“for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord . . .”
Do you have ‘history’ with a person?
Maybe you ask: In our remaining years, who can help us become a better version of ourselves?
Are you ‘closer’ with someone today than when you first met?
Maybe you ask: Who can we walk into a deeper intimacy today, than when we first met?
Today, February 1st just happens to be our 38th wedding anniversary. Happy Anniversary Darrell. I Love You.
Wow, life passes by quickly! We have enjoyed learning to listen to one another, even when life becomes extremely busy or when we were forced to live thousands of miles apart. As the years have passed, we have learned how to parent, how to love, how to accept the change that occurs over time, and to see how intimacy with another does not happen in the lust of the moment but over time shared with someone you adore.
In the Bible, the man Simon Peter was most-definitely—
- a brash, hot-headed, fisherman—
Nevertheless, Simon Peter became—
- a bond servant of Jesus Christ &
- a disciple called by Jesus Christ—
Even though Simon Peter was not perfect in any way—
- still, when Jesus called out to him—
Simon Peter became—
- an apostle, a disciple, and a proclaimer of the Gospel just the same—
Therefore, we see how God can call out to a person, and then begin to change the person, his character, and his focus—one step at a time.
We see in the Word of God how Simon Peter was led by God to write, to explain just how we can enjoy a relationship, a union, a love-affair, a ‘marriage’ with the Son of God, Jesus Christ.
“To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours,
(The 2nd Letter of Peter 1: 1b-3 NASB)
by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ:
Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord;
seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.”
Consider for a moment this reality: on earth, relationships with others do not immediately happen this side of heaven. That’s correct; relationships take time, hard work at times, and the presence of many long seasons of talking with another BEFORE we allow ourselves, our hearts, and even our minds to consider—this could be someone I could fall in love with if I choose to allow my heart to go that way.
With that in mind, let us consider our heavenly relationship with—
- The Son of God—
- The Savior—
- The Redeemer Jesus Christ—
Our relationship, our marriage, our intimacy, our love-affair with Jesus is not at all dependent upon how ‘good’ or how ‘cleaned up’ or how ‘sinless’ or how anything we are when Jesus stands knocking at our heart’s door, asking if HE can come into our hearts and save our soul.
Our relationship, our joining the ‘body of Christ’ & our ‘spiritual marriage’ with the Savior Jesus begins to change everything about us from the very moment we utter a prayer something like this:
“Yes, Jesus. Please come into my heart. Forgive me for my sins, God. Save me, Lord. I ask You, today, to come into my inner being, into my heart, and save my soul forevermore.”
A Sinner’s Prayer
Immediately, once we pray the sinner’s prayer, we become a ‘new creature’ in Christ Jesus; it’s instantaneous! Never will God let us go from that moment!
- We are married for life—for this life & for eternal life.
- We have received God’s Amazing Grace and peace; we begin at that moment—“seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, . . .” &
- We know Jesus “through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.”
From that moment, we begin to build a ‘history’ with the Person of Jesus Christ, who can help us become a better version of ourselves.
Then, once we begin walking daily with the Holy Spirit of God dwelling within us, the questions become—
- Are we ‘closer’ with Jesus today than when we first met?
- Are we walking with a deeper intimacy today, than when we first met?
The apostle Simon Peter was led by God to write, to explain just how we can draw closer into a deeper relationship & a deeper union, drawing into a more intimate ‘marriage’ with the Son of God, Jesus Christ.
“For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises,
(The 2nd Letter of Peter 1: 4-7 NASB)
so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature,
having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.
Now for this very reason also,
applying all diligence,
in your faith supply moral excellence,
and in your moral excellence, knowledge,
and in your knowledge, self-control,
and in your self-control, perseverance,
and in your perseverance, godliness,
and in godliness, brotherly kindness,
and in your brotherly kindness, love.”
Our spiritual marriage to Christ Jesus, our walk with our Savior, our servanthood to the Lord, our salvation received through God’s grace, and our day-to-day moments following the leading of His Holy Spirit is just that, a journey, a process, a changing of who we once were to become who we are now because of Jesus.
“For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
(The 2nd Letter of Peter 1: 8-11 NASB)
For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins.
Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you;
for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble;
for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.”