Relationship is defined as a connection, association, or involvement between persons by blood, marriage, or emotion. Society is based on relationships; whether it be a relationship with a co-worker, family member, friend, emotionally attached to a job, sport, or a spouse. Relationship is a very big part of who we are. We were made to be relational.
The two realities we live in are the physical and spiritual. We have relationships in each reality but what determines our spiritual relationship is what we do in the physical. We forget that our actions in the physical realm affect what happens in the spiritual. The question is then: If we are in a relationship with God, do we do what we are supposed to do or do we date the Devil ‘behind’ the back of God? Of course God knows everything so we can’t possibly hide anything from God, but think about that. Do you date sin?
To be honest, I for one dated sin and tried to have a relationship with God at the same time, but this can’t happen. 1 John 3:9 says, “Whoever has been born of God does not practice sin, for His seed remains in him. And he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God.”I began to hate myself and get into a depression. I knew it was wrong because I grew up in church and knew the Scriptures but I kept putting the chains of death on me. I was tired and felt defeated and beat down. Until one day, I saw the light and realized what relationship meant. I had seen how relationships work and had been told how relationships work but I didn’t know how to apply it.
In today’s society, I feel that a lot of people are in the same boat. Or maybe they don’t know what a relationship looks like because of certain things that have happened to them in the past. Trust issues are in their life so therefore they don’t know how to trust God completely. Relationship is built on trust. All God wants is a relationship with us. He’s wanted a relationship with us since the beginning of time.
You see we are supposed to live a holy and righteous life for God. Leviticus 20:26 says, “You shall be holy unto Me; for I the Lord am holy and have separated you from other peoples, that you should be Mine.” And 1 Peter 1:15-16 says, “But as He who has called you is holy, so be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy.'” That’s deep. We are to be holy before God but how do we do that if we have already sinned and have already become imperfect?
We are made perfect through the sacrifice of Christ. Hebrews 10:14 says, “For by one offering He has forever perfected those who are sanctified.” We live under a new covenant and must walk faithfully in that covenant. To understand what this means we must look to what the old covenant did.
The basics of these rituals to be rid of sin in the old covenant can be seen in Hebrews 9:1-10,”Then indeed, the first covenant had ordinances for divine services and an earthly sanctuary. A tabernacle was made. In the first part of the tabernacle, called the Holy Place, were the candlestick, the table, and the showbread. Behind the second veil was the second part of the tabernacle called the Most Holy Place, which contained the golden censer and the ark of the covenant overlaid with gold, containing the golden pot holding the manna, Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant. Above the ark were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Concerning these things we cannot now speak in detail. Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests would regularly go into the first part, conducting the services of God. But only the high priest went into the second part once a year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins of the people, committed in ignorance. The Holy Spirit was signifying through this that the way into the Most Holy Place was not yet revealed, because the first part of the tabernacle was still standing. This is an illustration for the present time, showing that the gifts and sacrifices offered could not perfect the conscience of those who worshipped, since they are concerned only with foods and drinks, ceremonial cleansings, and fleshly ordinances imposed until the time of reformation.”
That’s a lot right? That’s not everything involved either. There is a lot of detail and if you want to read about that detail Leviticus is a great book to read. The main verse I want you to see is verse 7 which says, “But only the high priest went into the second part once a year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins of the people, committed in ignorance.” So once a year, your sins were forgiven when the high priest went in with blood. Your sins could not be forgiven without the shedding of blood but even the blood of animals could not satisfy the conscience of a believer. We could not become perfected and we could not have a strong relationship with God. In order to have the relationship with God so the veil would be torn, we had to have a perfect sacrifice.
Hebrews 9:11-28 says, “But Christ, when He came as a High Priest of the good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation, neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood, He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of bulls and goats, and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies so that the flesh is purified, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? For this reason He is the Mediator of a new covenant, since a death has occurred for the redemption of the sins that were committed under the first covenant, so that those who are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. For where there is a will, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a will has force after men are dead, since it has no force at all while the testator lives. So not even the first covenant was inaugurated without blood. For when Moses had taught every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book and all the people, saying, ‘This is the blood of the covenant that God has commanded you to keep.’ Likewise he sprinkled both the tabernacle and all the vessels of worship with blood. And according to the law almost everything must be cleansed with blood; without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. It was therefore necessary that the replicas of heavenly things be cleansed with these sacrifices, but that the heavenly things themselves be cleansed with better sacrifices than these. For Christ did not enter holy places made with hands, which are patterned after the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us. Nor did He enter to offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. For then He would have had to suffer repeatedly since the world was created, but now He has appeared once at the end of the ages to put away sin by sacrificing Himself. As it is appointed for men to die once, but after this comes the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many, and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin but to save those who eagerly wait for Him.”
Wow. That is deep. In order to get rid of sin in our life someone or something had to die. In order for us to have a right relationship with God something or someone had to die. That someone was Jesus Christ. God came down in the flesh because in flesh there is blood and in the blood there is life. Leviticus 17:14a, “For the life of every creature is its blood in its blood is its life…” Jesus shed His blood so that we could have life through Him and have the right relationship again with God.
When mankind was created everything was right in the world. God and man had a relationship. God liked to walk and talk in the Garden with Adam and Eve but then when they sinned they ran and separated themselves away from God. Genesis 3:8, “Then they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.” In order to be in the presence of God we must have the holy lifestyle of living. Sin cannot be in the presence of God and that is why Jesus came to take our sin away by the shedding of His blood.
God wants the relationship with you. We couldn’t break up with sin ourselves so Jesus came and broke the chains of bondage for us. We were once attached to sin but by the blood of Christ we have become free and “He who the Son sets free, is free indeed,” John 8:36.
Now that we have a way to commune with God again and have the relationship with Him we must choose. God always gives us a choice. He doesn’t force us into anything. He gave Adam and Eve the choice to eat from the Forbidden Tree or not. He told them not to and today God tells us not to be in sin. Live freely for Christ instead of bound to sin. We have a choice to serve Him. He loved us so much and wanted a relationship with us so much that He died for us. If you don’t think that is love then I don’t know what is. It’s time to break up with sin and get with the Father in Heaven and live for Him. Have a relationship filled with healing, love, confidence, and courage. He is always there and He will always be there.
Thank you for reading this lengthy blog. There is so much more I could say and rattle on and on about how good God is and what He has done for me and others around me. God continues to show His love each and everyday. God is here with open arms for you. Come to Him and find your rest.
Thank you to my continued supporters for the mission God has me on. Please continue to help me in my efforts and if you haven’t please consider donating to bring the Gospel to 11 countries in 11 months. You are making a difference. Thank you and God bless. Much love.
