How Great Is Your God?

I get in the way of the Lord's favor and plan sometimes. Thank God, He does not close off access to Himself because of my dumb decisions. In fact, 1 John 1:9 states to believers - 

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."

John is speaking to believers here (1 Jn. 5:13), of a relational confessing of sin - a making things right within a personal relationship with God through Christ. 

"All of our sins are forgiven 'positionally' the moment we receive Christ as Savior. This positional forgiveness guarantees our salvation and promise of an eternal home in heaven. When we stand before God after death, God will not deny us entrance into heaven because of our sins. That is positional forgiveness. The concept of relational forgiveness is based on the fact that when we sin, we offend God and grieve His Spirit (Ephesians 4:30). While God has ultimately forgiven us of the sins we commit, they still result in a blocking or hindrance in our relationship with God. A young boy who sins against his father is not cast out of the family. A godly father will forgive his children unconditionally. At the same time, a good relationship between father and son cannot be achieved until the relationship is restored. This can only occur when a child confesses his mistakes to his father and apologizes. That is why we confess our sins to God—not to maintain our salvation, but to bring ourselves back into close fellowship with the God who loves us and has already forgiven us." 

https://www.gotquestions.org/Christian-sin.html

If the direct access Christians have to God through Christ and His Spirit was not available at any moment of my life, I don't know what I would do. The Veil or Curtain that was torn at the moment of Jesus' death trumpeted that access (Matt. 27:51). Jesus was and is our High Priest and our Sacrifice all wrapped into one for a one-time payment, redemption and restoration of creation and humanity (Hebrews 9).

All believers in God have direct, lifetime or better yet - eternal access to God through faith in Christ Jesus. During a long stint of time there was only the Jewish people as God's People. The Hebrews were God's nation on earth, whether planted or traveling. In addition, these people were made up of twelve tribes which had among their ranks a Priestly Tribe - the Tribe of Levi. So, even among Israel, a called-out-people, you had Priests, a called-out-people - who took care of everything concerning God's Tabernacle or Presence on earth. In this duty or calling they had entitlement.

The Priests of God were the only ones who were authorized to touch and care for the articles of The Tabernacle and later The Temple. The one who was declared High Priest was the only one who could enter the Holy of Holies once a year to offer a sacrifice for the nation's faults against God and a great curtain or veil separated the two rooms within The Tabernacle.

However, once Jesus came and died on The Cross as both the sacrificial Lamb and our High Priest - His blood and resurrection atoned for not only the nation of Israel forever, but for whosoever would believe in Him for eternity (Jn. 3:16). God made the rules - blood sacrifice for sin - and He played by His own rules by sending His own Word in flesh, Jesus Christ to secure our eternity.

The ripping of the curtain put an exclamation point on what Christ accomplished on The Cross. The torn veil reveals some additional, descriptive names of Christ Jesus - The Door, The Gate, The Way, and Our High Priest. The Christian faith celebrates every day that whosoever believes in God through Christ Jesus is entitled to eternal access to Him and His benefits, not just the priests from a priestly tribe of Israel or the priests from Catholicism. 

Upon the Rock of Jesus, not upon the rock of Peter has and will the Church of Christ be built and succeed. When Jesus said in Matthew 16:18 -

"And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it." -

Jesus was naming Himself as The Rock. I imagine Jesus pointed His finger at His chest, NOT Peter when He said this. If Jesus had meant Peter, that would have negated every word and work that Christ had said and done, plus undermined Jesus as the foundation, as the Chief Cornerstone of the Christian faith. 1 Corinthians 3:11 states - 

"For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ."

Christ Jesus and His Holy Spirit are the only ones people should consider as carrying the title and duty of Mediator. The message is to not take for granted, but to take advantage of direct access to God's Throne. We do not require a human priest to confess our mistakes for our forgiveness. That priest did NOT die for our sins and rise again on the third day, neither did Peter. The only Mediator between God and man is Christ Jesus, The Lord (1 Timothy 2:5).

A friend or pastor can come alongside and pray with you and seek God's Word with you about a challenge you are going through, but again, Christ and His Spirit are the Mediators, the Advocators before Father God (1 John 2:1 = Jesus as Advocate; John 14:26 = Holy Spirit as Advocate).

Some of the times I have sought the Lord on a matter I have limited God with my expectations, I have placed God inside a box and told Him "this" is what you have to work with Lord and pray that the Lord handle it in that manner. I try my best to base my prayers on His Word, but there are times when it is not. God is bigger than my boxes and in His gracious, Fatherly way - He helps me.

I have found some great ways to start removing myself as my own stumbling block. In order to be useful for the Lord - 

1. I must make the effort to seek God's will/plan, 
2. I must pray about His designs and perspectives on my life and the world around me.

There are times in our lives when God impresses upon us - "'Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.'" - Psalm 46:10

However, I believe when God's sons and daughters actively seek out God's will while waiting on an answer, God will reward that effort. Not that you are "jumping the gun" in a situation, but that you would be careful to observe any opportunity the Lord provides and test it to see. 

I observe this concept in the story of the Lost Son. The son who asked his father for his inheritance up front and then squandered it, leaving himself in a pig's pen. This same individual realized nobody is coming to save him and made the effort to seek help, ask for forgiveness and hope his father did not shun him from the family. 

Because of his realization and his effort to make things right with the father, look what happens - 

"But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate." - Luke 15:20-24

I have access to God at any moment of my life for eternity through Christ Jesus.

 

I have forgiveness of my wrongs against God - past, present and future - because of the sacrifice of Jesus. In addition, that same sacrifice provides grace through personal confession to Him, from my continued mistakes, in this fallen body, until I am glorified and sin is no more.

 

I have a God that is so marvelous that no situation can box Him in.

 

I have a heavenly Father God that not only loves me just as I am but loves me enough to further develop me into a man of God for Him. 

I have a Lord and Savior that desires to find different ways to display His love toward me as my relationship with Him matures. 

How Great Is Your God?