Will God Meet You Where You Are?

For some time now, and from different sources, I have been hearing the saying, “God will meet you where you are.” But is that biblical? I don’t believe it is. Now, did Jesus come to the earth to us? Yes, he did. But did he meet us where we are, or did he require that we meet him where he is? 

“And he said to all, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me’” (Luke 9:23).

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21).

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27).

“Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.” (Matthew 10:37-38).

“Jesus answered him, ‘If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him’” (John 14:23).

I just see so much of this flip-flopping of biblical truth and much altering of God’s divine character and will going on today, even within the gatherings of the church, and coming from the mouths of pastors and preachers. And so much of what I read and hear regarding the gospel seems so “me” focused rather than God focused. So much of it seems to be centered in what God can do and will do for us, but not much about what he requires of us for us to receive his promises and his gift of grace and salvation and eternal life.

Romans 1:18-23 ESV

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.”

So, what is this teaching us? For these words were written to the saints of God, the church. And Paul said these words right after he said, “The righteous shall live by faith.” And “live by” means this is how we live our lives. This is what we practice. And this faith comes from God, and is gifted to us by God, and it is not of our own doing, and it is persuaded by God. So this faith submits to Christ as Lord and it surrenders to the will of God and it involves us dying with Christ to sin and living to his righteousness in walks of obedience to the Lord and to his commands (New Covenant).

[Eph 2:8-10; Heb 12:1-2; Jn 6:44; 1 Co 10:1-22; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Acts 5:32; Tit 2:11-14; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Eph 4:17-32; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Lu 9:23-26; 1 Pet 2:24; 1 Co 6:19-20; 2 Co 5:15,21; Matt 7:21-23]

For it is not enough to just profess faith in Jesus Christ. We must walk no longer according to the flesh but now according to the Spirit. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. And this includes many people who profess faith in Jesus Christ, for this isn’t about what we profess with our lips. This is about how we live, in practice, and in conduct. So, if we are still walking in sin, we are suppressing the truth.

For, God has made himself known to all humankind via his created works. So, if we choose to continue living in deliberate and habitual sin, we are without excuse. For it isn’t as though we are not aware of God or that we don’t know right from wrong. Especially those of us who were brought up attending gatherings of the church have been taught right from wrong. But obviously this is instilled in all of us humans, and so we have a choice to choose God or to choose self and to continue living in sin.

Romans 1:24-25 ESV

“Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.”

So, this is regardless of what you profess with your lips, for what you claim and what you do can be two different things. So, even if you profess Jesus as your Lord and Savior but you continue living in deliberate and habitual sin, without regard for God or for his commands, if you snub God, and you choose your sins, instead, then he will let you go. He is not going to force his will upon you. He will let you follow after the lusts of the flesh, if that is what you choose, but you will not have eternal life with him. And this is because you exchanged the truth about God for a lie and did not serve God, but self.

So, please take this to heart. For God does not lower himself to our standards. He doesn’t join us where we are. He requires that we come to where he is. The Christian life is not all about what God does for us, but it is about what he requires of us in the way of submission and obedience and walks of faith and in holy living. For all of his promises have conditions which must be met for us to be able to claim those promises.

[Matt 7:21-23; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 9:23-26; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14,24; Rom 12:1-2; Rom 13:11; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; 1 Co 1:18; 1 Co 15:1-2; 2 Tim 1:8-9; Heb 9:28; 1 Pet 1:5; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-17; 1 Pet 2:24; Tit 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 3:6,14-15; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15] 

Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer 

Lyrics by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1897

Music by W. J. Kirkpatrick, 1897

Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,

This is my constant longing and prayer;

Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,

Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.

O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,

Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;

Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,

Fit me for life and Heaven above.

Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,

Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;

Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;

Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrYhiK2nQBg 

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