The Restoration of Spiritual Relationships
A New Heart
Thank God that He is a God of restoration, because He could quite literally destroy this creation by fire, along with us, and begin again with a new creation, without us. However, in His mercy, through the death, burial, and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ, He is choosing to make all things new – including our relationships.
When Christ died, our loving husband-to-be, the veil that stood between the inner court and the Holy of Holies was torn in half from top to bottom. No longer was there a separation between God and man, but a way was made clear to His Father by the Blood of Jesus. Now we may approach God without fear of death. Just as our relationship with God is restored by Jesus, so our relationship with each other is reforming back into what our Father originally intended.
A key principle to understand when exploring spiritual relationships is that the field is much broader than religious leaders would have us believe. While they define “proper” relationships very narrowly, the breadth and depth of what Jesus created for all of us to share, with both Him and others, is infinitely wide and deep.
The expression of the Holy Spirit in and through us to one another is equally expansive.
Paul wrote,
“Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.”
1 Corinthians 12:4-6
The same is true with spiritual relationships. We, as individuals, experience God in many different ways, but He is the same Lord. Likewise, we experience the same God with each other in many different ways, but through that same Spirit, working through everyone. Thus, our relationships are as varied as our experiences of God. Because our Father is so immense, there are an infinite number of unique facets about Him to know. It takes a body of believers, millions or perhaps billions strong, to show forth even a small portion of His love.
When it comes to how God interacts with us through another member of His body, the variety of experiences and the ways in which we spiritually connect are also infinite. This is why the church has erred by defining how to “properly” interact with members of Christ’s body. This is especially true of relationships between opposite sexes. Almost all intimacy is restricted to church-sanctioned, married couples. For everyone else, it is pretty much hands-off and side hugs. To the natural-minded believer, this seems safe, but to God who wants to love His bride, this is ludicrous.
Hardly anyone believes that God can lead His own church, much less individuals. Through lack of experience, and thus lack of confidence in the Holy Spirit, we tend to live by our own rules derived from doctrine and what seems right to us. We are Neo-Pharisees who restrict overly much the actions of others in the false belief that what we “don’t do” makes us holy. However, this is very far from the case, for in actuality, it is what we “do do” for God that defines whether or not we are Holy.
The Days of the Song of Solomon
We have entered, in this church age, into the time of love plainly spoken of in the Song of Solomon. We are the Shulamite and our bridegroom desires for us to rise up out of bed and open to Him. Most Christians agree with this and even long for it. However, what they are not prepared for, and what could be a stumbling block for many, is the actual way in which our heavenly lover will demonstrate His love.
Just as God is in us, He works through us. We are the Tabernacle (tent) of God in which He dwells in this present creation. Oneness with God is what the infilling of the Holy Spirit is all about. It is “God in us” which is our hope of glory. Therefore, our bridegroom dwells in us, and thus He will demonstrate His love through us. This is what a “Holy Kiss” is all about. It is a demonstration of God’s desire to show us love, intimately, through the tent in which he dwells, to another saint. What makes that act of love Holy is the One who is doing it.
The reason that sexual sin in the world seems to have some appeal for Christians, is the innate sense of freedom that people know they need. Since they cannot have freedom in the church, they are often tempted to walk on the wild side to satisfy that need for intimacy. However, to experience that freedom in the world, the devil also makes them abuse their bodies in ways God never intended, and they sacrifice their eternal souls to gain something that God has already freely given.
Intimacy Without Sin
The fallacy that most people make when it comes to understanding Godly intimacy is that they cannot comprehend being close to another woman or a man without sinning. Other than when they were very young, opposite-sex relationships are always perceived to have an element of “sexual tension.” Thus, when they get older and are starved for affection, they can misinterpret the Holy Spirit leading them to be near another as lust. If I feel such deep love for another, of course, that must mean I have to “go all the way.” However, that is not the case. In the Spirit, you can be led to be very close to another without feeling the need to be sexual. To be sure, lust does exist, but when you are truly led by the Holy Spirit, lust is not part of the equation.
As the Holy Spirit loves through you it is an unselfish, sacrificial love that only wants what is best for the other person. Meeting your own desires at the expense of the other is the last thing on your mind. This is a spiritual experience and, as such, it is pure and holy.
Paul said,
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”
1 Corinthians, 13:4-7 (NIV)
Spiritual relationships in the coming Tabernacle Blessing, as led by the Holy Spirit, are the fulfillment of these verses. To the natural man, especially when it comes to interactions with the opposite sex, this seems impossible. However, under the anointing of His Spirit, God leads us to meet the needs of others in whatever way He decides they should be met – regardless of what it looks like to the natural man.
Also, when you think about it, why would we want to judge what goes on in the bedchamber of our Lord? What business is it of ours? Even the friend of the bridegroom does not participate in that.
In conclusion, the reason I speak about this topic is that this, among other things, is what the Tabernacle Blessing is all about. The church is poised to reject Jesus again, just like the Jewish leaders did in the first century A.D. However, this time, it is not about God manifest in the flesh of Jesus, but it is about God manifest in our flesh as the Body of Christ. Moreover, the way that God is about to show forth His glory is so different than what the religious folk of our day think is proper, that they will persecute (in us) the very God they profess to believe in.
Hide These Things in Your Heart
Lastly, I realize that for many, what I say does not make a lot of sense. The truth is that until God moves upon your life in this way, it is very difficult to step back from your teaching and realize what a blessing God has in store for you. I tell you this ahead of time so that when it does happen, you may realize the time of your visitation and accept God’s love in the way He desires to show it to you. It is my hope that as many as are willing will be saved.
Amen.