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In Ephesians chapter 1 we learn about our objective status in Christ. We are chosen, predestined, adopted, redeemed, forgiven and given the Holy Spirit. In Ephesians chapter 2 we learn how this was achieved (verses 4-8….it was achieved by Jesus). Very clear, and we all agree.

However, our personal, subjective experience is of a Roller coaster ride. That is reflected in the Psalms, particularly the Psalms of Lament. But as we have all agreed - the subjective experience never changes the objective truth. It is a merely a subjective experience - one which no honest person can argue against existing. We are living in a fallen world, in fallen bodies with a ‘yet and yet to come tension.’

But when you look at Paul’s prayer in Ephesians you see an interesting request. In 1:17 Paul prays for those who stand in the objective truth of union with Christ that ‘you may know him (God) better.’ In his second prayer in chapter 3, which was written after the objective truth in chapter 2 he requests that we have Christ dwell in our hearts, that we would grasp more of his love and that we would be filled.

It would seem to me that we can know God more, that we can have Christ dwell in our hearts more, and that according to chapter 4 and 5 we can both grieve the Holy Spirit and be filled by him.

My point? My final point in this series? My third thought on closeness?

Although the phrase ‘closeness to Christ’ may be misleading at points, and although our illustrations are all flawed (and praise be to God that we do not interpret Jesus’ illustrations/ parables in the same way we interpret each others! Can you imagine treating the parable of the lost sheep in the same way as we treated Mr Raines illustration? ‘Sorry Jesus, but are you saying that God doesn’t care for the 99? Naughty boy…’).

Ultimately Paul teaches that we can know God more, that Christ can dwell (rule) in our lives more richly and that our experience and standing with the Holy Spirit can change (although we can never be left by the Holy Spirit (1:13 and 14).

Jude encourages us to ‘keep yourself in God’s love’ (Jude 21…not sure which chapter, you’ll have to look it up).

What about Jesus? He says in John 15 that we can ‘remain’ in his love if we obey his commands.

You see, nothing can separate us from the love of God that is in Jesus (Romans and we all face different experiences of that love (Psalm 42), but we can also be ‘closer’ to God within that absolute/ objective status. Don Carson says, ‘God’s love is sometimes said to be directed toward his own people in a provisional or conditional way - conditional, that is, on obedience.’

I believe our obedience to Christ can change our closeness (within the objective - and beyond the subjective).

• If we are bitter and angry we can grieve the Holy Spirit - yet if we feast on the Bible and thirst for him we can be filled (Ephesians 4 and 5)
• We can have Christ be more at home in our lives when we obey him more (Ephesians 3 and Colossians 3:16 - check out the Message rendering)
• And we can remain in his love if we follow Christ’s commands (John 15)

I want to rejoice in the objective truth of the cross. I want to learn to ignore my subjective feelings. But I need to be aware that me behaviour does matter, and that God’s desire is that I obey him.

Wow, that was a BIG discussion. And this will be a BIG Blog - sorry.

Ok, as the little tortoise I will slowly plod on….

Let me start with a little point in response to the ‘hare’ comments.

A little point: It has been pointed out that ‘closeness’ is not a Biblical term. Interesting. Anybody own a concordance? Proverbs 18:24 says that there is a ‘friend who sticks CLOSER than a brother.’ That’s Jesus. That is our objective position in Christ in which we now stand (Romans 5:1,2 and 6:3-11).

To argue against using the term ‘closeness’ is like banning the word Trinity. It is not in the Bible but works as handy term to encompass great Biblical teaching. But you are correct in asserting that the term ‘closeness’ is not clearly defined within theological speak, and so we need to make sure we are talking about the same thing.

Just to be a pain, I am talking about THREE things (well, I’ve got to be a pain…). The first was our objective closeness in Christ through our union with Him by His propitiatory death on the cross.

In this blog I want to look at the second sense - subjective closeness to Christ. That is, how we physically feel in relation to Jesus. Now the Bible actually has LOADS to say about this. Just have a read through the book of Psalms and you are encountered with a whole host of differing experiences. Check out Psalm 42:1 - the Psalmist is thirsting for God. Why? Because God feels distant. But then look at Psalm 139 and it is just bursting with the feel of being ‘close’ to God.

What about the New Testament? Check out the term ‘near’ in Hebrews to see this objective/ subjective issue.

Biblically, we will feel closer to God at some times more than others. However, that NEVER changes the first truth - that we are always close to Christ objectively through the cross.

So, why do we have this subjective change?

• We live in flesh (AV understanding)
• We live in a fallen world and all its distractions
• We may be sinning
• We may have grieved the Holy Spirit
• God may be letting us feel that way to help us grow to trust Him more.

One preacher put it like this (maybe Geoff Thomas - but he probably stole / borrowed it). With a new born baby a parent has to touch/ cuddle them every time they cry so that the child knows they are there. However, if that was to continue through into adulthood then the person would be abnormal. Learning to trust the parent is there without them touching/ cuddling you is part of maturity. They need to learn that the parent is there for them even when they do not feel them.

We too need to learn to trust that God is there in the objective sense even when we can’t feel him in the subjective sense (See Psalm 43:2 for an example) - that is an aspect of Spiritual maturity.

It is always sad to see a Christian question God’s goodness or faithfulness because they cannot subjectively feel Him. They need to look to their objective position in Christ.

But it is also sad to see Christians deny a subjective experience with Christ because they fear all things ‘charismatic’. Just read the original Welsh Methodist, or some of the great reformed Hymn writers. They felt God.

Don’t we want to experience both of these? The security of objective closeness and the encouragement of subjective closeness? That is what a true Experiential Biblical Calvinist does.

Ok, here goes an attempt to answer the current debate: How do you quantify closeness to Christ?
Is it subjective or objective? Is it a fairly constant gradient or a continualy changing state? Is it based on understanding, emotion, obedience or personal communion? Is is actually something we can aware of?
On an objective level we are always one with Christ and therefore as close as we can get.
Yet on a subjective level, I sometimes feel Christ in a physical and emotional form.
However, there have been times when I have not felt Christ but in looking back over that period I can see that Christ was closer than I could have imagined.
There have been times when I thought I was doing something for Christ and felt a real ‘burden’/ ‘vision’ / righteous anger, and then found out I was being a donkey and it had more to do with pride/ stupidity / bad theology than Christ.
Actually, I haven’t got a simple answer, but let me take a few blogs to unpack it. (We’ll start obvious and basic to make sure we are not ‘assumed evangelicals’)
Point 1: We are always close to Christ because our relationship is based on the cross.
More next time…
(Hold off on the attacks … I will unpack it more)