In The Garden (2)

Dwelling In His Love

     Make My Love your home--Dwell there continually. It is the only Place of safety and refuge that will never be shaken or taken away from you.  There is a place prepared for you in Me, where you and I dwell together in Love.  Everything you could desire and need is there, and no one can take it away from you.  So, dwell with Me there.

     As you seek Me in My Word, meditate upon what you find.  Seek My face, and the Spirit will reveal My Love to you--the fullness of it, and the power.  There is power to transform your heart and mind so that you become the glorious creature you have been made in Me. 

     Seek to abide in My love always, as I abide in the Father's Love. We are One.* And in Me you are complete and lack nothing.  All that I AM is in you to supply your every need--for your body, soul, and spirit.  My Spirit in you is My inheritance in you, so that you lack nothing.  There is no greater gift in heaven or earth than My Spirit dwelling in you.  And you have this treasure in the earthen vessel of your body, which will one day be revealed in Glory. *

     This is My Love for you, in you--the Spirit of Love come to live in you!

(Open "In The Garden" Tab for explanation of posts titled In The Garden)

*  John 17:20-26

*  2 Corinthians 4:6-7

God Is Our Home

     I was sitting on my porch the other morning, enjoying the cool breeze before the blasting hot air of the rising sun took over the day.  Some dogs began to bark off in the distance at a neighboring property, and one of my cats came running out from under a bush across the yard toward me. Swiftly and without hestitation he ran up into my lap for refuge, which I immediately rewarded with a secure hug and comforting words.  I thought to myself, "I am this little creature's safe haven.  I am his home base."   It reminded me of the secure and comforting place we have in our intimate relationship with the Lord.  He IS our refuge, our hiding place... our Home.

     Many years ago, I had become disillusioned by some leaders in the church, and disappointed by some misunderstandings I had regarding certain teachings.  I let it affect my relationship with my heavenly Father. I didn't spend much if any time in communion or prayer, or reading His word, or fellowshipping with other believers.  I was bitter and blaming God for my pain.  Eventually I began to feel empty and disoriented inside.  But, when I finally turned to Him acknowledging that I had been wrong to blame Him and didn't want to be distant from Him anymore, I felt an overwhelming sense of  "coming home".  I had come back into that place of safety and comfort and being loved.  I didn't hear any rebuke, or words of  correction from Him.  There was only a deep sense of being home.

He Is Our Home

    He IS our place of refuge, our safe haven, our place of belonging, and being loved.   Just as a home is meant to be. When we're outside of Him, not in that close and accepting relationship, spiritually wandering about on our own, it gets lonely and difficult, and can even become dangerous.  The Psalmist says He is our secret place, and our hiding place.*  In many instances he refers to the Lord as his refuge, and the place where he loves to dwell.* 

    I don't know about you, but this is really big for me. This world is getting darker, and more hostile and dangerous.  And though friends and family do provide a certain level of belonging and love, they can fail, and disappoint, and leave us.  But God... He is always there, always with open arms, and always love.  He's promised to NEVER  leave us or desert us. (Deuteronomy 31:6, Matthew 28:20)  And since He has always existed, and always will, our place in HIM, in His House, will always be there.

     I know some of you reading this may not have a good place to call home.  Maybe it's not safe or comfortable at home.  But, there is one place, one Person who will always be there, always have open arms, pure love and acceptance, and provide total safety for you, and that is our God.  I would encourage you to turn to Him and find your hiding place, your Home in God.  Let Him reveal to you His love and acceptance, and find that place of belonging.  Jesus illustrates this beautifully for us in a wonderful story of a young man in Luke 15:11-32.   

* Psalm 91; Psalm 32

* Psalm 27

Oneness With God

     Something that took me a long time to know and believe is that the heavenly calling of God to come into relationship with Him is two-fold.  We're brought into a oneness with Him in an intimate and personal relationship where we can openly approach Him and relate to Him one on one.  But, we also now have been made partakers of His divine nature.*  We are one with Him in likeness.

     We don't need a priest or go-between in order to commune with God, because Jesus is the one and only, and final mediator between men and God. (1 Timothy 2:5)  Jesus made a "new and living way" into God's Presence for every one that receives his death and resurrection on their behalf.  Hebrews 10:19-22 says we have bold liberty to enter God's Presence by the "NEW WAY" of Jesus Christ's shed blood and broken body. There are no more obstacles, or hoops that we have to jump through.  Jesus took care of everything that gives us free access and unhindered relationship with God. It is our faith in Him, in His death and resurrection, that makes it a reality for us.

Being Like God

     The other part of our calling is to be like Him.  Most of us think that's impossible, or at the least heresy to believe in.  I just found it impossible to live out, because no matter how hard I tried I ended up acting in ways that were obviously not God-like.  But, the TRUTH is when we receive His Spirit through faith in Jesus Christ, we are recreated in His likeness.  Our oneness with Him in spirit means that spiritually we are just like Him, holy, righteous, and perfect, without sin.  Yikes!  Did I really say that out loud?  Look at 1 John 4:17.

     Hebrews 10:14 says that "by one offering [Jesus's death on the cross], he has perfected for ever them that are sanctified".  The word "perfected" here means to be completed, brought to fullness. It's talking about those who have put faith in Christ, who are sanctified, or have been set apart as holy to the Lord.   If you read through Hebrews 10, you will see that our sins have been taken away, not just covered over or temporarily forgiven, but taken away (vs.4 and vs.11).  And there is no more payment or offering required ever again for our sins (vs. 18).  As far as God is concerned, all sins have already been dealt with, paid for, forgiven.

God's Way

     Spiritually we are perfect, just like Him, without sin.  And when we realize this, actually believe it, we will also behave and conduct ourselves like Him.  Unfortunately we are taught, and naturally think, that we must act holy, and then we will be holy.  But, GOD'S WAY is just the opposite.  He has by His grace through Jesus' death and resurrection for us, made us holy and perfect in Him.  When we receive Him, we are "in Him".  "Baptized into Him", as Romans 6:3 says. We receive everything He Is, and everything He has done.  We are made holy and righteous and perfect.  It is from this reality, believing it, that we are able to live holy and right.  BELIEVING it produces LIVING it.

    This was such a liberating truth for me to receive.  I can stop trying to act right, and just believe in the perfect and completed work of Christ on my behalf, and know that I am now just as perfect and right as He is in God's sight.  And the areas in my life and personality that I don't believe this yet for, I will renew my mind and build my belief through reading and meditating on the TRUTH of His great and precious promises (see 2 Peter 1:3-4 below). 

 Let me know what you think.  Have you had this same struggle?

  

* 2 Peter 1:3-4  ...His divine power has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that has called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given us exceedingly great and precious promises; that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.