“I opened to my beloved; but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone: my soul failed when he spake: I sought him, but I could not find him. I called him but he gave me no answer.” Song of Solomon 5:6
Sometimes in a believer’s life, it takes time to understand what the great priority and calling of God is. The Lord Jesus did not die on Calvary just to deal with our sins, our past, and all that pertains to the old life outside of Christ. Nor did He die only in order to transfer us from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light. It is a wonderful thing to understand something of the greatness of our salvation, but the question must be asked, and answered: Why? The primary answer is that it was for the glory of God, and on this point, there is no dispute or hesitation in declaring it, for it is so. However, there is something very essential to realize concerning, not only what Christ saved us from, but what He saved us “to.” If God is to be glorified in our lives, then the answer to these questions must be understood and embraced. What is that essential thing? It is communion with God, that intimate fellowship with God, whereby the soul recevies from Him the blessed life of the Spirit of Christ, and where His word becomes living and powerful in its operation in the life, and where Christ Himself becomes real to the spirit and soul of the believer. In that giving by the Father and the Son by the Spirit, there is a way to receive and return that love and goodness of God. It is by fellowship with Christ. All becomes possible by the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus. Paul wrote the following concerning the essential of fellowship: “God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord.” (1 Cor. 1:9) Christ’s work on Calvary in its complete victory over all that would militate against the salvation of a single soul, was for the purpose of creating fellowship, communion with God, so that His glory should be revealed in the individual’s life. How then do we know that we are right with God, and are in that right attitude ofheart, having fellowship with Him? The answer lies in the word “readiness.”
In the Gospels we find where Jesus deals again and again with the question of whether an individual has truly believed. He deals with both an attitude and a walk. The attitude is one of repentance and faith, surrender and trust. It is a turning away from all other “gods” to surrender to Him as Lord, trusting Him and in Him alone to save the soul by His precious blood, forgiving all sins, and then giving the Spirit of God to bring that person to the new birth. The act of the heart at that moment, by the grace of God, is one of total commitment to Him, trusting Him for all. The evidence of the truth of that “faith” is a walk, though not perfect, but one which is upward and no longer downward. But what about actual communion with Christ? How do we know that we are “ready,” and in a disposition of heart to fellowship with Him?
In the Song of Solomon, which is picture of the relationship between the Great Shepherd and His beloved bride, we find her at one point hearing the voice of her beloved, who was on the outside of her dwelling. She did not respond quickly to his call, as it was inconvenient. She had settled down to enjoy the blessings of such a relationship, but had become imprisoned by them. She slowly went to the door, somewhat hesitatingly, only to find that he had gone. She called to him but he did not answer. Like the salvation that Christ gives, communion is a precious thing. The person who would know communion with Christ is that person who hears His voice and runs.
Dear Father, Quicken us to run. In Jesus’ name, Amen.