Relationship

Readings for today: 1 Kings 7-8, Psalm 11

What does it mean to be in relationship with God? I’ve been helping some people in my life wrestle with this idea lately. We’ve been having lots of conversations about God and what and why to believe. Over and over again, they keep coming back to religion. They talk about God as an abstract, philosophical idea. They talk about codes of ethics. They talk about laws and rules and expectations. And they struggle because they cannot imagine aligning their life along these lines. It feels arbitrary. Coercive. One of them was at least honest with me and said, “You know I’m pretty much anti-authority, right?” ;-)

My response in these conversations is to try to reframe their thinking around relationship. If our connection to God is mediated through religion then I can understand their objections. Why would anyone want to submit their life to a set of rules that necessarily limited their freedoms? That doesn’t have much appeal to me either. But what if our connection to God was mediated through a relationship? What if God was good and loving and could be trusted to know what’s best for us? Wouldn’t that change things?

This is the heart behind Solomon’s great prayer of dedication. Yes, there were a lot of rules and rituals associated with Temple worship but at it’s foundation is a covenantal relationship with the Living God. You see this mapped out in the different examples Solomon cites from everyday life when he prays…

“When someone hurts a neighbor and promises to make things right, and then comes and repeats the promise before your Altar in this Temple, listen from heaven and act accordingly: Judge your servants, making the offender pay for his offense and setting the offended free of any charges.” (1 Kings‬ ‭8‬:‭31-32‬ ‭MSG)

“When your people Israel are beaten by an enemy because they’ve sinned against you, but then turn to you and acknowledge your rule in prayers desperate and devout in this Temple, Listen from your home in heaven, forgive the sin of your people Israel, return them to the land you gave their ancestors.” (1 Kings‬ ‭8‬:‭33‬-‭34‬ ‭MSG‬‬)

“When the skies shrivel up and there is no rain because your people have sinned against you, but then they pray at this place, acknowledging your rule and quitting their sins because you have scourged them, Listen from your home in heaven, forgive the sins of your servants, your people Israel. Then start over with them: Train them to live right and well; send rain on the land you gave your people as an inheritance.” (1 Kings‬ ‭8‬:‭35‬-‭36‬ ‭MSG‬‬)

“When disasters strike, famine or catastrophe, crop failure or disease, locust or beetle, or when an enemy attacks their defenses—calamity of any sort—any prayer that’s prayed from anyone at all among your people Israel, hearts penetrated by the disaster, hands and arms thrown out to this Temple for help, Listen from your home in heaven. Forgive and go to work on us. Give what each deserves, for you know each life from the inside (you’re the only one with such “inside knowledge”!) so that they’ll live before you in lifelong reverent and believing obedience on this land you gave our ancestors.” (1 Kings‬ ‭8‬:‭37‬-‭40‬ ‭MSG‬‬)

Clearly, Solomon has more in view than just religion here. He believes with His whole heart that God Himself has come to dwell with His people. Come to meet with His people face to face. Come to show His great love to His people in person. It’s a powerful prayer and an even more powerful way to think about faith in God. Faith in God is not a commitment to certain ethical code. It is not a belief in an abstract set of theological principles. It is the most intimate relationship we can have in this life because we are relating to the same God who shaped and formed us in our mother’s wombs. The same God who loved us and called us by name from eternity. The same God who bled and died for us on the cross. The same God who rose again to open the way to heaven. The same God who’s coming again to claim His own, set all things right, and make all things new. This is the God we worship and adore and He invites us into His presence so we can know Him and love Him and worship Him.

Readings for tomorrow: 2 Chronicles 4-7, Psalms 134, 136

God’s Initiation

Readings for today: Genesis 12-13

The Bible is clear…God wants a relationship with us. Jews and Christians both live by this fundamental truth. Religion for us is not about a list of rules we follow in order to make our way to God. It is not a way for us to earn our way into heaven. It is not a way for us to earn God’s favor or blessing upon our lives. It is fundamentally a relationship. The intersection of God’s Life with human life. The exchange of Divine Love with human love. This relationship takes place at God’s initiation. He makes the initial approach. He makes the decision to leave the heavenly dimension where He lives in eternal glory and come to the earthly dimension to meet us where we are. Without God making this decision, we could not have a relationship with Him for we do not have the power to move from this world to the next. He must come to us.

God speaks to Abram. “Leave your country, your family, and your father’s home for a land that I will show you. I’ll make you a great nation and bless you. I’ll make you famous; you’ll be a blessing. I’ll bless those who bless you; those who curse you I’ll curse. All the families of the Earth will be blessed through you.” (Genesis‬ ‭12‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭MSG‬‬) Notice God places no conditions on His covenant. He will do these things for Abram simply because He loves him. He will do these things for Abram because He has a plan for the world and He desires to use Abram to bring about His will on earth. Abram is almost a bystander to this covenant. God appears to Abram. “I will give this land to your children.” (Genesis‬ ‭12‬:‭7‬ ‭MSG‬‬) Once again, there are no conditions. No expectations. God is simply going to give Abram a gift. One more time in our readings for today, God speaks. “Open your eyes, look around. Look north, south, east, and west. Everything you see, the whole land spread out before you, I will give to you and your children forever. I’ll make your descendants like dust—counting your descendants will be as impossible as counting the dust of the Earth. So—on your feet, get moving! Walk through the country, its length and breadth; I’m giving it all to you.” (Genesis‬ ‭13‬:‭14‬-‭17‬ ‭MSG‬‬) Once more, Abram is blessed. Not because of his obedience. Not because of his faithfulness. Not because of his goodness. He is blessed simply out of grace.

This is the difference between a covenant and a contract. A covenant is relational. A contract is transactional. A covenant operates by grace. A contract by works. In a covenant, both parties respond to each other out of love. In a contract, both parties respond out of obligation. Yes, Abram leaves his home and kindred and country. Yes, Abram builds altars to God. Yes, Abram prays. But these responses are not grounded in duty or debt but in the natural, loving response one makes when in an intimate relationship with their Creator.

In Jesus Christ, God comes to us. God meets us on our level. He takes on our sin. He removes our guilt. He does this purely out of grace. Not because we’ve earned it or achieved it or won it through our own effort. Through Christ, God initiates a covenant of grace with us and those who have been adopted into this covenant find themselves naturally responding to such grace with loving obedience. We don’t have to think about it. We don’t have to strive for it. We don’t have to make ourselves do it. We love because He first loved us. We serve because He first served us. We give because He first gave to us. This is the heart of the gospel.

Take some time and reflect on your relationship with God today. Do you find yourself obeying out of gratitude or guilt? Do you find yourself worshipping out of thankfulness or obligation? Is serving Christ a chore or is it a joy? The answers to these questions will tell you whether you see your relationship as a covenant or a contract. If the latter, know that God is extending you an invitation today to let go of your need to strive and work so hard and live by grace!

Readings for tomorrow: Genesis 14-16

Relationship with God

Readings for today: Genesis 17-19 

Father, through Your Spirit, reveal more of Yourself to me as you did to Abraham. Deepen our friendship. Strengthen our bond. Grow the intimacy between us that I may learn to hear Your voice more clearly and discern Your will more completely in my life. 

What does it mean to have a relationship with God? Over the years I’ve heard many describe Christianity as a “relationship” not a “religion”, but do we really understand what that means? Are we prepared for all the implications? Are we ready to embrace the demands? Do we appreciate the incredible privilege and honor it is to be called a “friend of God?” 

James 2:23 says, “Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness and he was called a friend of God.” This is an astonishing truth. Out of all the people on earth, God chose Abraham as His friend. God appeared to Abraham. Spoke to Abraham. Made promises to Abraham. Cut a covenant with Abraham. Revealed the depths of His sovereign will to Abraham. When we talk about friendship with God, this is what it looks like. It looks like Abraham talking with God. Walking with God. In the everyday. In the ordinary. Over the course of a lifetime. Notice where God meets Abraham in our text for today. Abraham is 99 years old. Sarah, his wife, is 89 years old. Presumably they’ve been walking with God for many, many years. They’ve taken incredible steps of faith. Leaving their ancestral home of Ur. Leaving their adopted home in Haran. Embracing a nomadic lifestyle. Trusting God to lead and guide them every step of the way. Though they have no son, they’ve clung to the promise God first made them in Haran that they would become a great nation. The father and mother of a multitude of people. Though they have no homeland, they’ve clung to the promise God made them to give them the land of Canaan. Though they’ve done nothing to earn God’s favor, they’ve clung to the promise God made them of an eternal covenant between Himself and their family for all generations. And because they believe God, He calls them friends. 

Friendship with God brings with it all sorts of privileges and responsibilities. Abraham has been blessed. He’s been protected. He’s prospered. His household has grown. He has power and influence in the region. He is the peer of kings. But he also has responsibilities. He must live a particular way. He must never take pride in his wealth. It is the Lord’s. He must keep God’s covenant and teach his children to do the same. He must circumcise all the males in his household as a sign of obedience. He must become a priest of sorts for the human race, interceding on their behalf like he does for the people of Sodom and Gomorrah. Essentially, Abraham is to be the new Adam. A man who walks with God, cares for creation, and exercises dominion over all God has given him. This is how God will fulfill His original promise to bless the nations of the earth through Abraham and his descendants. 

Now fast forward a few thousand years. I am a child of God. Justified by the Jesus’ death and resurrection. Regenerated by the Holy Spirit. Adopted as God’s own son. God has made me part of a new covenant He established for all who believe. I’ve been marked by baptism. I feast at His Table. I am now God’s friend. What privileges and responsibilities do I bear? Like Abraham, I’ve been blessed. I’ve been protected. I’ve prospered. My household has grown. My circle of friendships is wide and global. I’ve been given power and influence. But I also have responsibilities. I must submit every area of my life to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. I must never take pride in my wealth or power or position. I must keep God’s commands and teach my children to do the same. I must embrace humility and grace and forgiveness as a way of life. I must become a priest of sorts, interceding for my family, my church, my community, my country, and the world. I must walk with God, care for creation, and exercise dominion over all God has given me in a way that brings life and love and joy and peace to those around me. This is how God will fulfill His promise to bless the nations through me…a spiritual descendant of Abraham. What about you?

Readings for tomorrow: Genesis 20-23