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Holy Trinity Anglican Orthodox Church
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God Is With You |
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Romans
8:28 Eleventh
Sunday after Trinity August
23, 2009 I imagine every person who ever lived has felt the need or desire for the guidance of a higher being, or the wisdom of a higher mind, or the help of a higher power. In good times or bad, wealth or poverty, whatever our station in life, we all feel the need for help beyond ourselves and beyond the scope of the natural world. Most of us have probably felt that without such help, we cannot go on. Like the ancient Hebrew prophet called to lead Israel out of Egypt and to the Promised Land, we have sometimes seen the enormity of our task, the vastness of the territory to be covered, and the sometimes uncooperative attitudes of those who claim to be with us, and we have cried out to God, “If Thy presence go not with me carry us not up hence” (Ex. 33:15). Truly the world is vast, our enemies are powerful, and the danger is great. How can we make it through life without God? Fortunately, God is with us. In fact, our Lesson in Romans teaches clearly that nothing is able to separate us from the active love of God. I do not mean simply that God exists, or that God is present in all places. That is true enough, and the Bible correctly tells us that we cannot escape His presence. “Whither shall I flee from Thy presence? If I ascend up to heaven, thou art there: If I make my bed in, hell, behold, Thou art there” (Ps. 139). The universe, as well as the vast unseen beyond, all exists in God. I did not say God is the universe, for God is much more, and is distinct from the universe. I did say that the universe cannot exist apart from God. But that omnipresence of God is not the kind of “presence” Moses asked for in Exodus 33:15 or Paul promised in Romans 8. Moses was asking for the special presence of God with His people. The Bible tells us that the Church is the body of Christ and that we are each stones in a spiritual Temple of the Holy Spirit. There is much that I need to preach about in those verses, and, by the grace of God, I hope to give a fuller exposition of them in the future. But for now I want to emphasize that God is indeed present with His people. He leads His flock like a shepherd. He provides for it, nourishes it, and protects it. That is why the Church persists in spite of false teachers, corrupt leadership, and persecution. It may be that the vast majority of those who go by the name of Christ are as false as Judas Iscariot. I say with great sorrow that I fear for the souls of most of the people who tell me they are Christians. I see that they are followers of men rather than Christ. I see that they seek only exhilarating religious experiences, or health and wealth and personal fulfillment. But of the Saviour who says repent of sin and love God above all, and take up your cross and follow Him, they want nothing. Yet, for the true Church whose faith is real, which desires the real Christ above all things, His promises are very real, “I will never leave thee nor forsake thee” (Heb.13:5). “I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world” (Mt.28:20). Finally, Christ is present in the soul of every true Christian. He is not a feeling, so you can’t tell He’s there because you have a sensation or an emotional experience. He doesn’t make you act like a nut, so odd and unusual actions and activities are not proof that He dwells in you. Biblical faith is proof. An obedient heart is proof. Biblical love is proof. So is Godliness. Of course I refer to these things as defined by Scripture, not by pop culture or pop preachers. But His presence with us and within us is very real. I find that many people want miracles,
signs and wonders to convince them that Christ is with them.
Most people would rather feel
like Christ is with them than have
Christ with them. Instead of
feelings, however, we receive His guidance in the Scripture. We get wisdom from the Holy Spirit, who helps us put the
teaching of the Bible into practice in everyday life.
We get the active love of God, who leads us through life with the
promise that He works all things works for the good of those who love Him,
according to His purpose. We
get the promise that the good God is doing for us is far greater than
anything we are able to ask or imagine.
This does not mean bad things don’t happen to us.
Nor does it mean we do not feel the pains and sorrows of life when
they come to us. It does mean these things cannot defeat us.
Even in them we are more than conquerors because they cannot
separate us from the love of God or defeat His purpose for us, which is
that we shall enjoy His love forever. Thanks be to God.
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