Intimacy

September 27th, 2008 Tim Posted in SevenLakes Info |

(Nancy) “The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.” (Genesis 2:25 NIV)

I am convinced that we spend our lives searching for someone(s) to know us fully and love us fully.  Millions spend their lives seeking to impress others and be confirmed as worthy: just turn on any sports show or look at any fashion magazine.

The problem is, the only one who knows us completely, namely our perfect and holy God, is not impressed at our attempts to earn His favor.  Isaiah 64:6 says “all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.”

Even we Christians, who know that we are sinners and deserve death, still strive to impress others and even God, as if Jesus’ death was not enough to prove both our complete depravity and our great worth, magnified by God’s amazing love.

We must repeatedly repent of attitudes of sinful pride: thinking we don’t need the cross or thinking we could add to the righteousness Jesus earned us by his death. Even thinking our sin is too bad for his sacrifice to atone is a form of pride.

That’s why the Christian life is not a decision but a process: “remembering our baptism daily”, confession and repentance, prayer and Scripture: following Jesus, growing in intimacy with Him, not just meeting Him once.  “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:6 ESV)

Our hope is to see the face of the One who loved us (to death and beyond) and hear “come, you who are blessed by my Father” (Matthew 25:34), “come and share your master’s happiness” (Matthew 25:21). 

That will be worth more than all the Oscars, Olympic golds and Nobel prizes.