ITS A RELATIONSHIP
PART 5
PART 5
“…that you may KNOW…..the only true God and
Jesus Christ…” John 17:3
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| DEAD OR DEFLATED SPIRIT |
When you blow up a balloon it is
full of air, but if you let the air out, the balloon becomes deflated. The
balloon is still available, but is useless or dead until someone fills it up
again.
God told Adam and Eve they would “surely die” (Genesis 2:17). Their spirit
or “spiritual balloon” per se became immediately deflated or dead and useless.
Therefore, just like Adam and Eve,
a man or woman without God’s Holy Spirit is spiritual dead or deflated.
God is Life and anyone separated
from God is “…dead in trespasses
and sin” (Ephesians 2:1).
However, like a balloon can be filled
with air again, spiritual death can be reversed when you accept Jesus Christ as
Lord and Savior.
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| ALIVE WITH CHRIST |
Mankind’s inability to freely respond to holiness
and righteousness became the enemy of the “oneness” relationship with God.
Freedom implies man is not oppressed by
anything. However, freedom in Hebrew,
according to Strong’s dictionary, means freedom
from oppression.
Mankind’s freedoms are NOT free from the oppression
of sin and because of that oppression of sin they can’t make themselves right
with God through human effort (…the flesh
profits nothing…” (John 6:63).
In addition, “….the whole world is under the control of the
evil one…” (1 John 5:19). Without Jesus, no human is FREE from the
oppression of sin, but are in fact under the control of Satan, the evil one.
This relationship between God and mankind is
rightfully God’s to enjoy. God created the relationship and is rightfully the
Husband/owner of ALL humanity.
However, mankind gave up on the relationship by
responding independently from God’s Word. Yet, God loved mankind so much he
didn’t give up on them and continued to pursue humanity.
God lovingly sent the “last Adam” in Jesus Christ to
restore the relationship (1Corinthians 15:45-47). “So it is written: "The first man Adam became a living being";
the last Adam, a life-giving spirit” (1 Corinthians 15:45).
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| JOHN 3:16 |
The last Adam was the greatest gift of all in
restoring mankind back to the relationship with God and enabling them to,
again, freely respond to God’s loving commands.
Thus being free to respond enables you to keep your
part of the YADA relationship.
God provided a way, through the finished work of
Christ on the cross, to redeem man’s freedoms and their relationship with him.
Jesus demonstrated the relationship God wanted
originally with the first Adam. Now all believers can enjoy an “oneness”
relationship with God too.
Therefore, Jesus Christ is the forerunner for the
relationship with God Through your God-given faith in his finished work on the
cross you too can have a “oneness” relationship with God through Christ. What
an opportunity. Hallelujah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jesus was “one” with God and their relationship is often
referenced throughout the New Testament. This picture of their relationship is
both an example and invitation for you to enjoy the same kind of oneness Jesus
did.
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| GOD LOVES Y O U!!!! |
Not even from your parents, siblings, children,
grandparents, family, spouses, friends, drugs, food, alcohol, sex or any other
connection will love you like God.
Without
God,
even what you believe are the best, loving relationships or connections are
tainted (infected). Without God, love as we know it, can become toxic.
Love will transform you, but will it be for your
betterment or your detriment? However, God’s
love transforms you for your good.
Man’s love transforms you too, but not always for
good. Sometimes, even if your love is well intended it may not always turn out
right for yourself or the other person.
For instance, it is safe to say Eve loved Adam and
wouldn’t knowingly do anything to harm him or herself, yet Satan used her
“weakness” to transform both of their lives from that point on.
Without
God in it, your
love for others is already tainted (infected). Jesus is the only example
for how to love God, yourself, and others. Let’s take a brief look at Jesus’ relationship
with God.
Jesus’ relationship with God during his life on
earth was both as a Son and a subject or servant.
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| JESUS WAS SERVANT TO GOD |
Jesus was so “one” with God that he actually said “my father and I are one” (John 10:30).
Even though they are joined uniquely together, we
see Jesus as individual and yet “one” with God. We see Jesus as both Son and
servant. We see Jesus as both divine and human.
This is what the bible says about this duel identity,
“ Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal
with God, But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness
of men:” Philippians 2:6-7).
Christ was claiming he had all the rights of his
Father in heaven and he could take advantage of those rights if he wanted to,
but he didn’t.
In other
words, like Adam and Eve, he had the freedom to respond to the life around him.
He willfully decided not to use the privileges of
his divine connection, but instead remained servant/subject to God. “…..nevertheless,
not my will, but thine, be done…” (Luke 22:42)
He had these privileges as God’s Son. If human fathers are rich or wealthy their
children may have privileges that other children don’t have.
In addition their fathers are human and so are their
offspring. Jesus’ Father is divine and holy, therefore, so is he.
Christ had excess to all the privileges of
unsearchable power and authority that belonged to his Heavenly Father.
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| PHILIPPIANS 2:6-7 |
Jesus could freely respond to life however
he wanted, but he followed after God instead.
EXCERPT FROM THE CHAPTER "ITS A RELATIONSHIP"
FROM TRANSFORMING LOVE
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