Inseparable

How close are you to God?

Hold up your hands and illustrate how close you are to God in your relationship with Him.

I have asked many people over the years to do just that. 99.9% of the people have represented their idea of a gap that exists between them and God. Some significant gaps, some smaller gaps. Some illustrated a gap that varies depending on the circumstances of their life.

I usually let them know that the Israelites had that same relationship with God in terms of a gap. It was a never-ending job to fill that gap to get closer to God. A goal that, for them, was unattainable and never reached. Their means of filling the gap came from doing good and following the law.

Some of you may be experiencing the hamster wheel of doing good or working hard, even keeping the 10 commandments to maintain or improve your relationship with God. Some of you may have thrown up your hands and just given up in frustration.

Let me tell you the truth about your gap. It's NON-EXISTENT! When you are in Christ, there are no more gaps. You are united with Christ. You have become one spirit with Him.

Your relationship was the heart's desire of Jesus Himself when he prayed to the Father in:
John 17:21-23: that they may all be one; just as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 The glory which You have given Me I also have given to them, so that they may be one, just as We are one; 23 I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and You loved them, just as You loved Me.

Do you see it? Your relationship with Jesus was birthed from the deepest desire of HIS heart. The glory which You have given Me I also have given to them, so that they may be one, just as We are one; 23 I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity.

Are you kidding me? This is why our perceived gap is non-existent. We don't establish our relationship with God on our terms or with anything we can do. It's a gift that has been freely given—an answered prayer.

No wonder some of us throw our hands up in frustration. We genuinely want to have a close relationship with God, so we try hard to be good, to do good. To do enough, to be enough, to be worthy.
When, all the while, we are already worthy, loved, accepted, and secure.

Now, let's read Romans 8:35-39; Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or trouble, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 Just as it is written:
"For Your sake we are killed all day long; We were regarded as sheep to be slaughtered."
37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I want to focus mainly on verses 38 & 39. Why could Paul be so convinced that nothing could separate him from the love of God, and why should we be equally convinced?

Paul understood the truth about his relationship with Jesus. He understood and believed it was a gift, not about anything he could do or achieve. He understood and believed his union with God was about an answered prayer of Jesus and not about his many prayers.
Whenever you are tempted to imagine there is a gap or separation between you and Jesus, remember Paul was so convinced that he proclaimed, "nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Created thing? That pretty much covers everything and leaves nothing out. Even you!
You are secure in your relationship with God. Believing and receiving this truth brings us into the rest God so deeply desires for us.

The truth always sets you free!