Have you ever felt like a kid peering through the window of the candy store looking at all the things available… but not for you? Sadly, there’s absolutely no way that you can conceive of that would allow you entrance. What do you do? Sadly walk away? Pout? Bang your head against the door? Try to sneak in? Those are only some of the ways we try to respond to these types of situations. But… if you feel this way in terms of your life and relationship with the Lord, I have terrific news. You DO have entrance.
3 scriptures need to be considered when seeking entrance into relationship with the Lord.
“…For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what
communion has light with darkness?” (2Corinthians 6:13)
“For He (God) made Him (Jesus) who knew no sin to be sin for us, that
we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2Corinthians 5:21)
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us and to
cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1John 4:9)
The first scripture really reinforces our belief in the distance between God and His creation. Obviously, there is no way we can attain righteousness from our own efforts. But when we read 2Corinthians 5 we see that God in His infinite mercy provided a way into righteousness – He made us the righteousness in Jesus! Thus we have a (His) way into relationship! Realizing that we do mess up, sin, do or say things that we wish we hadn’t (Paul’s lament in Romans 7:15) the Lord provided a way back into relationship, to be cleansed from our sins and return to righteousness. Now we have a foundation for relationship.
To me, the most incredible realization is that we have never been meant to stand outside but to enter into relationship with the Lord. And, that He really does understand us and our weaknesses, our dreams and hopes, our wants and needs – He truly is our High Priest (Hebrew 4:15). The Father has prepared beforehand everything we need to live a life that is full of fruitfulness and fulfillment – an abundant life. We can enter into this… it’s not necessary to look through the window from the outside.
