Designed To Walk With God

God didn't save us to add us to His collection. We are not projects or notches on His belt. He loves us and clearly wants to be with us and live with us.

"And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.' " - Revelation 21:3-4 ESV

"And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. But the LORD God called to the man and said to him, 'Where are you?' " - Genesis 3:8-9 ESV

God called out to Adam but it was far from an indictment. God wanted to walk with Adam. The text implies that they had done this before. This was God's desire and God does not change.

"So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." - John 8:36 ESV

We know God saved us to set us free but what then? Once we are free what do we do? How do we live? Where do we go.

Sin was structured. It had demands that became clear after the illusion of status and pleasure wore off. Lies needed to be maintained. Reputations needed to be upheld. But, Freedom... true freedom... what do you do with it?

Freedom allows for the pursuit of happiness but true joy is found when the creation finally realizes it's design and functions in that design. Mankind was designed to walk with God. It isn't something we have to do. Once it becomes mandatory it losses it's intimacy.

Grace. Grace fits us. It doesn't force us. Once received no rule is necessary. We are who we were always meant to be. We go with the One we were always meant to go with.

"For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time." - 1 Timothy 2:5-6 ESV

Jesus. Forever God Himself became a man and walked with His Father to a cross. It was not strange for Him. It was hard... the hardest thing anyone has ever done... but not strange. It was right. It was needed. It was as right as it was for Adam to walk with God in the cool of the day. Jesus never disappeared into the bushes. Jesus drank the bitter cup so that we could be restored back to our design and then given more.

Adam walked naked in the garden and He was good with that. It was perfectly right.

"As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire." - Daniel 7:9 ESV

"Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool." - Isaiah 1:18 ESV

God gives us clothes like His.

No we are not projects to Him... We are sons and daughters and something wonderful awaits us every morning. A fellowship. Clothed in like manner we walk together.

"But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification. For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." - Romans 6:17-23 ESV

"But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires." - Romans 13:14 ESV

We put on the righteousness of Christ like we would put on a coat and then enter our day that way.

How are we slaves of righteousness? What do we do with our freedom?

Now we know what we were made for and have tasted what it's like to walk with God nothing else will ever satisfy us. In a sense we are slaves to that reality.

It lacks the structure of sin. We have no one to blame anymore. God isn't like the things we served before. Being with Him is right... not always easy but right.

God puts before us life and death and says, 'Choose life.'

Let's walk with Him He wants to walk with us and talk with us. To be kind to us and give us insight into what comes next. He is our king, our friend and our God and He just wants to be with us.

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