HRH Princess Kate and Knowing Jesus

 

 

HRH Princess Kate recently completed the UK’s Three Peaks Challenge, which involves hiking up Ben Nevis in Scotland, Scafell Pike in England, and Mount Snowdon in Wales - a total of 23 miles and 10,052 feet of ascent - in 24 hours. Hiking all three also requires 462 miles of driving to get between the peaks. She accomplished this feat to highlight and support holistic cancer treatment.

 

Vickie and I watched an interview with a climber she met during the Challenge. At first he didn’t recognize her for she had a hat pulled down over her forehead and was, of course, dressed as any other climber. She wanted to know how he was doing and engaged him in pleasant conversation. When he recognized who she was he was overwhelmed with her graciousness, and as he shared the experience his face and eyes radiated joy.

 

As I watched the interview I thought about the difference between knowing Jesus and knowing about Jesus; the difference between speaking with Jesus ourselves and having others tell us about Him and what He is like.

 

Now, of course even though the climber met Princess Kate, he really doesn’t know her, but for sure he has encountered her and having encountered her he has an experience that those who follow her life in media would love to have. The climber has heard her voice directed to him, he has seen her eyes, he has been in her presence – and he has absorbed a portion of her radiance…at least for a while (though I imagine whenever he shares his experience his eyes will light up, well into old age).

 

We read that God “Made His ways known to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel” (Psalm 103:7). But there is more, Moses not only knew the ways of God, Moses and God spoke face to Face as friends speak to one another (Exodus 33:11; Deut. 34:10).

 

We can know the acts of God, we can read about them, talk about them, believe them; but that does not mean that we have a relationship with God. Even knowing the Bible does not mean that we have a relationship with God in Christ. We can even know the ways of God, we can know a measure of His character, His holiness, His righteousness, His love; but even then we may not actually be in a relationship with Him. Jesus calls us to know Him and His Father and live in the Holy Spirit. He calls us to intimacy with the Holy Trinity.

 

People who know HRH the Princess of Wales talk about her. Even those who have a brief encounter with her talk about her. Those in relationship with her speak of her and faithfully (I hope) represent her as a result of time spent with her and because of their trust in her and her trust in them.

 

And here is the conundrum, where are Christians who speak of Jesus as a friend speaks of a friend? Where are Christians who are so in love with Jesus that the foolishness of the promiscuous world and society and nations and economics and national identity mean nothing to them because Jesus means everything?

 

Why are Christians offended when fools for Jesus insist that we are to be wedded to Jesus, and to Jesus alone? (2 Cor. 11:11 – 3).

 

I assume Christians would not be offended when I insist that I be married to Vickie and Vickie alone, that I have eyes for her and her alone, that I devote myself and my heart to her and to her alone.

 

Then why do so many pastors and churches and Christians take offense when others suggest that our hearts be devoted to Jesus and to Jesus alone? Why do they not speak of Jesus their Friend? Of what He has spoken to them during the past few days? Of His heart of love and care for others? Of what they are learning of Him and His ways, His heart, His character, His Cross, His self-sacrifice, His sufferings – in which He invites us to participate?

 

Those who met Princess Kate on her Three Peaks Challenge speak of her with joy, those who have an actual ongoing relationship with her know the difference between knowing her and knowing about her.

 

When is the last time you spoke to someone in your congregation about your own relationship with Jesus Christ? When is the last time you spoke to a neighbor or a stranger about your dear Lord Jesus?

 

I think it can be more dangerous to speak of Jesus within the “church” than outside it – and I mean that portion of the church that professes a high view of Scripture. We act as if the owner of the vineyard is dead…yes, I think we do.

 

Well, I know different…and I hope you do too.

 

“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matthew 7:13 – 14).

 

It has taken me 76 years to realize, in some measure, the truth of this statement.

 

 

 

Calvary’s anthem – A Meditation (8)

 

 

“May I always known that a clean heart full of goodness is more beautiful than the lily, that only a clean heart can sing by night and by day, that such is heart is mine when I abide at Calvary.”

 

I woke up this morning singing the hymn Nothing But The Blood in my heart. “O precious is the flow, that makes me white as snow, no other fount I know, nothing but the blood of Jesus.”

 

I often meditate on Romans 4:1 – 5:11 to bathe in the reassurance of justification. “Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD will not take into account” (Rom. 4:8; see Psalm 32).

 

“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (5:1).

 

“For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life” (5:10).

 

Justification means, in part, that our Father sees us as having never sinned and as having always kept His righteous commandments – we are holy and pure in His sight because of what Jesus has done, which includes us living in Him and Him living in us. We are one with Christ, one in Christ, living in the Vine (John 15:1 – 5; Galatians 2:20).

 

“He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor. 5:21). I don’t think a more amazing statement has ever been written – to proclaim this statement is to proclaim the Gospel, to mitigate or qualify this statement is to diminish the Gospel.

 

In Jesus Christ, we have continual cleansing.

 

“If we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have koinonia with one another, and the blood of Jesus His son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). We experience continuous cleansing as our Way of Life in Jesus Christ. Being washed in the blood of the Lamb is our daily, our continuous, experience.

 

In justification we have glorious freedom to live in unbroken fellowship with God and with one another. Our consciences are cleansed (Hebrews 10:19 – 25) and we are free to give our lives away to God and others. We no longer live in condemnation (Rom. 8:1), rather we have received the spirit of sonship, crying “Abba! Father!” (Rom. 8:14 – 17).

 

Every day we can have an adventure in Jesus, every day we can walk with Him and talk with Him, every day we can enjoy His love and joy and kindness and pass it along to others. We can spend every day in conversation with Jesus, for is He not our Best Friend? We can learn, every day, to love Jesus more than we did the day before.

 

We can do all of this because we are the objects of His love and care and affection. We can do all of this because we are the joy that was set before Him (Heb. 12:2). We can do all of this when Calvary is our Anthem.

 

As I write this my heart is singing the words, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful Face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.”

 

AMEN.

Calvary’s anthem – A Meditation (7)

 

 

“Though here my spiritual state is frail and poor, I shall go on singing Calvary’s anthem.”

 

There are many enigmas in Jesus Christ, things that are mysteries, which we may not understand yet which we may experience. Paul writes to Timothy that he is to be “strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim. 2:1), and to the Ephesians that they are to be “strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might” (Eph. 6:10). Yet, Jesus says, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9), and we know that the treasure of Christ is ours in our “earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves” (2 Cor. 4:7).

 

So we are strong, and we are also weak. Our strength is Christ, it is always Christ. We need not hide our weakness, our frailty, for His glory is manifested through it. Indeed, to pretend to be something we are not would be to deny Jesus Christ.

 

Christ is not only our wisdom, sanctification, righteousness, and redemption, He is our strength – our everything (1Cor. 1:30 – 31). We may put it, “Yet not I, but Christ” (Gal. 2:20).

 

We are indeed “to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man” (Eph. 3:16), always remembering that “greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).

 

When I confess that my spiritual state here is frail and poor, I mean that Christ is God and I am not. I mean that I must always abide in the Vine and that without Him I can do nothing, absolutely nothing (John 15:1 – 5). I mean that I need Him desperately, that He must be the Air that I breathe, the Water I drink, the Wine I enjoy, the Bread I eat, the Light by which I live and see all things, the Raiment I wear, the House I live in.

 

I mean that after knowing Him (in some measure) for 60 years, that I need Him more than ever, that I desire to do nothing independently of Him, and that I want to live every day for His glory and the blessing of others. I mean that I cannot possibly know my true spiritual condition, other than in Jesus Christ that condition is righteous, holy, glorious, and perfected in Him…always in Him. We overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the Word of our Testimony, which is all Jesus Christ (Rev. 12:11).

 

This is why Calvary’s Anthem means so much to me, I began true Life in the Cross, I will conclude this life in the Cross, I will sing of the Cross in eternity. The Lamb of the Cross will ever be the Light by which I live, and He is the Light which shines brighter and brighter until that perfect Day (Pro. 4:18).

 

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy – laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:28 – 30).