Closeness to God Is Only Through Christ by PETER AIELLO for Charisma News
Hebrews 11:6 says: “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Christianity is more than the sum total of the things that we do for the God. Jesus said: “Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Matthew 7:19-23).
We need to diligently seek Him; otherwise, when we approach the Lord and present our list of the things that we have done, He may rebuke us. How do we avoid this? We need to do the will of the Father. What is the will of the Father? Believe on the Son (John 6:29). The answer is simple because we need the Spirit of Christ living within us before we can do anything and bear fruit (John 15:5). When we are told to believe on Christ, this emphasizes the role that Christ has in connecting us with the Father because we cannot have the Father without the Son (John 14:6). This needs to be done before our religious activities have merit before God. Works will follow. Christ “gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works (Titus 2:14).
Jesus became a life-giving Spirit (1Corinthians 15:45); “Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2Corinthians 3:17-18). The Spirit of Christ brings us the mind of Christ (1Corinthians 2:9-16). Without the Spirit, none of this is possible. This is a prerequisite for our Bible reading, prayer, praise, worship, and other activities because it brings us a spiritual discernment that is not otherwise available.
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