For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. [1 Corinthians 2:2 KJV]
Not very long after our Heavenly Father started making Himself real to me, I came across a truckstop minister in Weedpatch, which is an actual suburb of Bakersfield, CA. At first, all was going well. For he allowed me to tell him about what I had been experiencing for the last few months. In fact, he even told me that he had also heard our Heavenly Father’s audible voice when He called him to start his ministry while he was out working in the family garden several years before.
I left there with a feeling of great sorrow, however. For his final response to all of the things that I had been shown so far was 1 Corinthians 2:2, and I did not know how to counter that yet.
Be assured that I have not been kidding when I have said that I have felt much more like a spiritual crash-test dummy than any sort of conquering hero of the faith for most of my truly “born-again” life. Granted, some of it has been my fault. For I have rushed into battle without a plan far too many times, but most of it has just been giving me a taste of what our Heavenly Father has felt since the Garden of Eden.
No, this is not to suggest that believing that Christ Jesus paid the price in full for our sins is not enough. For it truly is as it is written: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. [John 3:16 KJV]
Ah, but just what does it mean to “believeth in Him,” and if there is more to know and understand past the most elemental aspects, should we not want to learn? For it is written: We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, instruction about cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And God permitting, we will do so. [Hebrews 5:11-6:3 NAS]
Yes, having a child-like faith is good, but if you have had the blessing of becoming best-friends with one (or both) of your parents after you matured enough, it should be easy to understand how much you are missing by refusing to grow-up in Him. Moreover, you are cheating our Heavenly Father out of the full measure of the glory that He could receive from you [John 15:14-16].
No, this is not necessarily about being in danger of eternal damnation, nor should it be. For we should be seeking to love Him with all of our hearts, minds and souls instead of hoping to avoid being cast into the Lake of Fire, come Judgment Day.
On the other hand, if any of this is giving you an uneasy feeling, you need to respond. For you are being called to come closer, and not all who openly profess to call Him Lord in this world will be welcome to spend all of eternity with Him in His Kingdom of Heaven as an heir to all this is His glory [Matthew 7:21-27]; [Luke 9:23-26].
Oh how I wish He would do more. For it grieves me deeply to feel like such a leper in the Christian community.
Hence, the tie-in with [Some Confessions From The Prodigal Son’s Brother]. For I know that our Heavenly Father is doing all that He can without costing Him more than He is willing to pay at this time.
If you have any romantic sentiments to you at all, it should not be hard for you to understand what this is about. For it is like your beloved wanting you to notice something without them having to resort to actually showing you, which would make it far less special.
Alas, far too many have been led to believe that our Heavenly Father has no such feelings. For His only interest is in saving us from our sins.
So, why are we not taken from this world immediately after we come to accept His only begotten Son as being our own personal Lord and Savior? If your answer to that is that He needs us to finish His work in His absence, be assured that you know not as you should [John 16:8-11].
Again, this is not necessarily about being truly saved or not, but who can honestly say that one truly belongs to another when they keep them at arm’s length? Besides, why would you want to spend all of eternity with the One you did not want all that much to do with now?
Oh yeah, there is more to come. For I would not want you to think that I am being unrighteously judgmental.
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