Desiring to know God

The other day I was listening to a sermon by Matt Chandler. (By the way, if you want to hear a powerful preacher, download anything by him and you will not be disappointed. We were introduced to him in Sunday School and I can't get enough of him now.) He said that he has yet to meet a believer that hasn't said "I want to grow, I want to be discipled, I want to know God more deeply." He then goes on to say that if a person who says they believe doesn't have these desires "he is lost, he is not saved." He hits pretty hard sometimes but I like preachers who push. This sort of stuck with me for a while and I wondered if that were true. It is true for me personally. Even when I wasn't reading the Bible I always felt like I wanted to be close to Him I just didn't know how. But, I was curious if all Christians feel this desire to know God more deeply. Because I think we all know a lot of "saved" people who look a lot like the world and seem not to care.

Then this morning I came across these verses in 1 John 2 "I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray. As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit - just as it has taught you, remain in him." To me, this verse confirmed what Matt said.

When we are saved the Holy Spirit (the anointing) comes to live within us and remains in us. The Holy Spirit can teach us from within. He whispers to us...tells us what we should and shouldn't do. The less we listen to him probably the less he speaks to us, but he never leaves. He's always there prompting us toward the work of the Lord. Telling us how to live, nudging us to do good in the sight of the Lord, giving us the desire to learn how to follow Christ.

What a cool thing - to have a built in Jesus. We don't need anyone to teach us how to be a Christian. He will teach us how to live and remain in him. Others can definitely pull us and point us toward the right (or wrong) direction. But ultimately, it's the Lord that is speaking to us from within and through others. When others try to lead me astray, He will call me to come back to Him. When I say something I shouldn't, He gives me shame and remorse and repentance. When I do something I shouldn't, He exposes my sinful ways.

When Pastor Chandler asks Christians what they are doing about their desires to know God more deeply. The answer is usually "nothing." As someone who used to be in the place of doing "nothing," I feel saddened by this answer. Because I know now that there is so much you can do to act on your desires. It's the starting that's the hard part. Chandler also says that "no one stumbles into godliness." It's all in the self-discipline. Discipline is such a dirty word....from the time you are a toddler to now....it just never gets any easier.

www.hv.thevillagechurch.net/sermons - website to Matt Chandlers sermons