God has always had a place of residence within the world - it has just taken different forms over the years. Initially, it was in a garden. When sin and brokenness entered the story, He became a visible presence with His people within a tabernacle (tent). When His people had a permanent residence, God’s dwelling became a temple. This was not the literal dwelling place of God, but one that was necessary to help the people understand His character and desires for them. He literally dwelt in the world through the presence of His Son. Finally, He now resides within the hearts of His people, the church. We are the primary reflection of God to an unbelieving world. How do we reflect Him? By taking on His character as we interact with the people around us. God is primarily seen in the space between us.
When the Fall hit, it was not just us, as humans, that were broken, but the space between us was also broken. The heart of the followers of Jesus must be to bring redemption into that space.
How has God been real to you as you have experienced Him in the “Space Between” yourself and a follower of Jesus?
June 1st, 2007 at 1:45 pm
Greetings in Peace and Joy with Blessings to all in Jesus Christ our Lord.
I must confess I am confused here at the “space between”. What does that mean?
God has been and is real in my life through many facets and avenues, mostly in transforming me from the way I was to the way I am becoming. This transformation is motivated first by God’s love for me and then my love for Him. Through this, I allow Him occupation in and about my life, filling each and every crevice in the desire to have the faith required in fulfilling His will.
If I am correct it is the space between, if not completely occupied by Christ, that will allow room for error, like Judas’ hand in the treasury pouch. We must, as scripture states, seek an attitude of Holiness, this in the way one lives, the way one worships and the attitude taken in the pursuit of godliness. Scripture states Holiness comes from relationship in and from God’s Word with the believer.
Told of in the first recorded miracle in the book of John, the wedding feast, of which Christ transformed water into wine. Notice is made to the earthen vats (we are earthen) as being “not full”. Is this the space between? They are however partially full of the ceremonial washing water. The way that is un-filling. Prior to Jesus changing water into wine He instructs the vats to be completely filled. Then the water is turned into wine. And the vast are at the top with no room in between.
Symbolic of the wine is the Blood of Christ. If a believer is on the genuine course of Holiness and in relationship to Jesus there is no space between. Not meaning perfection or easy life but a life held together till the end and in contrast to the world and it’s ways.
This is the requirement to become the temple for within is where the Holy Spirit resides and by Him the reflection of God through the believer is manifested to the world.
June 6th, 2007 at 11:41 am
Ron, I hope that this weekend cleared up your understanding of “The Space Between Us”. We are simply trying to communicate that is the “space” in which God is seen in our lives most clearly by the world around us. They can’t see inside my chest into my heart. They only see the outward working of God in my life through how I treat the people around me - that is the space between us.