I posted earlier a thread yesterday on Facebook and it generated a bit of a stir.
The comment goes something like this.
“G-d isn’t looking for an apology. He is looking for a relationship.”
I have been think a lot recently about what is available to us under the New Covenant. More than just mere theology and good doctrine and Scripture, etc.
What is available.
Consider the following:
“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” From 1 Corinthians 2:9.
Well the post on Facebook generated quite a stir, even though it isn’t inherently controversial. Thought-provoking, maybe. Controversial, doubtful. But that is just my perception.
So after thinking about it, I wrote the following that I think is really worth repeating. It really sets the ethos of where I am with the L-rd:
“Hey, guys.
“It occurs to me that y’all may have missed the point of my post.
“So, let me do a little expansion.
“If I reduce my walk with the L-rd to nothing beyond an “I’m sorry” and never connect with Him for any purpose ever again, then what have I really done?
“On the other hand, if I give Him my heart and say, “take it. It is yours”. Then what have I done?
“You see, reducing repentance to a mere apology is neither Biblical nor warranted; nor is it what a relationship-desiring G-d who is Father to sons, Husband to brides, and Counselor to the afflicted.
“Repentance-from the Greek metanoia, meaning roughly, ” I change the way I process knowledge”.
“We can move, in conversion, from carnal and soulish ways of accruing knowledge into a spiritual mode of gaining knowledge, if we are willing. This spiritual means of processing and discerning knowledge is called revelation.
“The problem is, so many of us do not readily move into this because we are used to the old soulish ways of processing information. We look for natural apprehension without looking for spiritual reception.
“That whole “no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and it has not entered into the mind of man the things that G-d has prepared” thing? G-d has THAT ready for us, if we are willing to walk in it, if we want it. Spiritual things are not naturally discerned. Again, from Scripture.
“So, that implies a process, not moment. Apologies cost us only moment. Real repentance is a process, and it is part of that interaction we call a relationship.
“Moreover, “belief” is not merely mental assent, but it implies growth in obedience (see John 3:36 in the ESV for your literal translation of that concept).
“Now, if you come to a lover (See Song of Solomon for the exposition of G-d’s emotions toward us, His bride) and merely offer an apology, and then walk away, when they would rather have the messy process of a relationship and all that that entails, then you are going to leave them woefully dissatisfied. My wife and I had an exchange similar to this this evening.
“The point is, He really is not looking for mere apology. Between the two, He is INFINITELY more concerned about a relationship, considering the fact that He is in LOVE with us.
“Sadly, most people won’t spend the time it takes to really get a revelation of what this tender affection means. They will jump on the bandwagon of rattling off an apology and then walk away from the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
“When they do this, and refuse to engage in a relationship, then a Love that is deeper than the ocean and higher than the mountains goes ungiven, and emotions that are more intense than anything you or I have ever experienced go unfelt.
“And the Father, Son and Holy Spirit cry out for a relationship that is no mere apology.
“The problem is that we settle. Israel settled for the desert. Israel settled for not knowing the L-rd (Judges). Eli settled. Ahab settled. Manasseh settled.
“Moses, on the other hand did not settle, saw G-d’s glory, and Moses and David were the best of what was available…under the old covenant. And they are the foundation of the basement floor for what is available to us under the New Covenant.
“But again, we settle. We settle for crumbs of information when G-d has prepared a table, full of the knowledge of His glory, before us in the presence of our enemies, that our cup might run over. G-d has available to us a walk and an adventure that far outstrip any of the prophets of the Old Testament.
“But it really is our choice if we want to walk in that, or kvetch about the little details.
“What does He have for you and what do you really want?
“Bill Johnson was right. Jesus didn’t die on a cross just so we could go to church once a week and tithe.”
It isn’t perfect. I know y’all can get hung up on the exegesis of 1 Corinthians 2:9 or any other number of factors, but it is a fair representation of where I am.
Thanks for sharing.
Be blessed
Theparacleteshammer
