We need four things to walk with the Lord in the fullness of His calling.

  1. We need to know who God is in reality, not religiously.
  2. We need to know who we are to Him and in Him, our identity.
  3. We need to know what He promises, His provision.
  4. We need to know what He requires of us, His commands and purpose.

For most of us, we have “knowledge” of His nature, our position, His promises and His commands yet we do not “KNOW” Him or our identity in Him, which causes us to see His provision and commands from the wrong perspective. We have relinquished the truth for the lie of religious traditions and education. We have been relegated to a place that the Word of God is not really taken for The Truth for all and manufactured truth (in church that is called traditions of man) has replaced and supersedes it today. Only a radical paradigm shift in our thinking and perspective can save us from the disaster that we are currently headed for. We have become more about The presence of His glory and joy than our responsibility to be sons and daughters of honor walking in His purpose. God promises to be amazing – when we are going – not when we are sitting!

We want what only an intimate trusting relationship brings while we live out our religious Christian experience oblivious to the fact that we have become visitors in God’s kingdom instead of residents, – We are not family. We try to do the works of prayer and keeping His commands to win His approval instead of recognizing we are approved and chosen and do His commands are the results of our position and His approval. We say we are sons of the Most High yet live around Him like servants trying hard to keep Him happy by doing instead of being.

Our insecurities show as we set alarms to get up in the middle of the night to have a “quiet time” that we believe is an action of sacrifice to show Him our dedication. Why? Prayer is to be 24/7 according to Lu. 18:1 and 1 Thes. 517. Prayer is intimate communion based on relationship – not done to win His approval. I cannot find a place where religious endeavors or actions replaced, with any success, the relationship we are to have. If it is about works then how did Abraham become the father of faith? He was always messing up God’s will for Himself and others. David, called a man after God’s own heart, did not do well at obedience at times which cost Him and His people a lot! How about Moses? His life was not a stellar performance of religious activity yet God calls him the “meekness man who ever lived”. None of these great men of God were lived “good religious performances”! It was their relationship and devotion to Father and that relationship, even when they failed to do right, that made them great in God’s eyes. They loved God more than life! They lived out relationship!

In the NT we have the apostles of our faith— they were a bit of a ragged group, all walked away at the moment of Jesus’ need. They failed repeatedly to have enough faith to heal or deliver others. They argued about who was to be the greatest when Jesus left. They mis- understood Him so many times. Yet, they became the foundation of the Church. They could not even pray for one hour with Jesus in His final trial. How about Paul, a persecutor or the truth and the “Church”. Did His performances win Him God’s favor? Is that why Jesus called him to be an apostle to the world? Did any of their performances win them God’s blessings? He told the original 11 to leave Jerusalem and go, They would not, so He had to send persecution to get them to move!

We tend to like religion as we can set up traditions to follow and guide us – to live by. They actually are started to protect our relationship, purpose and perspective, yet they kill relationship eventually and we live under their religious restraints that restrict the relationship Jesus died to restore.

John. 17:3 tells us that eternal life is to “Know” the father and His son. To know is to have intimacy in relationship with. God has always been about a dynamic, personal, close relationship of the kind found in a good family unit, true fellowship.
We are His family, He made us into that with Jesus sacrifice and blood! We need to remove anything that stands against that and restore our selves to Him!

Our identity with and in Him (moving into what He says about who we are) will change our perspective of Him, how we view Him. First we must see Him as He really is, not religiously or legalistically then we can see ourselves rightly.

Then we must see ourselves as He sees us, as He created up to be. If we re redeemed, what does that mean?

Then we can view he promises, what they mean ad are about.

And finally we can look at His commands with the first 3 in right perspective.

If we learn these 4 things in the wrong order we will have the meanings all messed up and will not have a correct interpretation or any of them.

You cannot understand your position until you first see God in the correct perspective.

You cannot see His promises aright if you do not know who He is and who you are…

His commands must follow the other required understandings for His commands to have the right place, emphasis and authority in our world and living.

So the first question; Who is God?

We talk about Him being Love, mercy, hope, Father, Holy, just, etc… but I think we need a foundation even for those descriptions of Him. He is God! I should know Him from this perspective. He answered to no one but Himself. He is life and He and He alone can cast you into hell (the place in eternity without His presence) the place of timeless absence of life.
This is a place where “the fear of the Lord” is understood not just as reverence and awe but as “ I am afraid of missing Him as that is death!” Some may disagree that is ok, maybe they have not been dangled over hell and do not understand God as our every breathe. Without Him – NO LIFE!

The second question; Who are we?

We are created in His likeness and Image. We are love and loved, and created to be Love- His love, not mans. We are redeemed from the curse and the cost of not being true to His Love,-Adam’s sin of betrayal., We are the pearl of Great price that He bought with His life. We are a part of Him! We are sent just like Jesus and Children of God!

The third question; What are His promises?

Simply, real life, love, and freedom brought by The Truth! The truth sets us free.. That is Jesus but He is more than just a name (though most of us want to avoid the dis-comfort of “all” the truth.) He can and many times does speak without words!

Finally we come to; What are His commands?

His ways are not a burden nor hard. His commands are simple — they are what we do because we really Love Him and know (have a dynamic, close, powerful relationship with) Him. They are simply what we do because of His desire to seek and save the Lost and to destroy the works of the enemy. Love causes us to live to please the one we love. So His commands. His desires become my motivating directives that show my Love, His love in me.

Ok my definitions are short, not filled out. The reason is that I want you to think about these things and fill in the thoughts; Who is He, who am I, what are His promises, and what does He demand?

Do not cheat yourself by only listing things you like or want to see!

HE IS GOD, WE ARE HIS CHILDREN, HIS PROMISES ARE NOT GIVEN WITHOUT A POSITION OF RESPONSIBILITY, AND HIS COMMANDS ARE SIMPLE AND USUALLY ABOUT “OTHERS”.

ALL TOGETHER THEY ACCOMPLISH HIS WILL AND DESIRE FOR MAN —fellowship, companionship, family and life together—as ONE!

Neil

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