Intimacy with Christ

Earlier this week I heard a mind-blowing message about intimacy. God desires great intimate fellowship with me. His desire is so strong, that He yearns to be to one with me. He uses earthly examples to explain this desire, such as the mystery of how a husband and a wife become “one flesh,” or how Christ is one with His bride, the Church.

“To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Colossians 1:27

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can no nothing.” John 15:5

“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.” John 14:16-17

“Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is sacred, and you are that temple.” I Corinthians 3:16-17

The sheer concept of Christ in me baffles my mind. But then I was hit with this idea: Because the Holy Spirit lives in me, and the Spirit is part of the sacred Trinity, then that means God loves me so much that He has brought me into the sacred God-head to be in direct relation with Him and Christ.

God has gone to unbelievable lengths to be one with me, to allow me the opportunity to be in relationship with Him and Christ…but how often do my words or actions say, “I’m sorry God, but you’re not enough for me?” This revelation was heart-wrenching. The book of Isaiah often refers to Israel—God’s chosen and holy people—as a prostitute because of her unfaithfulness to God, her groom.

As I was processing all of this information, I was forced to face the question: How many times do I prostitute myself? How often do I say ‘My God is not enough; He doesn’t meet all of my desires’?

Needless to say, this message has made me do some deep reflecting, and I’m not so sure I like what I’ve been seeing. My precious God should be more than enough for me. He’s done anything and everything for me…the most important thing being saving me from an eternal life without Him. He’s forgiven me more often than I deserve, and given me an abundance of blessings I don’t deserve. He loves me unconditionally. He has never left me, betrayed me, or broken my trust. He is ever faithful, loving, and just.

So why do I continue to prostitute myself away from Him?

Oh sweet Jesus, please forgive me for my unfaithfulness. I feel like the tax collector in Luke 18, who looks to heaven, beats his chest and has no words to say other than, ‘God, have mercy on me…a sinner.’

“But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5

~joyfully broken