“Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee.” Song of Solomon 4:7
Dear Ones:
What is it about the Heavenly Father’s house that distinguishes it above all else? Is it the worship that should occur there? Is it the ornateness, the beauty of its structure and design? Is it the brightness, cleanness, and perfection of every aspect of it? Or is it simply Himself, His Person, what He IS, SAYS, and DOES? In the book of the Revelation, John writes of the New Jerusalem, specifically of “the temple,” or, or what might be interpreted as “the Father’s house:” “And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb ARE the temple of it.” (Rev. 21:22) “And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.” (v.23) Jesus, on one occasion when He entered the temple in Jerusalem, cast out those who were buying and selling there, overthrowing the tables of the moneychangers. He then declared: “My house shall be a house of prayer.” (Matt. 21:13) What does the Father’s house in heaven have to do with the house of God on this earth? Both are locations where the most wonderful characteristic is the presence of God. In the Old Testament, in the Tabernacle, or Tent of Meeting, and later in Solomon’s temple, the glory of God was the most distinguishing and dominating factor. The purpose of that temple, or house, with regard to mankind, was that it be a place of meeting. It would be, as Moses wrote concerning the Ark of the Covenant found in the temple, and the mercy seat upon the altar: “There, I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee.” (Exodus 25:22) Later in Exodus, the Lord speaks to Moses, with regard to the door of the Tabernacle: “…where I will meet you, to speak there unto you. And there I will meet with the children of Israel, and the Tabernacle shall be sanctified by my glory.” (29:42,43) The great purpose of the house of the Father, because of the presence of the Father and of the Lamb, is for man to commune with God, to meet with God, to worship, and to hear Him speak through His word. This is the greatest, and most wonderful, meeting place of God, His house. In a very special way, God’s house is His presence. This is why the Lord Jesus says concerning prayer, and communing with God: “When you pray, enter into your closet (room), and when you have shut the door, pray to your Father which is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.” (Matthew 6:6) This great privilege and possibility of meeting with God is conditional, not on the Father’s desire, will, or promise of meeting the believer, but upon the believer’s right attitude towards Him, and towards others.
We know that, with regard to sin, we are called upon to have “clean hands and a pure heart,” in our approach to the Father. It was the Psalmist who wrote: “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.” (Ps. 66:18) Consciousness of sin, without allowing God to cleanse us from it, will not be blessed of God. He only hear at that point the cry for forgiveness and restoration.
There is another condition to certainly commune with God, and it has to do with others in the body of Christ, or believers in the Father’s house. In the body of Christ, God sees every one of His children as perfect, fair, the pure object of His unceasing love. So must we, even though we all have our faults, inconsistences, opinions, and persuasions. We cannot judge another person’s motives, only the result of a wrong motive. Though we cannot approve of sin, we can and will embrace the brother or sister in Christ, for whom Jesus’ died, esteeming them to be more important than ourselves.
Dear Father, Open our eyes to see the unparalleled glory of communion with Thee. Deliver us quickly from the pitfalls which would hinder us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Love, Dad