I am not God.
This is the fundamental lesson for any person of faith. God is different from us: “’For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways,’ says the Lord” (Isaiah 55:8). There remains a distance between God and us magnified by our own selfishness and sin.
Perhaps, it is our brain chemistry or simply the workings of the soul, but most of us have longings for something more. We yearn for the transcendent. We wish to bridge the gap. Over the millennia, humanity has made several attempts. We have used elaborate rituals, intellectual pursuits, good works, and even raw emotionalism to get closer to God. Sadly, all attempts have failed. The distance remains too great.
Amazingly, we are not the ones who bridge the gap. God does. Jesus Christ brings God to us and us to God. We call that grace. Christ succeeds where our attempts fail. Jesus once said, “I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). Beginning with Christ, we are empowered to live to our full potential.
An important question remains: “How do I stay connected to Jesus?” A member of the church wrote me a note with this question during our recent Spiritual Enrichment Retreat weekend. I’m thankful for it. The question gets at the heart of discipleship and Christian spirituality. Perhaps, it can serve as a catalyst for further conversations throughout the congregation.
Certainly bad worship, bad doctrines or bad behavior can draw us away from Christ. However the inverse isn’t automatically true. A good grade on the theology exam, a well-written prayer or having an emotional experience isn’t necessarily evidence that God is present. Instead, we remain connected to Christ by knowing him, trusting him and obeying him. Jesus suggests a relationship of intimacy. For those given new life, we are no longer servants but friends (John 15:13-15).
Although God doesn’t owe us anything, he gives us the gift of his Spirit through faith in Christ. Rather than using our spiritual practices to achieve transcendence, the Holy Spirit transforms our disciplines from self-righteousness into devotion. Like the musician who tunes his instrument to be in harmony with the orchestra, the Holy Spirit uses our prayer, our study of Scripture, our love of neighbors, and the rest to keep our lives receptive to Christ’s transforming grace.
I am not God, but by the Holy Spirit, Christ is present in a redeemed life.
