Larger Story 8

One more.

The Seven Questions.

1.Who is God?

A perfectly happy community of 3 Persons whose nature is holiness and way of relating is love.

2. What's He up to?

Glorifying Himself by beautifying us.

3. Who are we?

Gender unique image-bearers of God who....

4.What's gone wrong?

...gave away the capacity to desire, know, love and enjoy God. This disconnect is the deepest source of all that is wrong.

5.How did God remedy the problem?

He implemented a New Covenant by giving us a new Start (forgiveness), a new Heart (real life), a new Identity (adoption) and a new Power (the Holy Spirit) through the death and resurrection of Jesus.

6.What's the Spirit doing now?

Making us into "little Christs" through detaching us from second things and attaching us to first things.

7.How do we join Him?

He invites us to participate in the community of the Trinity and to relate out of that community in our community.

PWGflow.

Participating with God for the life of the world.

I first heard this phrase in the latter part of 2014. After being fired from my longtime job at a church in Knoxville, my family and I visited Old North Abbey one Sunday. We slowed there during the end of the year and the season of Advent. It was during those Sabbaths that I heard Aaron Wright speak the words "Participating with God for the life of the world." You can access the full story here: https://rdamonkelly.wixsite.com/buythefield/single-post/2020/01/22/pwgflow

PWGflow. There is this initial jerk in your heart that reacts. "God doesn't need me to do anything, how dare you say that we participate with Him?" Yep. Exactly. He doesn't need us. He includes us because He chooses to.

I was drawn to the Bible book of Ephesians just now about this thought about being included. I remember in chapter 1, verse 13 that it says that we "were included in Christ". When I got to that spot in my bible, there was more. "He invites us to participate in the community of the Trinity (God the Father, the Son Jesus, the Holy Spirit)." Here are verses 13 and 14 of the first chapter of the Bible book of Ephesians. "And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of His glory."

See it?

Included in Jesus Christ...

when you heard the good news about salvation.

Marked with a seal of the Holy Spirit...

who is a deposit declaring that you are in relationship with Him.

Those who are God's possession...

You're His.

Included in Jesus.

Sealed by the Spirit.

Possessed by God.

While we flail about in our extremely chaotic country in the midst of crafty Covid and the constant fickleness of our own hearts.... there is something to cling to. You're not needed by God. You're wanted. Included, sealed and possessed by Him not because He has to, but because He chooses to. How can that possibly lay in the pixels so blandly? Sadly, the possibility is real. Lord, have mercy.

Bible book of 2 Peter, chapter 1, verse 4. "...He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires."

Participate.

These are the meanings linked to this word in the Bible language.

Partner.

Sharer.

Someone who has or gives or receives a part or a share.

Physical intimacy.

Participate in the divine nature. Intimately.

It's not just verbiage. We are being invited to relationship with the relationship of relationships. THE relational pinnacle of intimacy says, "join in". You're included. Not just included and flailing around about to fall out. You're included and sealed. Wrapped in intimacy. Included, sealed and declared wanted. God's possession. "She's Ours. He's Ours."

One more that's a little more tucked away. Bible book of Hebrews, chapter 2, verse 11. "Both the One who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers."

Buckle in to this thought.

The One who makes women and men holy....

That's Jesus.

And those who are made holy....

That's us.

ARE OF THE SAME FAMILY!

YES!

Create some space in this moment. Set apart some sacred space to receive these next words. Go slow.

So Jesus is not ashamed to call you sister.

So Jesus is not ashamed to call you brother.

All that you know about yourself. Your fickle, freaking out heart, and mine.

"You're Ours."

PWGflow.

Participate with God for the life of the world. Today we relate out of the legacy of the Trinity with those we will see, write to, speak to. Or not. PWGflow is real. It happens, for example, as we gutsily, mundanely and supernaturally relate with one another in the way we speak to each other.

Participate intimately.