Word of Encouragement (11/18/2020)

This morning, I’d like to share with you what R.C. Sproul said about Christian life: “We do not segment our lives, giving some time to God, some to our business or schooling, while keeping parts to ourselves. The idea is to live all of our lives in the presence of God, under the authority of God, and for the honor and glory of God. That is what the Christian life is all about.” He reminds us of many important things about how we should live as Christians.

First, our Christian life is not just a compartment in our life. To put it in another way: our Christian life is not just a spoke among many in the wheel of life; it is the hub, to which all “spokes” of our lives are connected. We have to be a Christian man/woman, Christian husband/wife, Christian son/daughter, Christian businessman/employee, etc. You get the idea. Our Christian identity in relationship with God and in union with Christ should determine how we live out our lives in each of our roles and in every situation.

Second, we live our Christian life “in the presence of God.” There is a sense in which everyone lives in the presence of God, whether Christian or not, because God is omnipresent. But only theists are aware of God’s presence. This makes a world of difference. To be aware of God’s presence is to recognize one’s accountability to God. One cannot live carelessly or licentiously when he knows that he must someday give an account to the Judge, whose watchful eyes no one can escape. But we can understand why people want to escape from the presence of God. If God’s presence is more inward than one’s conscience, how terrifying and burdensome that must be!

For Christians, living “in the presence of God” takes on a different meaning. We do not live in the presence of God as those who are naked and exposed in shame; we live as those who are covered with the righteousness of Jesus Christ, for whom there is no more condemnation. The righteousness of Christ did not change God: He is still omniscient and holy, the Judge of the living and the dead. But it has changed us and our relationship with God. Because of Jesus’ death and resurrection for us, God does not watch us as the fearful Judge of all; He watches over us as our heavenly Father! The presence of God for Christians is not something to run away from in terror; it is rather something we run to and cherish because it is filled with God’s fatherly love for His beloved children.

But we dare not live carelessly or licentiously. For our heavenly Father, who is full of love for us, is also a holy God. Sin grieves our heavenly Father. He does not, and cannot, take pleasure in sin. So, we must walk carefully before God—not out of fear, for there is no condemnation for us who are in Christ, but out of gratitude and love for God. Whatever we do as Christians, we don’t go about doing it as if we “have to do”; we view it as something we “get to do” for our loving heavenly Father. What a wonderful thing it is to live in the presence of God as Christians! Let us cherish this thought and live it out by faith!

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