God With Us

“His name shall be called Immanuel, … God with us.” (Matthew 1:23) “The light of the knowledge of the glory of God” is seen “in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2 Corinthians 4:6) From the days of eternity the Lord Jesus Christ was one with the Father; He was “the image of God,” (2 Corinthians 4:4; Colossians 1:15) the image of His greatness and majesty, “the outshining of His glory.” (Hebrews 1:3) It was to manifest this glory that Jesus came to our world. To this sin-darkened earth He came to reveal the light of God’s love,—to be “God with us.” Therefore it was prophesied of Him, “His name shall be called Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14)

By coming to dwell with us, Jesus revealed God to us. He was the Word of God (John 1),—God’s thought made audible. In His prayer for His disciples He says, “I have declared unto them Thy name,” (John 17:26)—“merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,” (Exodus 34:6)—“that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.” (John 17:26)

God’s wonderful purpose of grace, the mystery of redeeming love, is the theme into which “angels desire to look” (1 Peter 1:12). Both the redeemed and the angels find their science and song in the cross of Christ. The glory shining in the face of Jesus is the glory of self-sacrificing love. In the light from Calvary, it is seen that the law of self-renouncing love is the law of life for earth and heaven. The love which “does not seek its own” (1 Corinthians 13:5) has its source in the heart of God; and that in the meek and lowly One is manifested the character of Him who dwells in the light which no one can approach (1 Timothy 6:16).
(For more along these lines, check out The Desire of Ages, chapter 1)

The problem

A failure to understand God causes pain and suffering. Separation from God brings death (James 1:14-15; Romans 5:12). In order to bring the world back to God, Satan’s deceptive power must be broken. This can not be done by force. People cannot be forced to love God. You can try to force others to obey God’s laws, or at least your interpretation of His will, but obedience is not enough. Not to mention that the exercise of force is contrary to the principles of God’s government. God is only interested in the service of love, and love cannot be commanded; it cannot be won by force or authority.

The solution

If we can’t force anyone to love God, and if we can’t save ourselves by discipline and self-control what can we do?

Only by love is love awakened. To know God is to love Him. If you do not love God, then you must not know Him well enough. This is very tricky because I have seen people take the wrong approach at this juncture. Instead of studying the Bible in an effort to better know God, they distance themselves from the Bible and create an image of God that they find pleasant.

When I talk about knowing God, I am not talking about His appearance, I am talking about His character. God’s character must be understood in contrast to the character of Satan. There is only one Being in all the universe that could do this.

Only He who knew the height and depth of the love of God could make it known. Upon the world’s dark night the Sun of Righteousness must rise, “with healing in His wings.” Malachi 4:2.
- The Desire of Ages, p.22.

Jesus is the answer

The best way to know the character of God is to know Jesus. Jesus came to reveal the Father (John 1:18; 6:46; 14:6-10; Colossians 1:15; 2:9)

 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; 3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
- Hebrews 1:1-3 NKJV

Who better to reveal the Father than the One who has seen Him? Just to highlight what I established in my previous post, Jesus did not come as an update on the character of God but rather to reveal the true character of God. Jesus did not come to destroy or do away with what the law of God taught or what the prophets wrote. Jesus came to fulfill it! What does a perfect life of obedience look like? It looks like Jesus.

Now keep in mind that children and sinners were drawn to Jesus. When you meet someone who claims to be living in obedience to the law of God but children and sinners are not drawn to them, they might have missed something, something essential. Following God is less about a concern about being contaminated by sin and more about a desire to bless those around us. Jesus had a habit of being at the “wrong places,” and talking with the “wrong people.”

Now it happened, as He was dining in Levi’s house, that many tax collectors and sinners also sat together with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many, and they followed Him. 16 And when the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, “How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?”
- Mark 2:15-16 NKJV

Now, it is important to understand that Jesus was not hanging out with sinners because He enjoyed or was indifferent to sin. Jesus was with sinners because of His mission. Jesus was there to call sinners to repentance.

When Jesus heard it, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”
- Mark 2:17 NKJV

God with us

The idea of God with us is very messy. On the one hand, we are called to be holy, or set aside for a special use, to be blameless, or consecrated.

but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,
- 1 Peter 1:15 NKJV

“Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.
- Leviticus 19:2 NKJV

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
- 1 Peter 2:9 NKJV

Jesus was God with us. He spent time with sinners, yet He never sinned (1 Peter, 2:22; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 4:15). This is the tension we find ourselves in as followers of Christ. We are to interact with sinners, yet without participating in the sin. We are to be an influence for good, without being influenced by evil. This is tricky.

There is a famous quote by Friedrich Nietzsche that comments on this.

Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.
- Friedrich Nietzsche

My understanding of this is that we have to be careful not to become the very thing we are fighting against. Spend enough time with sinners and sin will begin to appear less sinful. Spend enough time in the world and the world becomes more and more attractive. But I can’t leave the word, not on my own. I was born a human, on planet Earth, what does it even mean to not spend time in the world?

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
- Romans 12:2 NKJV

If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
- John 15:19 NKJV

15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.
- 1 John 2:15-17 NKJV

Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? 2 You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. 4 Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
James 4:1-4 NKJV

So how do we manage this? How can we be in the world, but not be of the world? Be with sinners but not engage in sin?

A personal story

Do you know how to swim?

Do you remember how you learned?

I remember my father telling me how he learned. Growing up in a small town in a rural part of Brazil my dad, the youngest of six wanted to learn how to swim. His father was often gone, traveling for work. His mother was always very busy, she had six children after all (1 girl and 5 boys). So my father used to go to a creek that was close by. One hot summer day many of the boys were playing in the creek and my dad joined them. He didn’t know how to swim but he wanted to swim. So he went and watched all the other boys swimming and decided to give it a try. There was a current so my dad jumped in and began kicking and splashing as the current carried him downstream. After failing to swim, he would start trying to grab anything he could, low-hanging branches, tall grass, weeds, until he was able to pull himself out of the water. He would then walk back to where he had jumped in, observe his friends, ask some questions, and try again.

I told you that story to tell you this one.

When I was growing up in Brazil, at one point we lived in an apartment building that had a pool. My dad decided it was time to teach my sister and me how to swim. There was a kiddy pool where the water was about ankle deep and I was ready to play in the deeper pool. So my dad went in and called for me and I jumped into his arms. My father walked to a spot where the water was waist-deep for him, which was deep enough that I would have to swim. So my dad explained to me how I had to move my arms and kick my feet and at the count of three he threw me in the water, about an arm’s length away from him. I began to furiously kick and splash and made very little progress. My dad reached forward, picked me up, and told me, “no, no, no. Not like that, kick your feet and move your arms…” At the count of three, he threw me in again, and again I flailed, not making much progress and not able to breathe properly.

Eventually, I learned how to swim. Some people might be tempted to criticize my father’s methods, but in his defense, I had a much easier time than he did as a kid.

Why do I tell you this story?

I have vivid memories, or nightmares, of desperately trying to swim, making a lot of effort and very little progress, of experiencing fear as a desperation for air increased. But my dad would always pick me up. Sometimes I was crying or coughing water, but I trusted him to pick me up. Sometimes he took longer than I expected, but desperation is a great motivator. I learned to swim fairly quickly. Whenever my did lifted me from the water I took in a big breath. It felt good to breathe, it gave me peace, I was reminded that I was not alone, I was not going to drown, I had a father who loved me and would pick me up. I also wanted to learn how to swim. I could not just be in his arms the whole time, I had to learn how to swim. But he helped me, he gave me instructions, and he was there to make sure I didn’t drown.

Why tell you this story?

This story serves to illustrate a certain principle, though it is not a perfect illustration. The way I see it, we live in this sin-polluted world. It is toxic, and almost impossible to breathe, it causes panic, anxiety, depression, hatred, and violence. However, this world is not my home (Hebrews 13:14; 1 Peter 2:11; John 15:19; Philippians 3:20). It is important for us to be reminded of this, for us to not remain focused on the things of this world.

Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.
- Colossians 3:2 NKJV

When I read the Bible, when I spend time in prayer, for me this is the equivalent of being lifted above the smog of this world and breathing in the pure atmosphere of heaven. When I read the Bible, I am reminded that I have a heavenly Father who will not allow me to drown (Isaiah 43:2). God will never leave me nor forsake me (Deuteronomy 31:6, 8; Hebrews 4:16; Micah 7:7)

5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 6 So we may boldly say:

“The Lord is my helper;
I will not fear.
What can man do to me?”
- Hebrews 13:5-6 NKJV

When I read the story of Jesus I am reminded of the heart of God, of God’s great desire to be with me. I am reminded that God is my provider (Philippians 4:19) and that I can live a generous life from a place of abundance. From Jesus, I learn to be content.

6 Now godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 8 And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. 9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

11 But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
- 1 Timothy 6:6-12 NKJV

The Sabbath is a great reminder of that. When I take a break from work, from studies, from pursuing my desires and I rest, I am reminded that my assurance is found in Jesus.

Think about this with me. If God was willing to give us His Son, to be born in a manger and to die for us, will He withhold anything that we need?

He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?
- Romans 8:32 NKJV

Bringing it all together

The suffering and turmoil we experience in this world are caused by our separation and rebellion against God. The solution is a reconciliation with God. We need to get to know God because the better we know Him the more we love Him. But this is difficult because we have never seen Him. Jesus is the greatest revelation of who God is. Jesus came and revealed the character of God in all that He did, especially by dying for us and thus delivering us from the eternal consequences of our sins.

God desires to be with us. He humbled Himself and became one of us so that we might know Him and love Him. Now we are called to live like Jesus lived. To love and help those around us and, in doing so, reveal the character of God to them.

18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
- Matthew 28:18-20 NKJV

It is impossible to live as Jesus lived unless we are in constant contact with God. Bible study, prayer, and worship are practices and activities that help us disconnect from this world of sin and remind us that there is more to life than the day-to-day business. Life is about more than the toys we accumulate. Life is more about giving than receiving. As we fall in love with God and invest in that relationship He enables us to live generous lives from a place of abundance as opposed to selfish lives lived from a place of scarcity.

The message of God with us elevates our value. God loves us so much that He desires a personal relationship with us. The message of God with us also elevates the value of those around us, causing us to desire their best. When I allow the principle of God with us to shape my life I experience greater love for God and for those around me. This does not lead to an easy life, but to a life more abundant, a life that is worth living, an adventure that is out of this world.

So the big question is,

Are you willing to allow God to come into your heart and mold your life so that it resembles the life of Christ?