Intimacy with God: Finding your Freedom from Sin

Have you ever felt restricted or unable to communicate what is most important to you to your spouse, or partner? Think about that for a moment. Let’s say you came to them and said, "you know honey I wanted to tell you sooner but"...and their response is something like, "I've always been here for you, you can tell me anything". What inside of you made you feel as if you couldn't reveal a deeper, intimate and perhaps private thought to that person? Was it fear, anxiety or a perception? Maybe you expected a harsh unfavorable response to your deepest thoughts. Most often than not this same dilemma is projected unto the intimate relationship with God. You want to share your most private thoughts, desires and fears but something is holding you back. Perhaps it’s a perception of God, or your perception of sin. However you see it, you may feel as though the response to your innate feelings would cultivate an unfavorable walk with God. Intimacy with God is about building a relationship of trust, communication, and loyalty. The end result of building this foundation is adoration, balance, and wisdom. The catalyst that keeps you building this relationship is your hunger and desire for spiritual growth. Spiritual growth is growing closer to God and becoming mature in your understanding about yourself and God. (Hebrews 6) Through this development you will achieve peace and freedom by way of revelation about God's word and overcoming the misapplication of God to your life. The journey towards God is met with many spiritual perceptions that have the ability to act as blockers to your intimate relationship with God. One of them is sin, the act, the emotions or perception of sin. Sin is a moral evil, a transgression of or rebellion against God's laws. (NLT) Which laws would those be? The Law of Moses also known as the Ten Commandments. Jesus said, "Don't misunderstand why I have come, I did not come to abolish the Law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No I came to accomplish their purpose." Matt 5:17. What purpose might that be? Paul writes in Galatians 3:24, "Let me put it another way, the law was our guardian until Christ came; it protected us until we could be made right with God through faith." rnOur new guardian, Jesus Christ pardons our transgressions with love and forgiveness when we believe in him. See John 8. Because of the cross you are no longer held under the law of Moses, but the law of grace, that which is in Jesus Christ. Isn’t that good news? Yet the belief that God is angry with you or me because of our sins is still very much alive and trapping believers from experiencing true intimacy with God. These beliefs create a barrier between oneness with God and stop us from seeing, hearing God and enjoying life to its fullest. The death and resurrection of Christ gives you the ability to detach from the things that separate you from God (sin). Yet we only depart from these things when we realize the fullness of his grace. Grace gives you the ability to overcome sin. Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the Law. Instead you live under the freedom of God’s grace. Romans 6:14. It is his grace that makes sin less appealing and as you develop your spiritual muscles and discernment, you will come to know the value of his grace upon your life. The desire to be one with God is so special and unique to us all. Today, know that you have freedom from sin because you accepted Christ as your savior. Choose to allow the grace of God to cover your thoughts instead of condemnation. Christ died to give you life and a spiritual relationship with God. A Spiritual Exercise: Do you desire greater intimacy with God? Invite him into your life. Look for God’s touch all over different parts of your day. Allow him to reveal himself to you. To be intimate with God you've got to believe he is there with you so search to feel his presence daily. rnTo paint a more vivid picture, put everything down for a moment, do not ask God for a thing and get to that place where you believe you feel his presence most. (For me, it's outdoors.) Remain silent, stand or sit just get comfortable and exist in his presence for that moment or however long you feel is necessary. This is the beginning of intimacy with God.