Why do some of us find it so difficult to engage in fellowship with the Lord? It’s possible that because we are acutely aware of our ongoing struggle with sin, we do not rightly conceive of His desire to enjoy fellowship with us. Some believers conceive of Jesus’ disposition toward the Church as something like that of the handsome jock taking his little sister’s ugly friend to the prom as a favor to her parents. He’s way out of her league and He knows it. He’s aloof at best, angry at worst. He’d rather be anywhere but next to her, yet duty calls. He’s burdened both by a humanitarian bent and the fact that He’s the only one who can manage the chore.
Nothing could be further from the truth. Jesus genuinely desires fellowship with us. Consider all that He has done to bring it about. First, Jesus atoned for our sin at the steepest of costs. He condescended, becoming a man, embracing all the challenges and temptations associated with our humanity, so that He could fulfill the law of God on our behalf and take the penalty for our sin on the cross. For 33 years, He bore the full weight of temptation without giving in (Heb 2:18; 4:15). For six hours, He bore the omnipotent wrath of His own Father, eventually declaring our debt paid in full (John 19:30; cf Col 2:13-14). Being raised from the dead, He has now ascended to the Father where He ever lives to pray for us (Heb 7:25; Rom 8:34). Just as the blood of Abel called out for judgment, so the blood of Christ calls out for atonement unto reconciliation and fellowship (Heb 12:24). Has anyone ever paid more to gain and keep a bride?
Second, He powerfully called us to Himself. There was a horrible time when in our fallenness we could not see His desirability, when we loved only our darkness, burdened by sin, death, and hell (Eph 2:1-3, 4:18). Yet, Christ called to us: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matt 11:28-30). He called us to intimacy through the preaching of the gospel (Rom 10:17). He left no possibility that we would not be His (John 6:37; 10:14-16, 26-30). He came and claimed us for His own, changing our hearts and bringing us to repentance and faith (Eze 36:26; Eph 2:8; Phil 1:29; 2 Tim 2:25).
Third, He provided means of fellowship with Him. We’ve considered this before, but rather than focus on the simple reality of these means, consider the lengths to which Jesus has gone to give them to us. The Word of God is perhaps the most extravagant gesture of love imaginable…outside of the cross. It is the most intricately-woven, error-free tapestry ever created. It has been given to us for one reason: that we might know God in Christ. Likewise, prayer is a precious gift. It was highly costly. Jesus bought our access to the Father with His blood. We are able to speak to the Creator Almighty because Jesus bore His wrath for us. The third means—fellowship with the saints—is easily the most overlooked gift. In it, Jesus gives to the Church what is most precious to Him—the Church! It was the Spirit of Christ who inspired the words of Psalm 16:3: “As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones, in whom is all My delight.” The Church exists as the hands, feet, and voice of Jesus in our lives. We lack no good thing necessary to enjoy fellowship with Jesus. He has made sure of it.
Fourth, He assures us of our rightful place with Him. Some Evangelicals wrongly view the converted, justified, believing bride of Christ as a filthy, wretched whore. They think of themselves as the proverbial elephant in the throne room of God. There are multiple problems with this, the greatest of which is that it tends to take passages that speak of our former lostness and read them into our current state of justification. It is true that we were filthy, wretched whores (Num 15:38-39; Deut 31:16; Psalm 106:39; Jas 4:4; 1 Pet 4:3). Yet, because of the imputed righteousness of Christ, before God we are that way no more. According to 1 Corinthians 6, we were sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, homosexuals, thieves, drunkards, revilers, swindlers. That was our identity. But that past tense verb is precisely the point: “Such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”
If we truly grasped that, how could we stay seated and not shout, “Amen”? Yes, we still sin, but we are not what we were, and He does not see us the same way that He did. Romans teaches that we were enemies, but now we are children (Rom 5:10, 8:15). Ephesians reminds us that we were far off, but now we have been brought near by the blood of Christ (Eph 2:11-13). To be sure, we are not what we will be, but we are not what we were. Jesus assures us that we belong with Him.
Jesus is not like a bridegroom who has married down, who knows that He is way out of His bride’s league, and who therefore puts all responsibility on her to pursue Him, as if to say, “You’re so lucky to be with me. If you want to spend time with me, you know where I am.” We ought not conceive of the risen Christ as being able to take us or leave us. He is not indifferent toward us. Christ has paid an enormous price to fellowship with us and He desires it.
Let’s consider all that Jesus has done to enjoy us. We might more readily enjoy Him in the Word, prayer, and serving the body.
Comments