Tag Archives: spiritual expreience

Removal of Shame is the Evidence of Intimacy

2014-07-27_1369026_73305527As ambassadors of God’s Kingdom our number one job is to make known and make available our Father’s Kingdom to all of humanity. It is my belief that God will not hold us responsible for another person response to His invitation through us. But He will hold us responsible if we pre-judge and only offer that invitation to those we think deserve intimacy with God.

Romans 8:38-39 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord

God’s love is unconditional and there is a big difference between the religious persons who feel that God’s love should fall on a privilege few and those spiritual persons who understand that God’s love is universal and that he loves equally all His human children. This is God’s point of view and it is the true spiritual point of view.

Today however, there is a prevailing point of view in many of the Christian religious circles and it has a materialistic perspective which falls short of God’s spiritual point of view. Likewise there was also time when people on earth held in common a point of view that the sun revolved around the earth. This perspective remained the status quo until human understanding was able to accept the illumination of an alternative perspective. Today this perspective of God’s love for some remains as the status quo in many parts of the Christian religious experience, but that is changing fast.

Even though the words of scripture reveal what is true, the religious (or materialistic) interpretation misses the point concerning which persons have received God’s love. The desire to feel special and wanted is as natural as breathing and is the unfortunate motivation behind this interpretation of scripture. To paraphrase, Jesus rightly said love God and love other humans equally as you love yourself.

What Christianity knows more than any other religion is that Jesus removed the sin of the world. Therefore every human can have a wonderful and beautiful relationship with our spiritual Father. But how does that make one feel special if God loves all equally? And so even though the sin has been removed religion allows people to hold on to their guilt and shame. It even unconsciously (I hope it is by unconscious motivation) constantly reminds people of their sin, shame and guilt.

A shepherd needs sheep to have a purpose. As long as local congregations are full with sheep the status quo can be maintained. But discipleship means the training and maturing of God’s children. Jesus was the first human child to possess and demonstrate this understanding of God’s love since Adam lost that perspective after his sin. Yet again from God’s perspective His purpose for sending Jesus was to mature His children so they would understand His point of view. God has nothing but love for His children and He only desires an intimate relationship with each of us.

John 7:28 Then Jesus cried out, as He taught in the temple, saying, “You both know Me, and you know where I am from; and I have not come of Myself, but He who sent Me is true, whom you do not know.

Matthew 16:13-17 When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” 14 So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.

Only children of God can be ambassadors of God’s Kingdom. That means that any human that has matured in their spiritual understanding of our Father and His love for all could operate as an ambassador to His spiritual Kingdom. Kingdom ambassadors are mature children of God who help people to understand that their sin has been forgiven and that they no longer need to carry the shame of something that God has already forgiven. That my friend is true freedom.

To be able to live in the Presence of God or should I say to enjoy the Presence of God living inside of us is the ultimate definition of spiritual freedom. Adam enjoyed walking in the Garden with God all the while having a tangible experience of an intimate, two-way relationship with the creator of our universe. Jesus who is called the last Adam demonstrated that we all can have this type of relationship with our Spiritual Father. His work as the Christ made that available to every human.

I read in a blog post recently where this person had asked many people over time the same question. Why did God make humans and give them free will? He said the best response to that question was simply that God does not like to dine alone. God loves us and He loves us all. Part of the paradigm shift that is occurring now in Christianity is this simple truth about God’s love.

Those that have made that shift have no problem loving equally people of a different gender, race, culture, religions, lifestyle, economic background or national affiliation. Jesus came to remove the separation between God and humans. As this spiritual shift in our perspective spreads throughout humanity we will begin to notice a new global consciousness as it relates to God’s love.

God desires intimacy and He is capable of creating personal and private experiences individually with all seven plus billion of us humans. He is also able to create experiences that can be shared by small or large numbers in and without the many sub-groups and divisions that make up the human community on planet earth. But we humans must continue to grow in how we interpret these spiritual experiences so that we do not conclude that God’s love prefers or favors us as chosen above all others.

So I encourage us all as ambassadors to help those we come in contact with to remove the shame that blocks true spiritual intimacy with God. There are enough people and thoughts in the world to remind us of the  false-truth that someone is love more by God that we are. In the immortal words of the songstress Dionne Warwick “What the world need now is love sweet love. No not just for some but for everyone.”

John 3:16-17 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

 

Chime in and let us know of your thoughsts about these questions below:

Are you constantly reminded by others about stuff you repented of?

Does the spiritual community you are a part of cause feeling of guilt to come up?

Do you look at others through the lens of their past sin?

Does the sin of others offend you?

 

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