What does it take to have a dynamic relationship – an intimate, growing relationship – with an eternal God? What can we really know about Him given the limitations of flesh?
All of us who believe in Christ and who seek to follow Him live in a place of tension between Heaven and this earthly realm, between flesh and spirit, between the “already” of Christ’s completed work of salvation on our behalf and the “not yet” of the full outworking of God’s redeeming work.
We experience this tension in the ongoing conflict that occurs between the indwelling Spirit of God and our own flesh. Paul describes this when he writes to the Galatians, “the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh and the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit…” (5:17).
One of the ways we can break down this barrier is by finding out what can be known about God to the fullest extent that our humanity will allow. Ephesians 5:10 states, “Live as children of the light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord.”
Living our lives with the priority of finding out what pleases the Lord is our lifelong pursuit of becoming and looking like His disciples.
It is not unlike what is found in a truly dynamic marriage relationship. A husband and wife, putting aside their own selfishness, are going to discover and pursue what pleases the other. This applies to every aspect of the relationship – whether it’s intimacy, financial issues, or how to discipline the kids – every area of covenant life together is an opportunity for discovery. A husband or wife living to please the other will avoid many of the pitfalls that befall many marriages both inside and outside of the church.
Our relationship with God works the same way. When we make it our priority and our goal in life to find out what pleases Him, we suddenly discover our relationship begins to work. That discovery becomes an act of worship. Finding out what pleases the Lord – and doing it – begins to bridge the gap between Heaven and earth and resolve some of the “grateful discontent” of what can be known of Him.