Sharing in Eternal Life

What a spiritually refreshing night. Christian fellowship, setting aside the formality of the term, is an amazing thing. And I constantly thank God for the privilege of these wonderful friendships and learnings that He has sanctioned me unto. Whether our discussions be on the latest silliness or the unseen future or the deepest truths... God has given me and my friends the honor of relishing these years.

Tonight, I read a post on a stranger's journal -- a candid testimony of a beautiful 'coincidence' that God blessed him with. How do I so often forget the unforgettable works of God in my own life? Too many times I shove those precious memories of thankfulness and joy to the back of my mind. Too many times I label them 'coincidences.' Then never take them out again. Too many times...

As I mentioned in one of the last posts of 2006, I've been trying to grow out of my obsession with intellect concerning the matters of faith. No one should ever strive to obtain knowledge for the sake of knowledge. Theology is useful, but if there is no heart involved, it truly becomes theological 'garb.' The post I read tonight was not only honest and encouraging; it instigated me to long for eternity with a new perception.

When I think of Heaven, a vision of flawlessness forms in my mind. Although in reality, even my conception of 'flawlessness' is not without specks of dirt. Fancying perfection while fancying also the idea of perfect conception and vision. A beautiful scenery through an untainted window glass. Heaven will not only be perfect; our conception of 'perfection' will be perfect as well!

And that is just mind-boggling. To conceive a notion and also to be thinking at the same time that the notion is beyond anything you can imagine. Oh, how the Truth overwhelms and humbles us so.

Humility, guided in grace, just might be the answer to the question I posed a couple nights ago. How do I simultaneously acknowledge my wickedness and drink from the source of true joy? Well, friends, the issue might seem paradoxical intellectually but the answer lies with grace. Here I raise one of the many verities in life that I often come into contact with: the Truth is a mystery impossible to decipher with mere knowledge. In other words, we can only rely on the grace of God and the work of the Holy Spirit to understand fully from heart. We worship and revere Him not because we are worthy, but purely because He has enabled us so... It is so difficult to see through our human convictions shaped via our philosophy, our culture, our self-religions (which are designed to help ourselves, though we weren't meant to help ourselves!). Then it is not darkness that penetrates light, but rather otherwise. When light shines through darkness, light not only reveals itself but also uncovers darkness, thereby allowing darkness itself to discover that there is such thing as darkness. It is only via His greatness that, while being aware of our sinfulness, we can delight in joy.

Ah, and it's not just the previous issue. The Truth is full of convincing oxymorons. What did St. Paul say in his timeless, Nobel Prize-winning definition of love?

"Love does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth."

Too often people cite only the first line of this definition, and thereby too often miserably vex and flay their own ideologies.

But since I wrote a post on that before, I will cease to ramble on that one. This post has been all over the place already -- I need sleep. Just know that I thank God in all my remembrance of you, always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all, because of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now. For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.

And that just deserves a smiley face. :-)