By: Mike Kelly
Retired Pastor
Where do you stand with God? Have you ever thought about it? We are often told that we all stand equal before the cross and that is true. That simply means that not one of us is any holier than anybody else.
As a matter of fact, before salvation, we are all lost. We are all dead in our sins. Not one of us is holy.
Our souls are all equally black. We are all equally dead. “ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23)
At the cross is where things begin to separate a little. One group will remain in front of the cross. Dead. As a matter of fact, they will never become alive in the sense that they will ever see God’s love and forgiveness.
This group will choose to remain estranged from God. Their pride will not allow them to acknowledge their “lostness”.
They will never be able to repent and ask for forgiveness for they will never understand or accept their need for it. And, unfortunately, this is the larger group.
The others, the smaller group, will eventually come to understand that they will never be good enough to leave this “dead” group but when they hear the calling of the One Who Saves, they will respond. They will cry out in their distress that they are sinners in need of His forgiveness.
And He will reach down from that cross and embrace them and draw them into His Kingdom.
“Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress.” (Ps 107:6 That ‘s the first great divide…the sheep and the goats Matthew refers to in Matt 25:32 “All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.”
But what about after we enter into his Kingdom while still on earth. While we are all Children of the Living God, heirs of all He has, equal. But. like any family, some are a little more favored than others.
In the world, no 2 children are loved alike, not even twins. It’s not that there is more love for one than another. It’s more that some children make it easier to be liked than others.
For instance, I once sent this text to my little sister. “I was raised as an only child…which really annoyed my sister.” and she responded almost immediately: “True! So very true!”. As funny as the joke is, the unfortunate fact is that it held a lot of truth.
One of us was the compliant child and received a lot of positive reinforcement, while the other was the rebellious child who was sometimes shuttled off to the side.
Were we both our parents children? Yes. Were we both loved? Yes. But our relationships with our parents were different. One of us released soothing oils in the relationship while the other chose to push buttons.
I think our relationship with God, the Father, is similar. While some of us choose to obey easily and readily, others of us are slow to get on board and quick to stage temper tantrums.
God loves us both but He finds it easier to bless the compliant child while often finding it necessary to discipline the stubborn child for their own good.
We all meet God first as our Redeemer. He rescues us from our slavery to sin and death and restores all that we lost in our sin and rebellion. But, here is where I think we move into different relationships with God.
As a slave, I was totally controlled but as a redeemed slave, I am filled with such gratitude that I can’t imagine needing anything else from God.
Some folks will sort of stay there, focused on what they were and what they have gained and be content, not recognizing that they are solely focused on themselves.
Others will come to a time where they will see not just the great gift but also the great giver of that gift. They will mature to a point where they desire to say thank you. Their gratitude will drive them to find ways to be faithful to the One Who Saves.
They will look to Him to see how best to serve Him. They will become His hands and feet on earth always looking for ways to bless others in His love. And many will be content to love Him and others through their ministries.
But, some will want more. Some will desire a closer relationship with God. Some will study and pray and serve not just because they are saved or because they have found a tangible way to say “Thank You, Lord” but because they desire an intimacy with Him that only a true and close friend can have.
Jesus wants a close friendship with each of us but some of us will never develop one. Our relationship will get truncated somewhere along the line.
It won’t be because He didn’t want a closer relationship, it will be because we didn’t or weren’t able to seek the fullness of what he offered. Maybe it would be a good day to ask yourself: “How much of God do I want?”
None of this will change our heavenly destiny but I think there is more of God to be had while on earth than many of us perceive.
“For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” 1 Cor 13:12
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Mike Kelly is the founding pastor of Bryan’s Grace Community Church (retired) and Board Chairman of Bryan’s Sanctuary Homeless Shelter and Williams County’s Compassion (free) Medical Clinic.
