"Relational"

"Relational"

    The first mention of the human race in Scripture involves the determined purpose of one God, who nevertheless identifies Himself in pluralistic and even triune terms.

    "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness" (Genesis 1:26; emphasis added).

    A relational Being made us in His image.  Thus, we also are relational beings whose experience of life depends on the understanding that we first exist for fellowship with the Father, through the Son, as enabled by the Holy Spirit.

    "This is life eternal, that they might know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent" (John 17:3).

    "After this manner therefore pray ye, Our Father which art in Heaven" (Matthew 6:9).

    "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God" (Romans 5:1-2).

    "Because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying Abba Father" (Galatians 4:6).

    Every human void, sorrow, emptiness, and lack of fulfillment originated in Adam and Eve turning away from the One for whom their hearts were made.  We all act out our individual roles in the drama of humanity's race from reality and the love of God in the Lord Jesus.  "All we like sheep have gone astray" (Isaiah 53:6).  Salvation in Christ redeems us into the relationship that leads to fellowship with the Life of our lives.  The eternally ancient glory of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit's loving bond becomes resident in us, even as the Lord Jesus prayed,  "I have declared unto them Thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith Thou hast loved Me may be in them, and I in them" (John 17:26).  Thereby the indwelling Holy Spirit makes communion with God possible and actual as we freely respond to His overtures that call us to "come boldly to the throne of grace" (Hebrews 4:16).  

    God made us for loving fellowship with Himself.  Solomon declared that the Lord takes literal delight in our prayers (Proverbs 15:8).  Our Father will not rest until He perfects the work in us that makes us like the Lord Jesus in terms of a son or daughter's response to their devoted Father.  Realizing this primary reason for our existence motivates and enables us to grow in our conscious walk with the Lord whereby God knows us, we know Him, and our lives reflect His presence and our response to such wondrous grace.  The Apostle Paul realized the wonder of the gift, testifying to the supremacy of relationship and fellowship with the Life of his life, and the hope of glory that ensued...

"Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, and be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith, that I may know Him."

(Philippians 3:8-10)

Weekly Memory Verse

   Wherefore also it is contained in the Scripture, Behold, I lay in Zion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on Him shall not be confounded.

(I Peter 2:6)