Wisdom in Relationships: God and Us

Comparison: The King and I vs. The King of Kings

• The Cinematic Narrative: The speaker references the 1950s movie The King and I, starring Yul Brynner (famous for his shaved head). The story is based on the real-life account of King Mongkut of Siam (modern-day Thailand) and Anna Leonowens, a widowed British schoolteacher hired to teach English and British culture to the King's children.
• Differences in Relationship Dynamics:
  • Need vs. Self-Sufficiency: The King of Siam needed Anna Leonowens to modernize his country and educate his children. Conversely, God is the all-sufficient one who never needed humanity, yet He chooses to love us.
  • Initiative: The King of Siam had to wait for Anna to travel across the world to him. In contrast, the King of Kings (God) came to humanity through Christ.
  • Temperament: The King of Siam frequently became angry with Anna due to cultural clashes. God, however, is not angry at us.
  • Desire for Intimacy: The King was initially uninterested in a personal relationship with Anna (it was a stormy association). God actively desires an intimate relationship with every individual.

The Revelation of Romans: Context and Character of God

• The Roman Context: When the Apostle Paul wrote to the Romans, the prevailing culture worshipped multiple mythical deities who were temperamental and required constant appeasement.
• Three Radical Assertions by Paul:
  1. There is only one true God.
  2. He is a God of love who desires a personal relationship.
  3. He is faithful and unchanging; He does not fluctuate in His temperament or get "bad."
• Religion vs. Relationship: The speaker emphasizes that "uber-religious" paradigms (strict performance-based attempts to please or appease God) are often a form of "brain pollution." The goal of the Gospel is to deliver individuals from these paradigms into a relationship where they realize God is already well-pleased through Christ.

Truth 1: God For Us

• Scriptural Foundation: $Romans\,8:31$ states, "What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?"
• Intercession: Jesus is currently interceding (pleading the case) for believers ($Romans\,8:34$), and the Holy Spirit intercedes in our weakness ($Romans\,8:26$). God acts as a friend and advocate, not an accuser or hostile enemy.
• The Concept of Propitiation ($Romans\,3:23-25$):
  • Linguistic Roots: The word "propitiation" comes from a Latin root meaning to turn someone toward kindness or win them over to friendliness. In Greek, it involves the removal of wrath via a gift or sacrifice.
  • Mitigation of Misconception: In Greek and Roman mythology, humans brought gifts to pacify angry gods. In the Gospel, however, God provides the gift (Jesus). The sacrifice of Jesus was not to pacify God's "anger issues" but to satisfy God's righteousness.
• Contrasting God with Mythological Deities:
  • Zeus (Jupiter): The chief god of sky/weather who hurled thunderbolts in anger.
  • Apollo (Phoebus): The god of destruction who shot "plague arrows" when annoyed.
  • Poseidon (Neptune): The god of the sea who struck the ground with a trident to cause earthquakes and shipwrecks.
  • Hermes (Mercury): A trickster and shape-shifter compared to the element mercury (liquid at room temperature), which is toxic and unpredictable.
• God's Unchangeableness: God is love by nature ($1\,John\,4:8$). Because He is unchanging, He cannot get "better" (He is already the best) or "worse."
• Reconciliation: The New Testament consistently speaks of humanity being reconciled to God, never God being reconciled to humanity. God never had an issue with us; we had the issue with Him.

Truth 2: God With Us

• The Factor of Permanent Presence: In $Romans\,15:33$, Paul refers to "The God of peace be with you all." In the original Greek, the verb "be" is absent. It is not a wish or a prayer but a declaration of fact: "The God of peace [is] with you all."
• Critique of Unscriptural Prayers: The speaker challenges the traditional prayer "God, please go with us this week," noting that Jesus promised, "Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" ($Matthew\,28:20$). The speaker humorously updates this to: "Hello, I am with you always."
• The Five Negatives of $Hebrews\,13:5$: The original Greek text uses five negatives for emphasis. The Amplified Bible captures this as: "I will not in any way fail you, nor give you up, nor leave you without support… I will not, I will not, I will not in any degree leave you helpless, nor forsake you."
• Historical and Metaphorical Examples:
  • Emmanuel: Meaning "God with us" ($Matthew\,1:23$).
  • Yahweh Shammah: A Hebrew title signifying His presence is permanently there.
  • John Wesley's Last Words: The founder of Methodism died stating, "The best of all is God is with us."
  • Automatic Mall Doors: A child's metaphor where the opening of electronic doors represents God going before us to open the way.

Truth 3: God In Us

• The Internal Residence: In $Romans\,8:9-11$, Paul emphasizes four times that the Spirit of God and Christ live in the believer. Christians should be "God-inside minded" rather than external-sign minded.
• The Fridge Analogy: The speaker compares the human spirit to a refrigerator. When seeking a "midnight snack" in the dark, the light inside the fridge only turns on when the door is opened.
• The Lamp of the Lord: $Proverbs\,20:27$ states, "The human spirit is the lamp of the Lord that sheds light on one's inmost being." Guidance comes from the Spirit residing and abiding inside.

Closing Benediction and Personal Application

• Key Scriptural Declarations:
  • $Romans\,16:20\,and\,24$: Affirmations of the grace of Jesus Christ.
  • $2\,Corinthians\,13:14$: "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all."
• The Message Paraphrase: The speaker encourages using this version for daily declaration: "The amazing grace of the Master, Jesus Christ; the extravagant love of God; the intimate friendship of the Holy Spirit, be with all of you."
• Salvation and New Birth: Relationship with God begins with a "spiritual birthday" or a life-changing encounter, which Jesus termed being "born again" ($John\,3:3$). It is not about church attendance or being professional but about receiving the gift of eternal life through faith.

Questions & Discussion

• Prayer for Salvation: The speaker led a corporate prayer for those wishing to enter a relationship with God. The components included:
  • Acknowledging the need for a Savior.
  • Believing Jesus took the guilt of the individual to grant a pardon.
  • Receiving the gift of eternal life by grace through faith.
  • Committing to follow God for the rest of one's life.