Knowing Jesus
Jesus told his disciples a parable about ten virgins: five who were wise and 5 who were foolish. The context of this parable is in the days of His return.
In this story, Jesus makes it clear that the wise were those who had gathered enough oil for their lamps to endure the delay of His coming. They had already been to the oil merchants and gathered a surplus of oil for their lamps and were prepared for the return of the Bridegroom though he was delayed in the late hours.
The oil in this parable is fuel for their lamps and speaks of the fuel for our hearts to maintain the flame as we are called to be burning and shining lamps in this age of growing darkness.
As we have discussed in prior postings1, God created man to dwell in fellowship with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. However, in His infinite wisdom2, the He knew that man would quickly depart from this place of intimacy and choose to walk in unrighteousness that would forever keep humanity from full intimacy with Him. This would require that a way be made for humanity to return to this eternal relationship. In full agreement and submission, the Son would become a man and take upon Himself the sin of all mankind3, taking not only the sin of the world, but taking on the form of a man; the uncreated God becoming the created; fully experiencing all that man would experience in the physical.
Why am I here? Is there a purpose to life? Questions we all need to ask. I think I have often ignored these questions as being too mystical or only for those whose lives are messed up or without direction.
But until we can honestly address this question in our own life, I fear that we as Christians risk stumbling through this life being motivated by the latest fad, cause or calling (Christian or otherwise) that comes our way. For the unsaved, they arrive at the end of their days on this earth having accomplished great things or accomplishing little, but still missing the real purpose for their existence, and thus going into eternity suffering the greatest loss imaginable - eternally suffering the absolute absence of Love.
When I was in high school, it became a popular claim among evangelicals to say, "Christianity is NOT a religion, it's a relationship!" I even wore a button to school proclaiming this to everyone who would take time to read it.
In recent years, I've come to realize how shallow my relationship with God truly was. I have taken so much for granted through my intellectual knowledge of the scriptures and even my experiences of worship. I've had times of encounter with Him, but I don't believe I really knew what I was touching, or what His desires were. I was seeking some kind of experience, something to make me feel better, something to show others that I had it together, that I knew God.
But I have recently discovered something.