Orthodoxy
is right doctrine. Or right understanding of God’s nature and ways. It
is important that we are worshiping the right God. Paul tells Timothy
make sure you guard your doctrine closely. It has to do with your mind,
right belief, right thoughts concerning God. If you don’t have right
thoughts or right beliefs concerning God, you have no basis for
communion.
There is
also what is called orthopraxis, which is right living. It’s the way we
live our lives daily. The way we live our lives is affected by how we
think, but the reverse is also true. That is why Paul said to Timothy
watch your doctrine and your manner of life closely. It’s very
important we live out what we believe.
There is
one area we usually leave out. It’s called orthopathos, or right
emotions, right feelings towards God. You can have right thoughts,
right doctrine and you can have right living but harbor emotional
accusation against God’s nature and his ways.
We’re
good at right doctrine and right behavior but as the image bearers of
God we’re to also have right emotions. When our emotions are touched by
the emotions of God, it empowers our mind and will to live for God and
to think right thoughts towards God. That’s why God is bringing forth
the understanding of the bridal paradigm.
The
Lord said you will no longer call me maker, you will call me
husband. He calls us Hephzibah. His delight is in us. He calls us
Beulah, He is married to us. He wants us to come to fullness so that
our mind, our will, and our emotions are charged with the presence of
God. When we understand His heart towards us, we can cooperate with the
Holy Spirit as we grow in grace. We don’t have to hide in shame and
trade true communion with God for religion. We trust that He is for us
and loves us so much that though our love is weak, its real. The
revelation of His love, mercy and His gentleness is actually what frees
us to get past our struggle.
There
is one thing for certain, you will feel his presence because you’re the
one creature made for him! There is only one reason you have eyes and
ears, and a nose and a mouth and hands. You were made to experience God
and you will experience Him because He makes his dwelling place with
you. The ambush is complete. His is in you, He is with you, He
is all around you, and He has one thing on his mind, you! There is no
where you can go from his presence.
The
promise of the scripture is that one day, you will KNOW Him as you’re
fully known. Do you think God is able to experience your presence? How
well does God know you? You probably wish there were things He did not
know about you, but He knows it all. The bible promises that you will
know Him at the same degree He knows you. So you don’t have to worry,
don’t let fear grip your heart, you’re not going to be left out, God
has you right where He wants you.
In
Revelation 19 all of heaven is bowed down before the Lord of glory. In
fact, the bible says every knee will bow, every tongue will confess in
heaven and on earth. While everybody else in heaven and earth is bowed
down, there is one person standing before God, it’s YOU. It’s me. It’s
the wife of the lamb. She bowed in this life but in the next life as
the wife of the lamb she knows as she is fully known. As the only
creature made for God, she gets to stand without shame, with great
honor, filled with love, prepared and dressed in white, righteous deeds
adorn her as beauty. So if you’re struggling to feel his presence now
be of good cheer. It will not always be that way. If you’ve called on
his name and you’ve trusted him, you will never be put to shame. There
are seasons of life where we feel his presence more than others. This
is normal part of our progression in learning to live with God.
Take courage. You can never be far away from Him or His love. You were made FOR it.
Thank you
Father that You have set your affections on me. You wait with me as I
wait for You, and You will come and manifest Yourself to me. This I
believe. So Jesus, come reveal Your bridegroom heart to me and let me
experience the encounter of the Holy Spirit, poured out in my heart,
that I might know You more, love You more, and that my heart would be
transformed in the truth and the grace of God.
