When we begin to see the goodness of God our eyes are opened to a greater revelation of Him. We see Jesus on the cross as more than an event. We see God in Christ. We see the nature of God expressed as a man. We see how a loving God came to set us free. We see ourselves through His eyes. We move from knowledge to knowing. We are transformed. Without knowing His goodness we only know about Him instead of knowing Him. Knowing Him is what transforms us into the image of Jesus. Religion is about facts and self. God wants transformation through relationship. He died to make it so. It is time to stop believing the lies and instead get to know the truth.
The first key to transformation is righteousness. It isn’t your righteousness but God’s. We need to know that we know we are His righteousness by faith. The enemy has contaminated our thinking so that we actually define words like righteousness using distorted images of the preacher pounding the podium. Let me say it in a less religious way.
The truth that sets us free to have our understanding changed is to know without reservation that God is good and we have a right relationship with God. This right relationship was made possible because of Jesus. Our right relationship with our heavenly Father does not depend on us. We can think wrong, believe wrong and even behave wrong but none of that matters. My relationship with Abba is based on what Jesus did, not on what I do. Once we understand that truth our fears about God melt away. We begin to understand that He can’t be mad at us anymore (he never was by the way). This truth about right relationship breaks down barriers that we have constructed and we begin to see more and more of the goodness of God. We begin to see beyond just what He has done. We begin to see who He is. We see what kind of God would become a man and die for us. We see Jesus on the cross as an act of love. We begin to experience His love in a tangible way. His love becomes real to us. Now our transformation is in full swing. We are in an upward spiral to know Him.
In my life I knew a lot about what God had done. I could quote with the best what the book said. I could share all the verses about love but I didn’t know His love. This all changed when I cried out to Him. I boldly told God that I had to know His love at all cost. I surrendered to Him completely in trust. I gave up the fear if being deceived or mislead or any other religious taught caution. There is no fear in love. I told God that I knew He was bigger than the enemy so I stopped trusting myself and started trusting Him. The transformation wasn’t overnight but in retrospect it has been at the speed of light. I can never go back. The freedom of knowing Him, knowing the truth, has changed my life completely.
Let me share a few verses that will encourage you. Paul points to the depth of hope that God has for us.
Eph 1:18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints (ESVST)
The transformation of our thinking and believing is fueled by His love for us.
Eph 3:19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. (ESVST)
I really like this next one. I wrote a post about respect that you should check out. After writing that post I did a little research on the word(s) translated as respect. Thy all point to the idea of “God looking at you intently with affection at the exclusion of all else.” That is His respect for you. That is Him “knowing” you.
1Co 8:3 But if anyone loves God, he is known by God. (ESVST)
Once the transformation has begun how can we turn back to our old teaching, tradition, religion.. Adam thinking fueled by deception.
Gal 4:9 But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more? 10 You observe days and months and seasons and years! (ESVST)
Jesus brings us revelation. We are His friends not His servants.
Jn 15:15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. (ESVST)
I have such a burning passion to plant a seed of hunger in people to seek Him. I believe that religion, wrong teaching, law-living, sin consciousness, and all that self stuff has shifted our gaze from Him to ourselves. There are so many stuck at the foot of the cross. There are so many that really believe God is angry and full of wrath. There are so many that don’t believe in the finished work of Jesus. There are so many that just don’t know our good God. Our created nature, our born-again new self, our innermost desire is to KNOW HIM. To know Him we need a revelation of His love, we need to know His love, His goodness, His kindness, His favor (grace) towards us. That is His nature. That is His heart. That is why He made us. If you think He needs anything from you get over it. He doesn’t. He died to prove it. He only wants all of you. He only wants all your heart. He wants you to know Him as He knows you. That is really KNOWING.
Yay Jesus!!!
Lance
alancetotheheart 