Jas 4:5 (ESV) Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, "He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us"?
Born again believers make particular emphasis on man’s relationship with God. Perhaps this is one understanding that brings together the majority of the many Christian denominations.
I believe that the relationship God wants to establish with man, the manner in which He wants to establish it, is not different from the way people build relationships. The husband and wife for example, before they became spouses went through that stage of courtship where normally the man tries to win the woman’s heart. Basically, what the man is trying to do at this stage is to win the woman’s trust.
I believe this is also what God wants to develop in us: confidence and trust. And this is basically what faith is. To have faith in God is to trust and have confidence in God.
The very foundation of any relationship is trust. And trust is not something you can get quickly like an item you buy from a grocery store. Trust has to be developed. And it is developed through one's knowledge of the object of his trust whether he be trust worthy or not. Our trust in God is developed through our knowledge of Him. Abraham staggered not at his faith and the Bible says that he was fully persuaded. He was fully persuaded that what He has promised He was also able to perform. Abraham must have a really acurate knowledge about God.
James 4:5 tells us that God yearns jealously over the spirit that He has made to dwell in us. Obviously God doesn’t want to force us into a relationship with Him. He yearns for the spirit that He has placed in man. He yearns for us jealously. Can you imagine how passionate God is towards man? He so desires us in this relationship so much that He chose to die on the cross just so He could draw us to Him.
In Mat 23:37 He says, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not!”
Even in the old testament, this has been the character of God even towards Israel. I believe it is God's dream to have a people of His own. In many instances in the Scriptures He says, I will be their God and they will be my people.
If you heard Ptr Liza's message last Friday she said, when Adam ate of that tree God called and said "Adam where are you?" It was not as if God didn't know where he was but that something was lost. Adam had broken fellowship.
But you may begin to think that God is as if a desparate suitor who always gets his heart broken.
We understand that God is Almighty. He can do anything. Nothing is impossible for Him. Certainly God can just raise up a people who is perfectly obedient. The Lord Jesus in one instance said, If these hold their peace the rocks will cry out. Indeed God is very much capable to make even the rocks to worship Him. So why does He go through all these trouble even to let Himself be crucified on the cross.
In one Facebook Group I said: One may begin to ask, What is man? Is he the same with the planets that has a finite orbit they cannot break? Is he the same with the sun, which never fails to rise in the morning and set in the evening? Or are we the same with the birds in the sky, the fish of the ocean, or the beasts in the wild? I believe we are much greater than these, far greater than these. Or you may begin to ask, what is our obedience that the Son of Man should be crucified for our disobedience?
I believe that the work that God wants to create in man, the manner by which He must accomplish the work that He has purposed in His heart is far from simple. And I believe that this work is based on a relationship. And without this relationship, this work cannot be accomplished. In another part of Scripture God says, Come now let us reason together. God wants relationship.
But you may think then that God could fail because of the unwillingness of man to cooperate. And if nobody would really respond to Him God would fail. If nobody would respond then His death on the cross would be in vain. If nobody would respond all of Apostle Paul's effort to preach would be in vain.
But you see God see's all things. From past to present to future He knows all things. Nothing surprises Him because knows it before a thing actually happens. God did not make a gamble when He chose His Son to die on the cross. God knew it would work because He saw it before it actually worked.
God cannot fail and God did not fail. The Bible even says that the works were finished from the foundation of the world. God had it all sorted out right from the very start. In fact the end of all things is already written in the book of revelations. But the question for us now is this: Are we one of them? Are we one of them who responded? Maybe now we can say yes. But we didn't know it, we coulnd't have known it. But God knew it already right from the very beginning. That's why God says I knew you even before you were born, I chose you even before the foundation of the world.
You see it is a no issue for God. We heard Him say already, It is finished. But as for you and me, we can always ask, Will we be one of His people? Will we enter into that relationship with God and never break fellowship for all eternity?
I remember one instance in Facebook I said, your life can be so important to God or it can mean absolutely nothing to Him. The choice is entirely up to you.
Born again believers make particular emphasis on man’s relationship with God. Perhaps this is one understanding that brings together the majority of the many Christian denominations.
I believe that the relationship God wants to establish with man, the manner in which He wants to establish it, is not different from the way people build relationships. The husband and wife for example, before they became spouses went through that stage of courtship where normally the man tries to win the woman’s heart. Basically, what the man is trying to do at this stage is to win the woman’s trust.
I believe this is also what God wants to develop in us: confidence and trust. And this is basically what faith is. To have faith in God is to trust and have confidence in God.
The very foundation of any relationship is trust. And trust is not something you can get quickly like an item you buy from a grocery store. Trust has to be developed. And it is developed through one's knowledge of the object of his trust whether he be trust worthy or not. Our trust in God is developed through our knowledge of Him. Abraham staggered not at his faith and the Bible says that he was fully persuaded. He was fully persuaded that what He has promised He was also able to perform. Abraham must have a really acurate knowledge about God.
James 4:5 tells us that God yearns jealously over the spirit that He has made to dwell in us. Obviously God doesn’t want to force us into a relationship with Him. He yearns for the spirit that He has placed in man. He yearns for us jealously. Can you imagine how passionate God is towards man? He so desires us in this relationship so much that He chose to die on the cross just so He could draw us to Him.
In Mat 23:37 He says, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not!”
Even in the old testament, this has been the character of God even towards Israel. I believe it is God's dream to have a people of His own. In many instances in the Scriptures He says, I will be their God and they will be my people.
If you heard Ptr Liza's message last Friday she said, when Adam ate of that tree God called and said "Adam where are you?" It was not as if God didn't know where he was but that something was lost. Adam had broken fellowship.
But you may begin to think that God is as if a desparate suitor who always gets his heart broken.
We understand that God is Almighty. He can do anything. Nothing is impossible for Him. Certainly God can just raise up a people who is perfectly obedient. The Lord Jesus in one instance said, If these hold their peace the rocks will cry out. Indeed God is very much capable to make even the rocks to worship Him. So why does He go through all these trouble even to let Himself be crucified on the cross.
In one Facebook Group I said: One may begin to ask, What is man? Is he the same with the planets that has a finite orbit they cannot break? Is he the same with the sun, which never fails to rise in the morning and set in the evening? Or are we the same with the birds in the sky, the fish of the ocean, or the beasts in the wild? I believe we are much greater than these, far greater than these. Or you may begin to ask, what is our obedience that the Son of Man should be crucified for our disobedience?
I believe that the work that God wants to create in man, the manner by which He must accomplish the work that He has purposed in His heart is far from simple. And I believe that this work is based on a relationship. And without this relationship, this work cannot be accomplished. In another part of Scripture God says, Come now let us reason together. God wants relationship.
But you may think then that God could fail because of the unwillingness of man to cooperate. And if nobody would really respond to Him God would fail. If nobody would respond then His death on the cross would be in vain. If nobody would respond all of Apostle Paul's effort to preach would be in vain.
But you see God see's all things. From past to present to future He knows all things. Nothing surprises Him because knows it before a thing actually happens. God did not make a gamble when He chose His Son to die on the cross. God knew it would work because He saw it before it actually worked.
God cannot fail and God did not fail. The Bible even says that the works were finished from the foundation of the world. God had it all sorted out right from the very start. In fact the end of all things is already written in the book of revelations. But the question for us now is this: Are we one of them? Are we one of them who responded? Maybe now we can say yes. But we didn't know it, we coulnd't have known it. But God knew it already right from the very beginning. That's why God says I knew you even before you were born, I chose you even before the foundation of the world.
You see it is a no issue for God. We heard Him say already, It is finished. But as for you and me, we can always ask, Will we be one of His people? Will we enter into that relationship with God and never break fellowship for all eternity?
I remember one instance in Facebook I said, your life can be so important to God or it can mean absolutely nothing to Him. The choice is entirely up to you.
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