Experiencing God’s Presence This Easter
“How can I experience God’s presence this Easter?” Someone asked this question recently – it’s a really good question to ask for it shows a person who genuinely wants to draw closer to God. The questioner astutely implies that faith is living and active rather than dead and passive. Faith stirs movement, causing us to seek God, prompting us to draw near to Him and to ‘live out’ what we believe.
Three Foundations
The Bible is described by Paul to Timothy as ‘God-breathed’ and by the writer to the Hebrews as ‘living and active’ (Hebrews 4:12). Christ Jesus brings the presence of God to every one of His followers, not just at Easter but every day. Faith in His death, resurrection and every good promise to you gives the foundation you need but there are three essentials to grasp:
Faith Justifies
It is believing in Jesus that puts us right with God. Taking our sin upon Himself has made it ‘just-as-if’ you and I had never sinned – Jesus bore our sin on the cross and so has given us peace with God: ‘Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand’ – Romans 5:1-2. Amazingly, God moved towards us in this way ‘while we were still sinners’ – Romans 5:8
Faith Has Substance
Hebrews 11 lists many who took hold of God’s promises by faith with assurance and confidence. Doing so gave them a firm foundation, the original Greek giving the sense of ‘the actual existence’ as if it gave a title deed or a legal document guaranteeing the right to possess a property.
‘Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen’ – Hebrews 11:1
Hope looks forward to what is promised but faith has ‘substance’ for taking hold of God’s promises, entering His presence and for life now.
Faith Produces Fruit
Faith is not about receiving or giving empty promises – sadly we’ve all had enough of them with their disappointments. No, living faith is more than mere belief in God. It involves partnering with God through actions that show reliability and bring peace, blessing and life in the world.
‘What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is withoutclothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In thesame way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead’ – James 2:14-17
Getting these foundations right will lead us into God’s presence. More than that, it will mean we reflect the reality of our faith to those around us and in so doing bring the presence of Jesus into their lives.
Three Practical Outcomes Of Faith
There are three simple things that you can do through faith in this next week that will bring you into the presence of God. These are part of the ‘normal’ life of a follower of Christ living in faith.
Gathering
Jesus Himself encouraged us to gather with other believers: ‘For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them’ – Matthew 18:20. Paul reminds us that we are ‘the Body of Christ’ and that He dwells there by His Spirit’ (1 Corinthians 12). When we gather in our church, God meets with us. The reminder to gather is given in Hebrews 10:25 – ‘not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another’.
Remembering
It is by faith that we remember how Jesus gave His body and His blood for us when we take bread and wine. He said that we should do this ‘until He comes’. It is good to take communion often (1 Corinthians 11:23-26) and to invite the Holy Spirit afresh each day to dwell within you (Ephesians 5:18). When you do this and remember to use ‘The Lord’s Prayer’, you keep short accounts and commit your life to be free from sin.
Going
Jesus did not give us a role model of passivity but of action. The faith we are called to stands firm on the three foundations but it then calls us to ‘go’. It might be to people you meet today and you can encourage them by simply pointing them to stories of faith (www.connect4life.org.uk/sharing-stories). It could be to do an act of unexpected kindness for a neighbour or person in need. There are so many ways ‘to go’ – serving, giving, contacting ‘missionaries’, visiting the sick or those in prison, writing your own story to add via the previous link. Jesus tells us that when do show a kindness to someone, it’s as if we have done it for Him (Matthew 25:34-40). Imagine that – the very presence of Jesus as you show kindness. Whatever step of faith you take, hear the promise of Jesus: ‘Go … and surely I am with you always, to the end of the age’ (Matthew 28:19-20)
These are not the only ‘faith outcomes’ – you need also to think about uninterrupted time with God in prayer, reading His word and perhaps fasting or even taking a Sabbatical.
Draw Near To God
Whether it be Easter or just another day, this promise is for you: ‘Draw near to God and He will draw near to you’ – James 4:8. This builds on what Jeremiah said in verse 13 of Chapter 29: ‘You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart’.
It was Jesus who said, ‘“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me”’ – Luke 9:23. Building on this, Paul explains that we should ‘put off the old self … and put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness’ – Ephesians 4: 22-24. This is like a personal daily death and resurrection as we move towards the coming time when leave our mortal bodies behind and truly approach the Lord to give an account for our lives.
Suggestion
Prayerfully read through this again and consider what practical ‘calls to action’ God might be giving you in your journey of faith. God your Father is nearer than you think, more willing than you expect, and more present than you feel.
For listening and mulling over the presence of God in all things – ‘How Great Thou Art’ by Hillsongs:
For more reading: https://connect4life.org.uk/biogs/when-god-seems-far-away/
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