Tuesday, April 7, 2009

A Novel Concept

I recently met a new friend, who is currently a pastor and has been engaged in ministry for as long as I have been alive - literally. During our recent conversations he relayed his unhappiness with the fact that a powerful and life altering concept is not very well known in the American church. I expressed my agreement with his perspective and we discoursed upon this massive blessing which is unfortunately very much undiscovered in our day.

The novel concept of which my pastor friend was referring is this, that the Living God is more fulfilling, more desirable, more valuable, and more to be sought after than everything else mankind endeavors to find happiness in combined.

It is indeed a troubling thing that this concept is more than notably sparse in American Christianity and the teachings thereof. I have personally found this concept massively foundational and helpful an almost limitless number of ways. The sad thing is that I did not encounter this wonderful epiphany until within the last 4 or 5 years. Oh the heartache that may have been spared as a result of having encountered this earlier. It seems that living without this immeasurable piece of the puzzle for so long has granted me more intensely to savor the benefits of it now.

If I knew then what I know now...

My pursuit of the Lord would have been much different, my marriage would have been much different, my personal relationships with unbelievers and with believers would have been different, my endeavors to share the good news would have been different. Most assuredly my whole life would have been altogether different as I would have been living my life around the central point of the universe: God, and not living it with myself at the center.

Well this "novel concept" is not so novel to me now, rather it is orbit changing, life altering, radically humbling, and God exalting. I've personally witnessed this truth unleash a devastatingly wonderful impact on the lives of several friends of mine.

Although I cannot change yesterday, I can make use of today and tomorrow as I endeavor to bring this life changing truth to bear on as many lives as I can. Truly our God is a Fountain of Living Waters (Jer. 2:13). He has gone through extraordinary means in order that He might offer the greatest gift conceivable to His people, namely Himself.

This is what makes the good news of the gospel so good. The infinite and eternal God became flesh, lived with us, died on our behalf, bearing our deserved sins, and was raised to life again in order to restore us unto right relationship with Him. All of this that we, who were otherwise incapable, might be enabled to know Him and to enjoy Him for eternity.

1Peter 3:18a
For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God

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