TRUE RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD{The conclusion}-EDIT

                   TRUE RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD{The conclusion}

Now let’s take a look at another hero of faith; the man after God’s heart, David the son of Jesse.

Have you heard of the sure mercies of David? How God entered into a covenant relationship with Him?

³ Come to me with your ears wide open. Listen, for the life of your soul is at stake. I am ready to make an everlasting covenant with you, to give you all the unfailing mercies and love that I had for King David {Isaiah 55:3TLB}

I was shocked to see a man with a lot of shortcomings as David listed among the heroes of faith.

If you read your bible, you would have known that this man was not only a murderer but also an adulterer. He killed a man and took his wife. Let’s see the story:

God forgave David and pardoned his sins. God how could you pardon such grievous sins? My answer; true relationship. In fact do you read the book of psalms? Do you sing the hymns of David in your church? How could you? Are you not aware that they were written by a murderer and adulterer? The problem we have with God is not our shortcomings, it is the lack of true relationship.

 If God could forgive David, then you can also be forgiven.

Just be sincere in your relationship with Him. Don’t prove to be self- righteous. Acknowledge your weaknesses and let His strength be perfected in your weaknesses because when you are weak, then you are strong.

⁹ But his answer was: “My grace is all you need, for my power is greatest when you are weak.” I am most happy, then, to be proud of my weaknesses, in order to feel the protection of Christ's power over me. ¹⁰ I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and difficulties for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. {2Corinthians 12:9-10 GNT}

Are you aware that the prostitute rehab escaped the destruction that came upon those who didn’t trust God? Note that it is because of her faith that she was listed among the heroes of faith. Not only that she was listed among the faith heroes but also had her name written in the genealogy of our Lord Jesus Christ. You will see that in Matthew chapter 1 verse 5.

If unqualified people of old enjoyed sure mercies, you too who have accepted Christ can enjoy much more unfailing mercies and loving kindness if you can just humble yourself before God believing that He is your righteousness. Acknowledge your shortcomings and allow Him perfect His strength in your weaknesses. He will not stop loving you.Enjoy a faith and love relationship with God today.

I can go on and on mentioning people in scriptures who had short falls and sinned against God but were pardoned because of relationship.They were still called heroes of faith. I could talk about Samson with his women problem, Jacob the supplanter and deceiver, Moses with his anger problem and how he became a murderer. Let’s hear what God said to Moses:

⁴⁸ That same day the Lord said to Moses, ⁴⁹ “Go to the Abarim Mountains in the land of Moab opposite the city of Jericho; climb Mount Nebo and look at the land of Canaan that I am about to give the people of Israel. ⁵⁰ You will die on that mountain as your brother Aaron died on Mount Hor, ⁵¹ because both of you were unfaithful to me in the presence of the people of Israel. When you were at the waters of Meribah, near the town of Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin, you dishonored me in the presence of the people. ⁵² You will look at the land from a distance, but you will not enter the land that I am giving the people of Israel.”{Deuteronomy 32:48-52 GNT}

Moses dishonoured God before the people and he and Aaron were unfaithful to God. God told him he will see the Promised Land from a distance but he will not enter the land. Indeed Moses did not enter the physical Promised Land as God had said. He died and was buried. The accuser of the brethren, Satan wanted to have Moses go to hell but God who is rich in mercy and grace could not allow that happen. He had to send angel Michael to go contend with Satan and take delivery of Moses’ body.

⁹ Not even the chief angel Michael did this. In his quarrel with the Devil, when they argued about who would have the body of Moses, Michael did not dare condemn the Devil with insulting words, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”{Jude 1:9 GNT}

The bible stated that Michael the arc angel contended with Satan about the body of Moses. The reason may probably be because of His sins. But the good news is that because of true relationship, Satan was rebuked and Moses was given eternal life. You see he didn’t enter the earthly Promised Land but he received eternal life. But wait a minute! Was Moses guilty? Yes. Did Satan have the right to want his body? Yes. But what Satan didn’t know was that the death of Jesus Christ on the cross paid for Moses’ sins too even though Moses died many generations ago before Christ’s death on the cross. All the men of old who had a relationship with God had their sins pardoned. God didn’t punish their sins because He planned to grant them forgiveness through the death of Christ on the cross Even though they were guilty of sin, He declared them innocent. Christ came and took away their sins.

²⁵ For God sent Christ Jesus to take the punishment for our sins and to end all God’s anger against us. He used Christ’s blood and our faith as the means of saving us from his wrath.^[g] In this way he was being entirely fair, even though he did not punish those who sinned in former times. For he was looking forward to the time when Christ would come and take away those sins. ²⁶ And now in these days also he can receive sinners in this same way because Jesus took away their sins.

But isn’t this unfair for God to let criminals go free, and say that they are innocent? No, for he does it on the basis of their trust in Jesus who took away their sins.

²⁷ Then what can we boast about doing to earn our salvation? Nothing at all. Why? Because our acquittal is not based on our good deeds; it is based on what Christ has done and our faith in him. ²⁸ So it is that we are saved^[h] by faith in Christ and not by the good things we do. {Romans 3:25-28 TLB}

Now Moses can enjoy God’s glory because God declared him “discharged and acquitted”. He now sits with the great cloud of witnesses, perhaps as one of the presiding elders.

How glorious it was on that mountain of configuration, when Moses and Elijah appeared talking with and to bear witness to our Lord Jesus. It was so glorious that Peter desired to build three tents there for Jesus, Moses, Elijah.

 Six days later Jesus took with him Peter and the brothers James and John and led them up a high mountain where they were alone. ² As they looked on, a change came over Jesus: his face was shining like the sun, and his clothes were dazzling white.³ Then the three disciples saw Moses and Elijah talking with Jesus. ⁴ So Peter spoke up and said to Jesus, “Lord, how good it is that we are here! If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.{Matthew 17:1-4 GNT}

No wonder John wrote” and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten of the father full of grace and truth.

Someone may be wondering why all my examples stemmed from the Old Testament. Well, the bible says that if the ministration of death and condemnation was glorious how much more glorious shall the ministration of righteousness be.

⁹ If the plan that leads to doom was glorious, much more glorious is the plan that makes men right with God. {2Corinthians 3:9 TLB}

If the people under the old covenant had their sins pardoned due to the relationship they had with God, don’t you think the people of the new covenant will receive much more pardon? If men were forgiven when the blood of bulls and goats that couldn’t take away sins was in operation, how much more forgiveness will we have now that the precious blood of the lamb has been shed for the remission of sins. If the faulty priesthood system of old could intercede for sinners, what about now that we have a great high priest over the house of God, even Jesus Christ who makes intercession for us.

For the same Jesus who said “if you deny me before men, I will deny you before the angels” also said this to Peter:

³¹ “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to have you, to sift you like wheat, ³² but I have pleaded in prayer for you that your faith should not completely fail.^[g] So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen and build up the faith of your brothers.”

³³ Simon said, “Lord, I am ready to go to jail with you, and even to die with you.”

³⁴ But Jesus said, “Peter, let me tell you something. Between now and tomorrow morning when the rooster crows, you will deny me three times, declaring that you don’t even know me.”{Luke 22:31-34 TLB}

Jesus knew Peter was going to be tempted and that he would fall when tempted, but said something amazing “But I have prayed for you that your faith will not completely fail” What a heart of forgiveness and genuine love! Church folks would rather condemn you and gossip about your sins instead of praying that your faith fail not. We all know the story of how Peter denied Jesus Christ thrice. When Jesus resurrected let’s see if he denied peter:

¹⁵ After breakfast Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these others?”^[d]

“Yes,” Peter replied, “you know I am your friend.”

“Then feed my lambs,” Jesus told him.

¹⁶ Jesus repeated the question: “Simon, son of John, do you really love me?”

“Yes, Lord,” Peter said, “you know I am your friend.”

“Then take care of my sheep,” Jesus said.

¹⁷ Once more he asked him, “Simon, son of John, are you even my friend?”

Peter was grieved at the way Jesus asked the question this third time. “Lord, you know my heart;^[e] you know I am,” he said.

Jesus said, “Then feed my little sheep. ¹⁸ When you were young, you were able to do as you liked and go wherever you wanted to; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands and others will direct you and take you where you don’t want to go.”¹⁹ Jesus said this to let him know what kind of death he would die to glorify God. Then Jesus told him, “Follow me. {John 21:15-19 TLB}

Peter was reinstated into leadership and was asked to feed the little sheep. You know the story about peter on the day of Pentecost how he preached and three thousand souls were saved. His faith did not fail. True relationship sustained Him.

I will have to summarise this topic by stating emphatically that all you need is a satisfying relationship with God through faith. This faith works by love. If truly you are born again by faith then don’t begin to doubt your righteousness. I can’t tell you that you won’t be tempted or even fall. You certainly will. But what I want you to know is that when you fall, your sin might break fellowship for some time but it will not break relationship. You remain a child of God by faith. You are still the righteousness of God IN CHRIST JESUS. Keep your faith alive, fellowship will be restored and know that your relationship is steadfast.

Only those who are not in God’s family, who are not born again, are without a relationship with God. They lack relationship with God because they lack faith. But as for you when you received Christ Jesus by faith, God gave you power to become His child. God is not a man that He should lie neither is He the son of man that He should repent. He has said “Whosoever believes in Christ will not perish but have everlasting life” and so shall it be. You have eternal life because you have Jesus. And if you are reading this topic and you have not accepted Christ Jesus. You can make up your mind today to come into true relationship with God so that you too can have eternal life.

¹¹ And what is it that God has said? That he has given us eternal life and that this life is in his Son. ¹² So whoever has God’s Son has life; whoever does not have his Son, does not have life {1John 5:11-12 TLB}