September 25, 2006 - Song of Solomon 6-8 and Galatians 4
The theme of our reading today is "relationship." Even though I have been emphasizing relationships lately, I am not having to spin these passages in that direction. It is so clear that relationships are important to God in His design of the universe. He is a personal God, who delights in having a relationship with us, and He designed us to live in relationship with others. Therefore, if we miss relationships, we miss life as God designed it to be.
Look at Song of Solomon 6:3. What a statement of relationship! "I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine." This expresses a close love relationship between two people, but it also should be an expression of our relationship with Christ. Is Christ your Beloved? Do you belong to Him? Do you have the assurance that you have a close love relationship with Jesus?
Did you notice all of the references to relationships in Galatians 4? I want to start with a rather obscure reference, but an important one. Look at verse 9. Paul points to a relationship with God that is mutual. Not only do we know God, but the main thing is that He knows us. That is the main part of the relationship here. You may feel like you know the President of the USA, but if someone asked him about knowing you, what would he say? That is how it is with God. The important part of the relationship is if He knows us. Then, we have eternal life. Also, He wants a mature relationship with us. He does not want us to remain children in our relationship with Him. He desires for us to mature in Christ, so we can have a complete and mature relationship with Him. He does not want that relationship to be based on works, but on love and faith. It is not, if we keep laws. It is, if we love Him that counts. Then, we will keep laws because we love Him. I hope we will all think about these relationship principles Paul gives us in this chapter.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Isaiah1-2 and Galatians 5.
Look at Song of Solomon 6:3. What a statement of relationship! "I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine." This expresses a close love relationship between two people, but it also should be an expression of our relationship with Christ. Is Christ your Beloved? Do you belong to Him? Do you have the assurance that you have a close love relationship with Jesus?
Did you notice all of the references to relationships in Galatians 4? I want to start with a rather obscure reference, but an important one. Look at verse 9. Paul points to a relationship with God that is mutual. Not only do we know God, but the main thing is that He knows us. That is the main part of the relationship here. You may feel like you know the President of the USA, but if someone asked him about knowing you, what would he say? That is how it is with God. The important part of the relationship is if He knows us. Then, we have eternal life. Also, He wants a mature relationship with us. He does not want us to remain children in our relationship with Him. He desires for us to mature in Christ, so we can have a complete and mature relationship with Him. He does not want that relationship to be based on works, but on love and faith. It is not, if we keep laws. It is, if we love Him that counts. Then, we will keep laws because we love Him. I hope we will all think about these relationship principles Paul gives us in this chapter.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Isaiah1-2 and Galatians 5.