Having It All - 1

          You shall seek me, and find me, when you shall search for me with all your heart. {Jeremiah 29:13}  How great is your desire to know God, to really be close to Him?  Do you understand that in order to have life, the truly good life, you must know God?  There is no life without an intimate connection with God. That connection can only come through Jesus Christ. The word of God says: “This is life eternal, that they might know You the only true God, and Jesus Christ, Whom You have sent.” (John 17:3)  For emphasis this truth is repeated: “God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.  He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.” (1John 5:11-12) 

           We can only have life by having a connection with God that is known as being one with God - “I (Jesus) in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one” (John 17:23) - then is follows that the purpose of our life here is to get that connection and then nurture it. This connection, this LIFE, cannot be had by a mere casual acquaintance. We are not to think that a knowing about God is the same as the knowledge of God that we must have in order to have eternal life. Eternal life is God’s original plan for us. His plan all along has been for His creation to life forever, to live with Him in joy and happiness for as long as He lives.  

           But we are clearly told that we will never have that intimate knowledge, that connection of oneness, unless we are totally and completely engaged in the seeking of God.  Our seeking for God must be with our whole heart.  Our continual aim must be to find and keep our connection with God, because we will find Him only when our whole heart is engaged in the effort.  It must not be a careless seeking. It cannot be an on again off again idea.  Our whole goal must be to have our character, our very nature, transformed into Christ’s likeness.

           Will you join me in making this your goal?  Next time we will talk about why this effort must be total, and how this connection can be made and maintained.