Walking daily with the idea that we are Christians becomes a way we go about our day. We awaken and go through our quiet time and praise God for the sunset, but there may just come those moments of question. How much loving him and praising him is enough? The internal chatterbox gets wound up and we hear all kinds of doubt and self-centered justification and righteousness.
As I was reading through another season of Desiring God by John Piper, he has a section that goes right along with our studies we have been doing in the epistles of Peter.
Once we had no delight in God, and Christ was just a vague historical figure. What we enjoyed was food and friendships and productivity and investments and vacations and hobbies and games and reading and shopping and sex and sports and art and TV and travel…but not God. He was an idea — even a good one — and a topic for discussion; but He was not a treasure of delight.
Then something miraculous happened. It was like the opening of the eyes of the blind during the golden dawn. First the stunned silence before the unspeakable beauty of holiness. Then the shock and terror that we had actually loved the darkness. Then the settling stillness of joy that this is the soul’s end. The quest if over. We would give anything if we might be granted to live in the presence of this glory forever and ever.
And then, faith — the confidence that Christ has made a way for me, a sinner, to live in His glorious fellowship forever, the confidence that if I come to God through Christ, He will give me the desire of my heart to share His holiness and behold His glory.
But before the confidence comes the craving. Before the decision comes the delight. Before trust comes the discovery of Treasure.[1]
As I had described in our discussions in Saturday mornings, I was one of those guys that desired and pursued all those things listed in his first paragraph. I wanted it all. I was excited, I was motivated and I wanted the power of God’s hand to be all over everything I did. But as Piper describes, God was not a treasure of my delight.
I bring this up as we refine by fire the motivations of our daily walk. That challenging question that I shared a couple weeks ago still lingers…
Would you want to go to heaven if God were not there, only His gifts?
That is a hard question. Not hard because the answer is evasive, but that the act of allowing the truth to be manifested in our lives opposes our human nature. Let understand that we cannot change our physical nature, only God, through the Holy Spirit, can. It is a true gift that we receive when regeneration takes place and be begin to pursue and desire God. Regeneration happens before conversion, and once it does, it is our desire to pursue the treasure of delight, which is God. If you have more questions or need to discuss that turning point when God becomes more than just an addition, get with one of the Wild Men of God. Come exchange ideas, concerns and be embraced by His love and Christian community.
Bibliography
[1] – John Piper, Desiring God (Sisters, Ore.: Multnomah, 1986, 1996, 2003) pages 71-72