|
"He Wants You to Want Him
by Mai-Anh Le My reflection on Revelation 3:20: " 20Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me." Christ' great love for humanity is beyond any love that you and I have seen or experienced on this earth. Combine that with His long lasting patience for us and we become the most blessed creatures in this galaxy. The love of Christ's for man can not constrained by the boundaries of earthly relationships. For the love He gives to us has no boundaries; it is infinite and it is free. Thus, to allow it to be what it needs to be, we would have to dwell within a place that is equally vast and free. Only then will each of us be able to feel the fullness of this Divine love. The only place that would fit those descriptions is in the Spirit of Christ. That is why His greatest desire is to have mankind be united with Him in the state of spiritual oneness that is, Jesus wants us to dwell in Him as He desires to dwell in us. "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends," (John 15:13). There is nothing standing between Jesus Christ and humanity that would prohibit this union. Nothing that is, if we don't include the act of free will; it is only our unwillingness to come to Christ that the union is not made possible. Jesus has desired for us to be one with Him for hundreds of years. In fact He began His campaign for it by introducing mankind to God through the Words of the Holy Spirit at the age of 13. Jesus' efforts in traveling across the lands to teach crowds of people about the Bible can be characterized with the travels of The Great Sheppard who is looking for His sheep. And it should not be a guess as to who the sheep are but us, all humanity, for we were all originally made as God's children. It was us who walked away from the Father, God never walked away from us. Fortunately God's patience is endless. He can wait for us forever, even if it means until our final moment. God does not count the years that we were away from Him; He is the loving Father and we are the prodigal sons. The minute we desire to come back home and ask our Father for forgiveness is all He will consider. But the union with Christ is ours to give. If we are unwilling to come to Christ, He will not violate His promise to humanity by taking away our freedom to choose. That is how important our free will is to Christ. But I ask you what better offers do we have then this? Where else can we find eternal life and ever lasting peace and happiness? Where else will we be given the wisdom of Holy Spirits, plus His strength, and power of endurance and serenity? Nowhere else. 1) If what's holding you back is the fear that you won't be accepted because the light will shine truth upon your sins I tell you, you do not have to worry. Don't you realize that God already knows what our sins are before we even open our mouths in confession? Yet He is still waiting for us and loving us each day. Why would saying sorry make Him feel anything else but joy. 2) But if what's holding you stagnant in your relationship with Christ is because you are afraid to abandon the comfortable niche you've found, in exchange for a path that is guaranteed to be difficult and painful. Then again, I remind you that Jesus said you will never have to travel this journey alone nor do you have to carry the load by yourself. When you are weak, He is strong and He will carry you through the dark hours. Besides you comfortable niche here on earth is only temporary. It does not provide everlasting comfort and protection. Only the Kingdom of God will do that. 3) And lastly, if your reason for not wanting to accept Christ or wanting to grow closer to Him each day because you think other people are more faithful then you, holier than you, and sins less then you, and therefore somehow you do not deserve to be loved by Christ, - I'm telling you again that you have nothing to fear. Because in your relationship with Christ, there is only you and He alone. The Smith's of the world are not included in that relationship. Someone who commits one sin is no less of a sinner as someone who commits hundreds of sins. There isn't such a thing as getting more faith you either have it or you don't, and faith can only grow deeper, never more. What Jesus condemns is not how often a person sins but their lack of love and faith for God and lifestyle of hatred and inability to forgive man is what upsets Him. Surely you've heard of the sinful woman who was forgiven by Jesus after she washed His feet with her tears of remorse, and then dried them with her hair, and finally covering it with perfumed oil. The Pharisees of who Jesus was a guest in the house of was appalled that such a sinful woman would have the audacity to show her face in public, let alone bring her dirtiness into his clean home. But Jesus did not dismiss her. Instead He forgave of her sins, because He saw in her actions how much she loves God. Jesus adds "Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. {45} You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. {46} You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. {47} Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven--for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little," (Luke 7:44-47). But, if in the end you are still reluctant to come to Christ because you are unsure or uncertain, please listen to Jesus' words calling out to you directly before you close this door. Listen to the sincerity and love that He has for you. The selection of words He chooses tells it all. Count how many times He repeats the words "Come to Me" or simply "Come" as He is asking you to join Him in spirit. Meditate on the words to find a fuller and deeper meaning in Christ's message. There is so much more beyond the surface of His words. Listen to what Jesus is saying to YOU: 28"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy and my burden is light," (Mathew 11:28-30). 1 "Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come; buy wine and milk without money and without cost. 3 Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live," (Isaiah 55:1, 3). 37All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away," (John 6: 37). 44"No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day," (John 6:44). "37Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. 38"He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water,'" (John 7:37-38, NASB). Hopefully you understand a little more now how deeply Jesus loves you. If you need more assurance there are many more examples of these lines plus evidence of His unconditional love for you in the Bible. Jesus does love YOU! My name is Mai-Anh Le. I'm a 35 year old Catholic woman who's currently suffering from a complicated case of chronic lyme disease though I am healing. Before this illness I was an mechanical engineer for NASA. I loved my work and the things I was able to do, but the lyme has changed much of my lif Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |