Approach His Throne: Part III

Okay, so here we are.

At this point we've discussed the idea that we often have a misconception of our role and God's role in our relationship with Him. We also discussed that we must take action. We can't simply wait for God to make the moves, so to speak, for us.

What does that look like? What, on a daily basis, can we do to "reach out" to God?

To answer this question we must distinguish between our role and God's role in our relationship.

Let's start with God's role…

It's rather large… because God is God:

He is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, our Lord, our Savior, the Sacrificial Lamb. He is the Author and the Finisher, the Great I AM, the Groom. He became sin so that we can have eternal life. He is everywhere and in everything. Without Him, we have nothing. Without Him we've never had anything. Without Him, we will become nothing.

Somewhere in there is His role.

So, what is left for us, then? Well, throughout Jesus' time on the earth, He commanded of us several actions:

*…Ask… seek… and knock… (Matt 7:7)

*…take up your cross… (Matt. 10:38)

*…lose your life… (Matt. 10:41)

*…Enter through the narrow gate… (Matt. 7:13)

*…don't be afraid; just believe… (Mark 5:36)

Just to list a few.

In addition to Jesus' words, the Spirit of God inspired prophets, such as in the book of Isaiah, to exhort commands of us as well:

*…make yourselves clean… stop doing wrong… (Isaiah 1:16)

*… seek justice… (Isaiah 1:17)

*…regard the Lord as holy… (Isaiah 8:13)

*…comfort my people… (Isaiah 40:1)

*…Sing to the Lord… (Isaiah 42:10)

*…Lead out those who have eyes but are blind… (Isaiah 43:8)

*…Do not be afraid… (Isaiah 44:2)

There are many, many more commands within the book of Isaiah and throughout the other books of the prophets. Still, not only did God, through the prophets, command us, but also Jesus' teaching and the Holy Spirit implored the Apostle Paul to command us believers to take action:

*…put on the armor of God… (Eph. 6:10)

*…clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ and with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience… (Rom. 13:14, Col. 3:12)

*…Be joyful always… (2 Thes. 5:16)

*…Set your hearts on things above… (Col. 3:1-2, Phil. 4:8)

Of course, Paul wrote innumerable more commands that challenge us all.

My point in all this, Dear Reader, is to consider the idea that we are to take action. The Bible is full of verbs intended for you and me. DC Talk said it best… love is a verb! Our love for God requires initiative. These commands are not directed to God but to us! We must ask, seek, and knock. Again, just to be clear, I am not in any way suggesting that we are saved by good works. I am simply explaining the fact that we cannot lazily lounge like Adam in Michelangelo's painting and expect to somehow become disciplined. One of my favorite bands, Brand New, has a lyric in one of their songs that suggests something Jesus would say of our lackadaisical, apathetic approach toward Him: "I died for you one time, but never again." We mustn't ask God for more. He has died for us. He did it all. He has finished it. All we need to do is surrender.

Therefore, this negates the need for prayers such as, Lord, help me to take initiative to tell others about you... or, Give me patience and kindness and gentleness towards that guy. I feel like these sorts of requests exemplify the laziness and passivity that can lead to a hardened heart. Instead, our prayer should be a declaration at that point as we say, God, I will be patient... I will be kind and gentle to that guy. Asking God to take up my cross is beyond lazy... it's blasphemous. Jesus asked US to take up our own cross and follow Him. It would be as if, when Jesus prompted the rich young man to sell all of his possessions and follow Him (Lk. 10:17-31), the young man's response was "No, Jesus, YOU sell all MY possessions... then, I'll follow you." We mustn't ask God to do the very things He's commanded of us. Patience, kindness and gentleness (as well as all of the other "fruits of the spirit" found in Galations 5) are attributes that we choose to take on. And only when we choose to "meditate day and night" on the law of the Lord and are "like a tree planted by streams of water" will these fruits grow through us by God's power (Ps. 1:2-3). We should not ask God to freely give us the fruits that we, ourselves, must work for. Yes, relationships take work. It takes discipline... or at least the first tip-toe toward Him.

Our role as human beings is selflessness, which leads to submission, and, in its purist form, is a will to approach the throne of God. This humble approach literally and figuratively requires instigation on OUR part. Therefore, let us approach his throne as living sacrifices. Let us call on Him while we are doing our part. So, when do we take our hands off? Well, it looks different in every circumstance. Sometimes we step one inch and God's mighty power takes over. Other times, we must walk aimlessly around for forty days and forty nights. But one thing I know… God will ALWAYS finish the work He first started in us. He will ALWAYS take over where we leave off.

Do not sit back, Dear Reader. Get up. Clothe yourself with Him and walk.

Approach His Throne: Part I

Every sound echoed in the gymnasium of my church. It was brightly lit and there was always the smell of a potluck that seemed to complement the orange carpeted floors. It was the arena for boxcar racing tournaments, basketball games, over-nighters, and any other event that was too big or messy for the cave-like sanctuary. It sat at the bottom of a long staircase that extended from the foyer. This was my home church and it is where I came to find Christ. It was a summer Sunday morning and my Nazarene Sunday-school teacher spoke gentle words of God’s love for us. I don’t quite remember exactly what she said during her short sermon, but in my 7 year old mind something clicked. I discovered a love that I had never felt before. She invited us to the front alters to accept Jesus Christ into our lives. I remember feeling tingly inside as a lump in my throat became larger and larger. My older brother sat next to me and I knew that he was feeling the same. He nudged me with his elbow to suffice it to say, “Let’s go up there.” I followed him to the child-sized alters and we both prayed the prayer of a desperate, soft-hearted child. We asked Jesus Christ to enter into our hearts and to become our Lord and Savior. I cried tears of joy.

I faithfully attended the same mid-sized suburban church with my family in Colorado Springs for my entire adolescence. It goes without saying, church is not a new thing for me. It has been a huge part of my life.

Being a “church kid” does funny things to those of us who have grown up under its supportive wings. We are sharpened by the consistency and receive structure and community, yes; but there are many pit falls from which we should guard our hearts. Over time we can become calloused. We are in danger of becoming numb. Apathy, complacency, boredom and cynicism are the scavengers that taunt us at our gate. Some Christians, though, have the opposite story. They may have found the Lord's saving grace after sixty years of denying Christ. For them church is a newfound revelation, but they deal with some different issues because of their past without it.

There could be an entire book explaining the sociological, psychological, and theological differences between a “church kid” and a kid who grew up on the outside. So I’ll leave that discussion for someone else… perhaps someone more educated. What I want to examine here is one of the issues that we all face as Christians, no matter what our upbringing was. I have witnessed this same issue in new believers and in "church kids" alike:

Sometimes we misconstrue our role and God’s role in our relationship with Him.

That is to say, we often have a misguided approach to His throne. We come to God with prayers that often contradict the words of the Bible. We, as Christians, have a tendency to pray from the wrong place in our hearts. We often pray one-sided prayers. With an unrighteous overdependence on God’s mighty hand, we lazily forget that our relationship with Him requires action on our end. Please do not misunderstand the point, Dear Reader. Our motives are (generally speaking) pure, and our God is indeed capable of ALL things, but we mustn’t ask Him to do the very things He’s commanded of us. This is a problem that can stifle our relationship with Him which leads to a slew of other issues. I want us to be aware of the gravity of this danger. An incorrect and un-Biblical understanding of God can seriously hurt our relationship with Him and I will not allow it.