FOUR STAGES

There are clear stages of our Christian life that God call us to in this life.

The first one is a call that goes out to all. Come follow me. This the initial call to follow Him and become His disciple. That never changes but I think it would be safe to say many believers don’t move beyond that. It’s a call to be an apprentice. An apprentice has a teacher and in Christ we find a loving teacher. A disciple is close but not that close.

The next stage is found in John 15:15 Jesus says I know long call you servants but I have called you friends. They share more than just work and ethics with each other. They share their lives on a far deeper level. They enjoy being in each other’s company. Being with each other. Then Paul takes it even deeper calling us the children of God. To be Gods child  is to be even more vulnerable and dependant than a friend. Its to be secure in our identity.

Then finally we see in Rev 22. It says the spirit and the bride come. The final consummation. The marriage and the great marriage supper of the lamb where we are Christs bride and Jesus is the bride groom. God the Father presents us to the bridegroom. It’s the deepest cry of the human heart from the aching and longing of a spouse yearning for the final union with its Love. This the ultimate journey into God. The ultimate one with the lover of our soul. It begins with a thirst and call to follow Him and ends in a marriage. The church is the bride of Christ waiting for the consummation day being brought into the very heart of God Himself. See how he loves his church, His people. Let’s not lose sight of the final goal of our lives. A continual thirst to come. He invites us whoever thirsts come and drink from the living water.  That’s our journey and walk in this life. Thirst is more than just passion. Passion can come and go depending on the seasons etc but a thirst is always there running deep in our lives. Don’t ever stop thirsting for intimacy with Him.