alienation vs. union

Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior (Colossians 1:21).

But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit (1 Corinthians 6:1). 

            It is very clear from the Scriptures that before our salvation, we were enemies of God and alienated from Him. It is equally clear that our salvation ended that. From that moment on, we have been joined with God and have been one with Him.

            But too often, Christians continue to live the old truth, which is now a lie. They live as if God is out there, or up in heaven, or with them but separate from them even though He is no longer separate. He is in us and one with us. Yes, He is still unique and different, but nevertheless one with us.

            One author[1] calls this kind living as if we are still alienated from God the “illusion of a separate self” and elaborates: 

                In Christian terms we would understand that illusion as the sense of alienation or that we are cut off or separated from God. The Garden of Eden story in Genesis speaks to this experience of feeling expelled or apart from God. In Christianity we think about religion and spirituality in relational terms. Too often we project onto religion our own human relationships that are so broken themselves. Therefore we project upon God this dysfunctional parent who we must please and appease so we can avoid getting punished and cut off and condemned. The trust and surrender to be wholly given and singular in our consecration to God escapes us. We remain too often locked into the separateness and the misdirections, the addictions, that afflict our society. Hence we are inclined to seek outside of God, what God alone can give. In the words of the Country and Western song, we are always “looking for love in all the wrong places.” 

            Too often Christians are looking for private, personal fulfilment as if we have a private, personal self that can be fulfilled, and we look to God for the ultimate fulfilment of that self. But we no longer have a private self: 

1 Corinthians 6:19-20a
Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. 

Colossians 3:3
For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.

 1 Corinthians 6:17
But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit. 

John 17:23a (Jesus’ prayer to the Father)
“I in them and you in me.” 

            As Christians, we are not called to self-fulfilment, but to deny ourselves (Matthew 16:24)[2] and to not seek our own life (Matthew 16:25).[3] Why? Because we no longer have an “own life” to seek. Seeking our own life, then, would be the same as putting our hand to the plow and looking back, which Jesus says makes us unfit for the Kingdom (Luke 9:62).[4] It’s living out of who we used to be and not out of who we are. Who we are is “meunitedwithChrist”. And that is what we need to foster - our connection, our intimacy, our union with Christ.

            How do we do that? Simply put, we do that by changing our thinking. The Bible says that we are transformed by the renewing of our mind (Romans 12:2).[5] The next few lessons will provide a guide to: 

(1)        undoing faulty thinking;

(2)        ways of renewing our thinking;

(3)        suggestions for fostering intimacy with Christ and the moment-by-moment practice of the presence of God. 

exercises 

Day 53 

Do the 5-minute breathing meditation.  

In the next 10 minutes, invite everything you can think of about yourself – your thoughts, accomplishments, name, reputation, knowledge of God, faith, relationships, etc. into your awareness. Then let them go and turn in your heart to the God who is there, whom you don’t fully know, and wait – expecting nothing in particular, but nevertheless anticipating, expectant and attentive. 

Then take a few moments to do the following. Back in Lesson 3, you were asked to write down your reasons for meditating. Have a look at them now, but avoid asking yourself how you’ve done with achieving your goals. That is for later. For now, look at your goals and ask yourself: “Which of these have to do with me feeling better or more fulfilled, and which have to do with fostering my union with Christ?” Don’t reject goals of the former kind. Meditation and contemplation bring many blessings, and our God is a God of grace. He may do many things through your taking time to be in His presence, including giving you what satisfies and fulfills. Just mindfully take a look at your goals and prayerfully ask what your goals might have to say about your inner bent. 

Either at the same time or at another time, do a 10 to 15-minute prayer of examen.

 Day 54 

Do the 5-minute breathing meditation.  

In the next 10 minutes, invite everything you can think of about yourself – your thoughts, accomplishments, name, reputation, knowledge of God, faith, relationships, etc. into your awareness. Then let them go and turn in your heart to the God who is there, whom you don’t fully know, and wait – expecting nothing in particular, but nevertheless anticipating, expectant and attentive.

 Then take a few moments to do the following. Recall your prayers from over the last week. How many had to do with making life better and more comfortable for yourself and others? How many had to do with seeking an intimate union with Christ on the part of yourself and others? Do you consider this to be a good balance?

 Either at the same time or at another time, do a 10 to 15-minute prayer of examen.

Day 55

 Do the 5-minute breathing meditation.

 In the next 10 minutes, invite everything you can think of about yourself – your thoughts, accomplishments, name, reputation, knowledge of God, faith, relationships, etc. into your awareness. Then let them go and turn in your heart to the God who is there, whom you don’t fully know, and wait – expecting nothing in particular, but nevertheless anticipating, expectant and attentive.

 Either at the same time or at another time, do a 10 to 15-minute prayer of examen.