We’ve been called into intimacy in relationship with God. We’re not just called to live a life of faith. We’re not just called to serve the Lord - a doctrine. We’re called into intimacy in the fellowship of His Son. The greatest ability you possess in the grace of God is to be with Him, not heal the sick. What surpasses everything you’ll ever do in the Christian life is the ability to be with Him - the ability to be one with Him, to have your face unveiled, to know Him and to be known by Him. It’s the greatest blessing of your life. [It] isn’t to serve the Lord, it’s to know the Lord. - Dan Mohler1
We’re not applying principles to get results. We’re living in a faith that works through love. Somehow I have to just stay here and stay real basic with this because I feel [it’s] important in my heart that this has to get into us tonight that to know Him is eternal life - not to confess Him and pray a prayer - to know Him is eternal life. And it starts the day you’re saved or born again because before that you were dead. So life begins through Christ. Eternal life or everlasting life doesn’t start when the trumpet blows and Jesus comes. It starts the day you get born again. And eternal life is knowing Him which means the Gospel’s implying that you getting born again is your introduction to relationship with God. And now you know your Father. Many of us, even in this room, even though you’re in Spirit filled circles, haven’t come in that way. We’ve come in through a prayer to get to heaven, a prayer to get our sins forgiven, a prayer to get our names in a book. We haven’t seen ourselves coming into a relationship with Father that makes us sons, daughters. Man, if you would get that right off the bat and see that first that just changes a lot. I’m not trying to measure up, fit in, I’ve been accepted in the Beloved. I’ve been predestined to be His son from the beginning of time. Christ came, I’ve received Him and here I am. I’ve come home. You’ve accepted me. Right? It’s a big deal. So I have a relationship with God. … If there’s one thing that I see that my heart cries to be strengthened in the body of Christ and us as believers and in my own life even more and more is relationship with God - where we know Him - where we live from the place of knowing Him - not knowing what He said through Jesus - not knowing what Jesus said through His life’s expression - not what He said through His word, which all sounds important, but I’m talking about knowing Him. I’m talking about sitting on your bed at night and knowing that you’re valuable to the heart of God. I’m talking knowing that you’re loved by Him. Not because you’ve read it in your Bible but because you know it because you’ve spent time with Him expressing that faith to Him and letting grace touch that faith and mold you into that truth. Where come hell or high water you know you have favor with God. You know you’re a child of God. - Dan Mohler2
And there’s times people can hold your hand and walk you through things but your relationship with Jesus is second to none. Your time with Him, your ability to be in His presence surpasses every privilege of life. And that’s where you find Him and know Him. And that’s where He becomes real and alive. And now you’re not trying to serve doctrine, you’re in love. See, that’s what’s wrong with me. If there’s anything wrong with me, I’m in love. I have a relationship with the God of the universe by His choice. He wooed me and called me out of darkness when I was running from Him because I didn’t know what I was doing. Man, if I knew what I was doing I’d have run smack into Him long ago. But I ignored and I pushed and I shoved and people that were on fire for God I avoided and thought they were weird and out of balance and flaky. And I found every excuse to stay lost. And He never changed His mind about me. He never called my name in a board meeting and said, “Look, let’s give up on him. If he didn’t change by now, he’s never going to change. He knew who He made me to be. When I was thirty-three He came and got me. And now I’m fifty and you can tell that I’m in love. - Dan Mohler3
See yourself as He sees you
If you don’t see yourself the way God sees you, you’ll never draw closer to Him. You’ve got to start where Jesus finished if you’re going to run well. Do you follow me? You have to see how God sees you today to have confidence to approach Him. - Dan Mohler4
If you don’t see yourself the way God sees you, you won’t have that intimacy. You won’t even believe it’s possible. It is so imperative that you see yourself the way God sees you through His Son. If you see yourself with a lot to work on, “Oh, I’m getting there brother,” you probably don’t have much intimacy with the Lord - I’m talking unveiled, alone with Him, open to Jesus - because you don’t have a good impression of yourself. And you see yourself for where you’re not instead of where He’s placed you. Come on, this thing I’m talking about is critical in your life. If you don’t see yourself the way God sees you through the finished work of Christ, I promise you you’re not having intimacy in your life with the Lord, because it’s called “veiled.” You’re veiled. There’s a level of condemnation, guilt, shame or somewhere you should be that you’re not that’s going to intrude with your ability to just be open to Him and come boldly to Him. - Dan Mohler5
Now if you don’t see how God sees you, you won’t get close enough and pursue Him enough to get to know Him enough. You’ll think He sees you different and you won’t approach Him like He’s made possible for you to approach Him. He wants you to come unveiled, unashamed, boldly, not cocky, not arrogantly, just unashamed and boldly because you understand His heart toward you Jason. And you just want to come to Him and know Him as a Father because He says, “Come to me son. I’ve always loved you.” It’s that simple. - Dan Mohler6
The Mediator
“For this reason He is the mediator.” Isn’t that good? He’s the go between. He’s the One that stands on behalf of God and man. He represents God’s heart to the people and He represents the people back to God. He’s the go between. He’s the middle man. He’s the Man between God and man. He’s my access to the Father. That’s why He gets all the glory. That’s why His name [is] above every name. That’s why there’s no shortcuts. That’s why Jesus is Lord. - Dan Mohler7
God loves us and He rejoices when you believe it and receive it. He takes pleasure in faith because faith makes it possible to walk in what He accomplished. It’s impossible to please Him without faith because without faith you’ll never walk in what He did. He must be really into redeeming us to do something so dramatic. - Dan Mohler8
Run to Papa
And if I do stumble along the way… (It’s so not in my heart to stumble. Oh God, let’s just get there. It’s so not in our heart to stumble.) So if I do stumble along the way, nothing can take a shot at my identity because I turn right to Papa and say, “You know that is so not who I am. That is so not who you are in me and I am so glad for the light in my life that would expose that for the darkness that it is. And I yield myself to your love and your mercy and I thank you you’re faithful.” And He forgives me and His blood washes me and He cleanses me of all unrighteousness so I remain continually righteous in His sight even if I stumble. So I don’t lose a minute. I actually gain revelation and relationship of His love and it puts integrity and character in me and makes me wiser and sharper and I’m less tending to stumble again. But if you focus on the stumble and you try to minister to the stumble and you identify with the stumble and through the stumble, you will stumble and stumble and stumble. If you try not to sin, you are sure to but if you wear your righteousness you will find yourself walking free in places you used to be bound. Are you hearing me? [This] is good stuff. You try not to sin, all you’ll be conscious of is what’s still wrong with you. It’s time to get conscious of what’s been made right with you. - Dan Mohler9
Seeing the stumble
If you just stumble along the way or you see yourself and you say, “Man, that was so of before. That was so flesh. Man, that was critical.” All of the sudden you see it. Why do you see it? Because there’s light in your life now. [You] used to be critical and think it was normal. Now you’re critical and now you see it. Why? Because God’s doing a work in our lives. There’s light. It exposes things that are dark. And all of the sudden we break fellowship with it by not letting it become our identity. You don’t call a friend and cry and make an extra fuss about it, “Oh, I’m such a this and I’m so this and yesterday I this and I should be…I should know better by now. I should be free. I wonder if I’m even saved.” Because people do that stuff man. Are you kidding me? You go oh, and you fall in love more and more. You love God more and more because He’s exposing things. He’s sanctifying your life. He’s causing your heart to see what you didn’t see before. So you run. The place you want to be is on Daddy’s lap. And He’s faithful and just to forgive you. So what are you? Forgiven and cleansed of all [unrighteousness] - nothing dirty about me. I look good to Him. He loves me. It’s His good pleasure to give me the Kingdom. It doesn’t make me a perfect man in every way but He’s growing me to that place. He’s perfected me through Christ. - Dan Mohler10
Notes:
1. "Knowing" God - relationship - to know Him is greatest privilege in life - one with Him - Dan Mohler (:43)
2. "Knowing" God - relationship - to know Him is eternal life - born again - unshakable - (4:21)
3. "Knowing" God - I'm in love - your time with Him is the highest privilege - God reality - (1:10)
4. Importance of seeing yourself as God sees you - confidence to approach - Dan Mohler (:20)
5. Importance of seeing yourself as God sees you - otherwise won't believe intimacy is possible - (1:00)
6. Importance of seeing yourself as God sees you - God's heart toward you - unveiled - boldly - (:30)
7. Access to the Father - Mediator - God to man and man to God - Jesus is the way to the Father - (:34)
8. God delights in faith because of what can happen through faith - Dan Mohler (:35)
9. Run to Papa - nothing can take shot at identity - confess - continually righteous in His sight - (1:44)
10. Seeing the stumble - light exposes darkness - sin not accepted as identity - sanctifying - (1:22)