our loops (the power of God Himself) ceased to be two, and became one in us... we may look like two pieces of metal joined together end to end, but the flow has changed within us, and we are now one in it.
This is the friendship Jesus wants with us! He wants to be one with us, and for God’s flow in us to be one and the same! One Holy Spirit! One Father! One faith!
So we go through a period during our lives in which we are so far separated from God that we feel little of the draw God is exerting on us. Then we begin to feel His pull strengthening; we hear about God, and the gospel message of Jesus. When this happens we might align ourselves perfectly the first time, or we might try several times before we find just the right position where our poles align, and we become joined perfectly as one, but we must be willing to give up our own will, and be joined as one in God’s... those that can’t do this push Him away, and are lost, but those that are joined find themselves in the perfect friendship and relationship that Jesus has made possible for us, and the Holy Spirit facilitates. Are you ready? Are you willing to let your will join with the true and perfect will of God? Are you ready to become the holy friend of Jesus?
Prayer:
Father, thank you for drawing me to you, and for the love that you have for me. I thank you Lord for your Son Jesus Christ who cuts my stone and makes me a perfect fit with you. I thank you for your Holy Spirit that polishes and aligns me With your will. I thank you Heavenly Father for allowing Jesus to abide within me, and me within Him. I thank you for the consecration and holiness that comes from you through your Son as we join together in friendship, fellowship, and righteousness. I thank you also Gracious Father for my brothers and sisters in Christ who strengthen me further through their spirits that are joined as one with mine in your eternal flow. I thank you for the many wills that have given themselves over to yours, and praise your Holy name forever! Holy, Holy, Holy, are you my God! In you I find my rest and joy; in you I find my soul at peace, and in you I am without need or want. Great are you above all things, and in all things, throughout eternity!
Rich Forbes