In our world of advanced technology, it’s often difficult to determine what is real and what is not. The Bible talks about the importance of speaking the truth to our neighbors. In this vein, we are encouraged to seek the truth and reminded that the greatest truth that matters is what Christ did on the cross.
God wants our whole heart, mind, and soul. Not just lip service. praising him needs to be a deliberate act of gratitude not forgetting His faithfulness in our lives. To that end, we need to take time to contemplate and give thanks to God.
Though we often try to ‘earn’ our salvation by our actions, God doesn’t really ‘need’ anything from us. Thus, our worth to God doesn’t not come from what we can do for him but rather from just being who we were created to be. He created us to be his partner not his slave and He sent Jesus to demonstrate how to bring God’s kingdom into the world and be the perfect partner for God.
Just as shadows are not a reality of what they are reflecting, sacrifice (in the old testament) was a reminder of sin and not the actuality of forgiveness. Christ’s once (and for all) sacrifice was the real road to forgiveness and communion is our reminder of Christ’s bodily death and bodily resurrection. As Christ’s sacrifice required a bodily presence among us, so too our physical presence is required when joining together in order to build lasting relationships.
