“Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” (Matthew 7:22, 23)
Doing things for God is important. He has given us many tasks to perform. But apparently that’s not enough. He wants more. He wants…us. To know him.
We Americans are so driven to achieve and accomplish things. We want to be noticed, recognized, admired and praised. We climb the ladder to gain status over others and to keep up with the Joneses. There’s nothing wrong with striving for excellence and doing our best. It’s just that we can become so self-absorbed and self-sufficient, even doing good things for God, that we don’t call on him until there’s an emergency. When we meet Jesus for the first time, we are filled with gratitude and joy and peace. We walk and talk with him and soak up the Bible. But then, if we’re not careful, something happens, but it happens so gradually that we don’t notice it. We drift from him. We still believe in him but our faith becomes dormant. We lead decent lives, but so do others who don’t claim to be Christians.
If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. (2 Corinthians 5:17)
Notice the verse doesn’t say, “If you obey all God’s commands, then you’ll become a new creature.” It simply says, If anyone is in Christ. How can we do that? I think it means accepting Christ as Lord and getting to know him by abiding and remaining in him all day long; trusting while obeying.
God wants more from a relationship with us than we have with a cashier who says, “May I take your order?” He wants it to be more than a transaction. Yes, he already knows what we are thinking and feeling but he wants us to verbalize it, to interact with him. The goal is not to bring Christ along with us but to go with him. He’s the pilot, not the co-pilot. He says, “Follow me.” Making our life count for something and living a life of significance is not found in self-actualization. It’s getting to participate in God’s master plan. He created longings in us that only he can quench.
Think about how good it feels to be in the company of someone you like and knowing that they like to be with you, too. I love it when my little grandkids’ faces light up when they see me and squeal with delight as they run into my arms. As wonderful as that is, being aware of the presence of God is so much better. This is why Jesus said,
“I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10)
Here’s the difference: Jesus satisfies. Unlike everything else in the world that leaves you wanting more, Jesus is enough. And what is eternal life? Is it just living forever?
“This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” (John 17:3.)
The kind of eternal life Jesus is talking about is the kind of life we can have right here and now. The degree we experience it is directly proportional to how fiercely we pursue Christ and desire to know him. His kind of love gets us through any hardship, and when we get to heaven, being with him will even beat walking pain-free on the streets of gold. His love moves us to say, “Just give me Jesus!”
Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. (Psalm 73:25)
Dwell in His secret place 