Submission to His Lordship, a Prerequisite
In the earlier article we saw that the reason that God made man and that Jesus came was to give us the highest quality of life that exists, the life that God the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit have together in heaven. They love us and seek to see that love reciprocated in our entering into the eternal romance They have together.
However much of the church has placed more emphasis on the fact that God has to be Lord of our lives, that we might obey him. Obviously this is a primary issue in the scripture. However is God's authority and dominion the most important issue or is it just a necessary prerequisite to accomplish God's primary goal? In other words, is God like a big school master in the sky, hung up on order and that people do things the way He wants, according to His rules? If we think that perhaps we are creating God in our own image rather than seeing Him for who He is. God is a loving Father who is seeking a family of sons and daughters who have His spiritual genetics, who are in love with Him and seek with all their hearts to live His eternal kind of life with Him and each other.
We humans are so able to connect with the outer issues of order and submission but so often miss what is more central. Jesus faced this in His relationship with the Pharisees: 42 "But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass by justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone." (Luke 11:42, NKJV).
God's lordship is important. Order is important. For God to accomplish what He desires and knows in His omniscience, all must submit. He must set the standards. He must determine what is right and wrong and separate the wheat from the tares, the sheep from the goats. One day every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Obedience is a prime issue but what is the obedience built around.
Jesus said an interesting thing in John. 9 "As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. 10 "If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. 11 "These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. 12 "This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.13 "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends. 14 "You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. 15 "No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. (John 15:9-15, NKJV).
Here Jesus says if we are willing and desirous to do what He commands then we go from being servants to enter into that state that He desires, where we become His friends. In other words, if we can get the obedience issue out of the way then we can really get down to business and do what He really wants, to help us learn to live His life and participate in His plan to change the world. Obedience is absolutely necessary but the final purpose is much higher and more beautiful.
We must also remember that we can do nothing apart from Him. He has ordered things in such a way that the only way we can begin to accomplish His will is to enter into intimacy with Him. The question never is what we can do for Him but what we can do with Him. He doesn't need us to do anything for Him because there is nothing He can't do for and by Himself. He has thousands of angels that could do a much better job than us clumsy humans. (7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. (2 Corinthians 4:7, NKJV).) The whole reason God involves us with Him in His work here on earth is to develop relationship and to cause us to grow in our ability to do the works He has called us to with Him.
God calls us corporately to be Christ bride. If that isn't romantic, what is? The relationship is not of a bunch of puppets learning to do what they are supposed to. It is one of beings that God loves, who he has caused to be born again to become absolutely new creatures, in whom He has placed His Spirit. He draws us as a lover, even those that are unsaved. He is courting us by expressing His love through His presence around us and in us. If there is anything I feel in Gods presence beyond his affection and love it is such a strong yearning that we would become everything He has called us to be. He sees a picture of relationship and expression that goes way beyond what we can imagine or think. He calls us to know (experience) the love of Christ that goes beyond knowledge. (Eph.3) Our walk as Christians must not degenerate into just obeying the rules.
So many Christians leaders focus on just doing principles, obeying God and leave out the primacy of relationship with God. That is deism and often humanism. It is deism because we concentrate on practicing the principles apart from a relationship with God. In our minds He is off somewhere and not so personally involved. It is humanism when we put into practice the principles so God can bless us. It is giving and doing to receive. The focus remains on us, on human concerns, on our ability to do and to get what we want. That is humanism. Principles are important as they help us understand how God works so we are able to enter into a deeper relationship with Him and the way He works. They help us see His purposes so we can be united with Him. But when we neglect the primacy of His life, the relationship He desires to have with us, we miss the center of His will. How many have done miracles and great works for Him and He says I never knew you. 21 "Not everyone who says to Me, `Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 "Many will say to Me in that day, `Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' 23 "And then I will declare to them, `I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!' (Matthew 7:21-23, NKJV).
Some might say, "If God is so interested in relationship rather than obedience, why did he deal with the Israelites often in such a rough way through the law? I believe that answer lies clearly in the situation when they told Moses to relate to God and just tell them what to do as they didn't want to relate to Him. 19 Then they said to Moses, "You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die." (Exodus 20:19, NKJV). It often appears easier to just say just tell me what do and I will do it. However in Romans Paul makes it clear that although the law is pure and righteous, they were never able fulfill it.
31 but Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness. 32 Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone. 33 As it is written: "Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense, And whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame." (Romans 9:31-33, NKJV).A loving relationship with God then is the primary thing but not just as the final goal. Paul wrote; 4 Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? (Romans 2:4, NKJV). Here we see that the basis to bring forth repentance or change in our lives is God's goodness. I received Jesus when He spoke to me personally through a vision that He was the way. For the first six months I was in that honeymoon with Him, discovering Him through reading the Bible and so excited about the personal relationship I had with Him. However then the perspective was presented to me to become a disciple.
How do people come to the decision to be disciples of Christ? In the ministry where I grew up there was a kind of macho pride that we were disciples. We thought we were better than other Christians. That pride motivated us commit ourselves to certain outward disciplines because we thought we were part of an elitist group. However in the long term this level of motivation does not last. Later on as I grew and became part of the leadership I was drawn into be part of that group that was discipling others. There was a lot of centering on the principle of authority and submission and of course it was nice to be one of those in authority. I found myself moving out of the place where I was a simple son of God in love with Jesus to where I was helping to build this "great" ministry. There was a lot of centering on Biblical principles and doing the word of God. The involvement in a growing ministry created the excitement and motivation in that identity of being part of something that was "really happening''. The center was the work, not Jesus. Even with outward success there came an inner emptiness. I had had some beautiful experiences with Jesus that spoiled me from then on to be satisfied with a life centered around success. Experiencing Jesus in a powerful way through His presence is one of the most beautiful things that can happen to you. It leaves you in the place where nothing else satisfies.
For a person to become a disciple he must fall in love with Jesus. He must learn to perceive the beauty of the life that Jesus is, and brings us, so that he wants nothing else. Because of this I have a conviction that the way the church tends to work with new believers is too didactic and lacks in experiencing the reality we are learning about in the Bible. For the disciples life in Christ was never just learning facts and principles. It was an experience with the living Christ. We can look at Paul desiring that His mortality be swallowed up by life or how he saw all his past accomplishments as garbage compared to the experience he was having of knowing Christ. John in the beginning of the first chapter of 1 John speaks about the communion that comes out of experiencing Christ. Many of the promises of God are principles that we are called to live by. Peter says that we have received these precious promises so that we might participate in the divine nature. (2 Pet.1:3-4) The promises and principles are to lead us to the point that we experience and live in delightful communion with God's divine nature.
I don't believe as some that these experiences were for only special people like Paul. I have prayed over so many people and have seen them experience God's love, affection, esteem, yearning and so many other beautiful emotions that He is expressing to them through His presence. This experience changes them. Knowing Christ goes from being a theory to something they have touched. Paul appeals to us in Philippians. 1 Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy,2 fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. (Philippians 2:1-2, NKJV).
Obviously Paul takes for granted that the people he is speaking to have experienced these realities in their relationship with Christ. The idea is that Paul hopes that by experiencing the preciousness of who Christ is in a personal relationship that we would desire to allow His nature to rule within us. I believe that helping people to learn to experience Christ through His presence is a vital part of Christian life. Personally what has vibrantly transformed my life is experiencing the beauty of Christ in a personal way balanced by the guidance of the scriptures. The more I experience Him in personal prayer and as I sense Him expressing the beauty of His personality to others when I pray for them has caused me to desire to be like Him more than anything else. Sensing Him and comparing what His nature is like to my own, causes me to desire to die to my own self. I want to be like Him. I want to be free of anything in me that interferes with freely living and expressing His nature. He becomes more and more the center, the one I want to follow and be like. Paul said: 29 For whom He fore knew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. (Romans 8:29, NKJV). This leads us to look at the nature of true sonship. Paul wrote: 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. (Romans 8:14, NKJV). All of us who accept Jesus as Lord and Savior are sons and daughters of God. However it seems that there is a process of growth in sonship. In the new birth we take on the spiritual genetics, so to speak, of the Father and become new creatures. However there is a growth in becoming more like Jesus. As the inner nature grows and the outer decays we manifest more and more of God's nature within. We become more like Jesus and the fellowship increases. Often I have felt the yearning of God over people. The scripture says that the Holy Spirit that dwells in us yearns jealously. (James 4:5) I believe this yearning is for us to grow up, to take on more of His nature and become all that He has called us to be so that He can really relate to us.
When my daughter Susanna was small her ability to relate with me was limited. She didn't have the maturity to understand many things nor could she do many things with me because she was a child. However in the last few years as she has grown in age, maturity and especially in her own personal walk with God, our fellowship and ability to enjoy each other has grown immensely. She is not only a daughter that I love very much but a friend with whom I have been able to share many experiences in Christ. It is that same way with us and God. We have grown up in a material world with many perspectives and values that are absolute lies when looked at from God's perspective. We are born again and begin to learn to relate to a new spiritual world where God lives. At first we are like a new born baby who can see no more than the distance from its mothers breast to her face. Just as that baby learns over the years to relate and move in this material world, we are called to learn to relate with and experience God who is Spirit. As we grow in Him we find that there are attitudes in us that were planted by the enemy that interfere with our being in agreement with Him. The Bible says How can two walk together except they be agreed? (Amos 3:3) We must with the Holy Spirit's help purify ourselves of these attitudes that interfere. For instance we may have a tendency to feel sorry for ourselves or be anxious for things. When we begin to sense how God is completely committed to our well being (Rom.8:28) and how powerful His sovereignty is we see that these attitudes are lies that are built on false beliefs learned in this world. How can we be anxious when we sense how calm He is. How can we feel sorry for ourselves when we see that even the difficult situations and the trials we face are lovingly permitted by Him to help us grow. We sense how He yearns for us to grow up into Him because He wants to relate with us, have fun with us, enjoy life with us, However to be able to enter into that level of relationship we have to get free from the attitudes that interfere with our even being able to see him. So often we are so caught up on our own things that although His Spirit is shouting at us we can't hear.
A young woman who was just entering college told me she was very afraid after two days of going through the experience of registering for classes. When I prayed for her she began sensing God's affection in His presence. Then I asked her if she felt any doubt from God in relationship with her ability to do well in college. She then began to feel more and more His faith and confidence and the anxiety and fear disappeared.
One question that many have had is what if you just cant sense what God is expressing in His presence. Some Christians have told me that they never have felt God or if they have it has not been to the point of feeling His love. I have prayed with many. The problem is not with God. He is always there. In 1 John 2:27 it says that the anointing abides with us which means He is always there. Some people just are not as sensitive. Others just haven't learned to sense God and they need to learn. With many the first thing they feel as they are prayed for is God's peace. Later they learn to perceive God's affection within the peace. Slowly they grow in their ability to relate to what the Holy Sprit is expressing. With other people there just simply is some sort of blockage. The scripture says that as a man thinks in his heart so is he. The strongholds in our flesh (2 Corin.10:3-6) which are habitual patterns of often subconscious thought can block us. I prayed over and over again for months for a friend and all he could feel was peace during prayer. However one evening I discerned a stronghold of doubt and skepticism that was iniquity inherited from his ancestors. (Exodus 34:7) I led him to renounce this iniquity based on the fact that Jesus not only took our sins on the cross but also our iniquity (sin programmed in the flesh) (Isiaiah 53) As soon as he did that he fell under the power, face down and had a wonderful time of fellowship with the Lord. I believe that anyone can learn to sense the Lord in His presence and grow in that fellowship that Jesus desires us to have.
When the person begins to appreciate the love and beauty he or she finds in Jesus they begin to fall in love with Him. He becomes more and more the center of their lives. The motivation for their commitment to Christ is not like I have seen in so many who are motivated by people pleasing, desire for acceptance and to belong, fear of man, perfectionism and many other social reasons for being involved in church. This is why many churches become little more than social clubs. Jesus is not at the center as Jesus is not being experienced. Many know about Jesus and they may be experts in theology but Jesus has not claimed their lives. They have not fallen in love with the most lovely one who exists. Paul expressed this desire: My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you, (Galatians 4:19, NKJV). Paul is addressing Christians. He seeks more than just an intellectual relationship with Christ. He knows what it means to be completely committed to the relationship with Christ within that comes from a personal relationship.Another problem is that the leadership of the church can tend to concentrate on controlling the outward performance of the people. The goal often is to fulfill what each church considers to be the important qualities or ways of acting. If a person is capable of acting the right way everyone considers them to be a good Christian. If not, usually the person becomes bound up in guilt and self condemnation because he is not able to come up to standard. People seek to do the things they are supposed to be approved and to feel like part of the group. The scripture calls leaders to "not be as lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock." (1 Peter 5:3) Leaders need to be examples especially in their being in love with Jesus and in the humility that comes to you when you see how much we need to change to be like Him. Leaders are not perfect but challenged and growing just like everyone else who perceives how wonderful Jesus is.
As these leaders train and equip new Christians, not only should they teach the principles and practices of the Bible, but also help them perceive the desire God has to relate to them personally. The need to be taught what God is like and the kind of life He desires us to live. Then they must be helped through prayer to experience His presence.
Again as people experience Him and out of the relationship of love, desire to be like Him in every aspect of their lives, they can grow within the context of the guidance of the scriptures into everything God calls them to. They learn to hear His voice. Their growth in sanctification is not just in outward things but their zeal is to have every thought and attitude subject to the obedience of Christ. They want to be like Him to be able to have the capacity to have deeper communion with Him. Instead of trying to obey a rules and religious mores they seek the goal of being able to live His love that is the automatic fulfillment of the law. Their "modus operandi' is not to do things right or to be good. Their central passion is to be like Jesus. Their goal is a quality of life characterized by the fruit of the Spirit. They will never be completely satisfied as becoming like Jesus is an infinite quest but they will be content with an attitude of gratitude as they continue on the path. The path of the righteous is like the dawning light that grows until it is perfect day. (Pro.4:18)
back to Jim Degolyer's Articles