PRIVLIDGED

So they said to him, “Who are you?” Jesus said to them, “Just what I have been telling you from the beginning. I have much to say about you and much to judge, but he who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him.” They did not understand that he had been speaking to them about the Father. So Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me. And he who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.” As he was saying these things, many believed in him.

Knowing God

Throughout the ages, the human soul has sought out its Creator (Ecc. 3:11). It is natural to seek out answers to who we are in relation to the universe and the created order around us. This curiosity and wonder would normally lead one to seek out the Father. The devil must work overtime to keep a person’s curiosity from seeking out the true source of life. Instead of seeking out the life-giving words of God, most people seek the pleasures of this world and neglect what is important (1 John 2:16). Think about all of the diversions that prevent people from getting to know the one true God.

It took only a few hundred years after God expelled Adam and Eve from Paradise for humans to challenge His authority (Gen. 4:1-12). Scripture explains to the reader how people became more wicked as time went on to the point that the reader is told how grieved that the Creator became over the perversions practiced (Gen.6:1-8). History shows that people began to create imaginary gods to worship and sacrifice to. Archeological findings revealed that their worship rituals were perverted and twisted beyond belief.

This distortion of seeking the Creator was no doubt led by Satan himself, as he uses humans to mimic what the Father does, because the devil is not capable of creating anything real, organic, or original. People built temples and actively prostituted themselves, and gave up their children to be burned in a fire to Molech in the hopes of prosperity (Lev. 20:1-3; 2 Kings 17:31; 2 Chron. 28:3, 33:6, Jer. 19:5; Eze. 20:31) in lieu of seeking the good, the pure, and the fullness of abundant living that only God offers (Ps. 65:9; John 10:10).

In the fullness of time, God reached out to humanity, once again, to begin guiding them back to himself. The Creator realized that the human heart was hopeless without the right direction (Jer.17:9; Eph. 2:11-13). Without guidance, all of humanity was destined to continue blindly seeking as the cultures became more corrupt with each generation. The LORD chose to work through Abram of Ur to bless the world, as He would form the nation of Israel through this man (Gen. 12:1-3). Although Ur was a typical pagan worship center, and it did not seem that there was anything special about Abram, it was God’s sovereign knowledge of this man’s heart and his desire for the one true God that made him stand out (Gen. 15:5-7; 1 Sam. 16:6-8).

God’s Desire To Commune With Humanity

Abraham did become the father of the twelve tribes of Israel, from which Moses was then chosen to bring this people group to a better understanding of who God is as he was charged with setting the guidelines for God’s governmental structure (Exod. 20, 31:17-18). It was at this stage in the formation of Israel, that the LORD would begin to reveal himself to the people (Exod. 19). Yahweh was relentless in his blessings and protection of the people as he led them to the Promised Land. During their journey in the wilderness, Ya’ asked these tribes of Hebrews if there had ever been a people who had heard from the living God and had the opportunity to know him (Deut. 4:32-34). The answer was no.

This was a privilege that these tribes simply could not comprehend. It does not seem that anything has changed. Several millennia later and on the other side of the cross, people still do not understand what a privilege it is to be given the opportunity to know the God of the universe. He does not hide, nor does he make it difficult to call on him. From the very beginning, however, the human freewill has caused mankind to frequently choose their own way rather than God’s way. Scripture tells us that he will not always be easy to find because the open window of opportunity will eventually close (Amos 8:11-12; Is. 55:5-7; John 9:3-5).

The rejection and distrust of the Creator began as far back as the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3). Although Abram was considered to be righteous, he too took matters into his own hands when he impregnated his wife’s servant, Hagar, and the world has been forever changed as a result (Gen. 16). Why does human nature continue to distrust the Creator? It seems that the pattern is that the human heart repeatedly makes decisions based on what it can see rather than on the unseen. It takes effort to hear the voice of God (Ps. 46:9-11; 1 Kings 19:11-19). The devil works with what can be seen based on the desires of the flesh. God works on the soul and the human spirit (Mark 2:7-9; John 3:5-9; Rom. 1:20-22).

The Consequences of Rejection

Every person that has been born, has been given the opportunity to seek the face of God. Some people are filled with joy and want to know God more for a season and then they slide back to their old ways (Matt. 13:4-6; 1John 2:18-20), yet the LORD never gives up. God does not want to see anyone perish and is relentless in his pursuit for the heart of each individual alive (2 Pet.3:8-10). He sees what humanity cannot see. God’s nature of omniscience and as the eternal Being is all too aware of how things will end for those who choose not to separate themselves from the world and turn to their Creator.

What people do not understand is that there are two choices in life that will determine our destiny. One choice is to be with the Creator of the universe by staying within his boundaries laid out for humanity, and the other is to reject the Creator and choose Satan’s world of self-absorption. People are all searching for God but will only find the true Deity in the Judeo-Christian faith. No other faith in the universe, has a god who desires to know them and allows the seeker to know the entity that they worship. They are always left empty and guessing.

Genesis 1 mentions two realms during the creation event. There is a spiritual realm and then the created physical realm as God speaks it into existence. The devil works overtime to keep humans preoccupied and even to deny that the spiritual realm exists because he is out to kill every soul, steal from every human to keep them at a deficit, and destroy every life that is stamped with the imago deo. At the time when God was forming the nation of Israel to be the light to the world and who would introduce the living God to all nations (Exod. 19:5-7), it is understandable why the people could not comprehend this Creator when they could not see continual signs and wonders.

They were so used to worshiping the false gods of the pagan nations around them that they did not know any better. They were always seeking and never finding because they could not let go of the world with which they were familiar. The arrival of God’s Messiah changed all of that. Jesus as God in the flesh gave humanity something concrete, something physical. He left behind an undeniable legacy. The words of Jesus bring the reader to a clearer understanding of who God is and his life, death, and resurrection, explained to the world what is at stake for the human soul in the eternal realm (Matt. 25:30; Luke 10:17-20, 13:27-29; Rev.17:8)

Who Are The Privileged?

What do you think of when you think of those who are privileged? Most people would say those who are wealthy or those who have been given all of the opportunities that the world has to offer. Jesus’ disciples felt the same way; in fact, the Bible tells the reader that they were amazed when he claimed that it was easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to get into heaven (Mark 10:25-27). They were used to a system of works and were thrilled to be allowed to participate in the kingdom works of miracles. They returned to Jesus excited that they were able to cast out demons in the name of Jesus, but Jesus stopped them and explained that this was indeed wonderful, but that they would do better to recognize that their names were written in heaven.

The beauty of God’s way is that it is different than what humans usually think. It should go without saying that God’s plan for our lives in eternity fits with his justness and his unmitigated grace. No one deserves to live out eternity in bliss with the Creator, but through God’s grace those who love and obey (John 14:14-16) him will find their names in the Lamb’s Book of Life (Rev. 21:26-27). The question remains, who are these privileged people in this realm in which we find ourselves?

You Are The Privileged

God’s ways are so much higher than our ways (Is. 55:8-10). Yahweh chooses the common man unlike the world that seeks out the connected or the well off. These are the privileged. He sees their struggles; he hears their cries. It was the marginalized shepherds who worked in the field at night that were privileged to be the first to know about the arrival of the King of kings. It was the common fishermen, living out their basic lives who would be the first called to become Jesus’ closest friends and disciples. Think about that; the incarnate God of the universe shared the true meaning of life, freedom, and eternal salvation with the common man (Ps. 37:10-12; Matt 5:4-6). He did not seek attention from the aristocratic class or of the powerful religious leaders.

In God’s economy, the privileged are those that the world sees as inconsequential. Those who seek the LORD with all their heart, mind, and soul no matter their situation or station in life. Those who seem odd to the secular realm, because they believe and trust in the word of God. Those who bring every conversation around to the Creator because that is where their heart is (John 14:6). The privileged are those who trust that the LORD will be there when they stand for Truth in the face of adversity (Lk 12:1-12).

Rejoice in knowing that the Father is fully aware of your heart and mind even when no one else sees you.

If you love the LORD and see his holy written word as his authoritative words by which to live – you are The Privileged. Rejoice!