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The Nearness of Our God
It's only our relationship with
the Lord that keeps us from fulfilling the lusts and desires of the flesh, for
apart from Him we can do nothing
.
It is the nearness of God that produces our good. The only thing that can sustain true Christianity is true union with Jesus Christ. It is nearness to Him in all things that produces our spiritual fruit. Our flesh has the same carnal passions as do people in the world; our soul carries within it the same insecurities and fears.
,
Apart from the influence of Christ in us, there's no difference between Christians and non-Christians. The strength of
our walk does not originate from within ourselves; rather it comes from our
relationship with Christ.
,
Not only is Jesus first on our list of priorities, but also His influence rules over all our priorities. He inspires love in our
relationships; His voice becomes the conviction in our integrity - it is the
nearness of our God that is our good.
Francis
Frangipane
He questioned why the
wicked seem to prosper while the righteous are chastened.
The whole idea was
troublesome until he entered the sanctuary of God.
Once in the presence
of God, Asaph realized his error.
As he compared himself
to the unbeliever, he saw that, apart from the influence of God, he had nothing
in which to boast.
He said, "When my heart was embittered and I was pierced within,
then I was senseless and ignorant; I was like a beast before You" (verses 21-22).
Finally, his soul
brightened as he considered that God alone was his salvation, and his
relationship with God was his strength.
He wrote, "Nevertheless I am continually with You. . . . You
will guide me, and afterward receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but
You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth. . . . God is the strength of
my heart and my portion forever" (verses 23-26).
The summary thought of
Asaph's revelation, and the point of this message, is in verse 28.
He wrote, "But as for me, the nearness of God is my good."
Let's settle this
truth once and for all: it is the nearness of God that produces our good.
Christianity was
never designed by God to be sustained by nice people trying to appear good.
We're not that good.
We're not that clever.
And we're not that
nice.
The only thing that
can sustain true Christianity is true union with Jesus Christ.
It is nearness to Him
in all things that produces our spiritual fruit.
If we are honest, we
will admit that, apart from the influence and work of God, there is nothing
morally superior or remarkably virtuous about our lives.
Our flesh has the
same carnal passions as do people in the world; our soul carries within it the
same insecurities and fears.
Apart from the
influence of Christ in us, there's no difference between Christians and
non-Christians (except that Christians, when living separate from God's
presence, can be more obnoxious).
It's only our
relationship with the Lord that keeps us from fulfilling the lusts and desires
of the flesh, for apart from Him we can do nothing (John 15:5).
Therefore the
strength of our walk does not originate from within ourselves; rather it comes
from our relationship with Christ.
Our virtue, if it can
be defined as such, is that we have learned to prioritize seeking God; our
character is the offspring of our oneness with Jesus.
By this I mean that
not only is Jesus first on our list of priorities, but also His influence rules
over all our priorities.
He inspires love in
our relationships; His voice becomes the conviction in our integrity.
God has made "Christ Jesus" to be to us "wisdom . . . and righteousness and
sanctification, and redemption" (1 Corinthians 1:30).
Thus the God-seeker
desires to find the Lord's pleasure drawn to every aspect of his soul.
He also knows that,
should an area of his heart exist in isolation from God, he will remain
vulnerable to manipulation by the enemy in that area.
So let me underscore
the psalmist's truth, and let us say with our own voice of conviction: it
is the nearness of our God that is our good.
Oh God, You are the
lover of my soul. Faithfully, have You extended Your hands toward me. Yet I
have been, at times, a drifter and distant. Master, this day I acknowledge my
most wonderful times are those spent close to You. When my heart is near to
You, I am partaking of the nectar of life.
Adapted from Francis
Frangipane's book, I Will Be Found by You, available at www.arrowbookstore.com.https://www.facebook.com/francisfrangipane/posts/10154349506543246
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