Lasting fulfillment only comes through a personal, ongoing relationship with Jesus Christ. And it’s eternal!

12 Like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold is the rebuke of a wise judge to a listening ear [it’s what His voice sounds like when He speaks to our spirits].

Many people who follow Christ do so at a distance; they follow a set of rules. The problem is that they don’t really know the Maker of those rules, and therefore tend to see how closely they can get to the line without going over, or going over just a little bit to see if they will actually be punished for it. What they don’t know is that God doesn’t have to punish them; the natural consequences of our actions will do that. Somehow, they have missed the most important part of Christianity, which is the relationship with Him.

⁴ But when the fullness of the time came, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, ⁵ so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons and daughters. ⁶ Because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba [Daddy]! Father!” Galatians 4:4-6 [note: the passage at Biblegateway has reference notes as links]

This passage is what Christmas is all about! Jesus came so that through His atonement for our sin, He might send the Holy Spirit back into believers in order to restore the fellowship that used to be. Adam and Eve had it good, but I think our present situation is better: We get the Spirit of God and Christ in us 24/7! What we need to do is turn away from the things of this world that distract us from what is going on inside of us. What is going on inside us? How can we turn away from our distractions? By getting in a quiet place and reading our Bibles. The words of God and the words of Christ will become living bread that satisfies our souls. For instance, this next passage is a favorite of mine (it’s a good one to memorize):

⁹ For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,¹⁰ so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, ¹¹ being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, ¹² and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. ¹³ For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, ¹⁴ in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Colossians 1:9-14

And, what do we get through this symbiotic relationship with Christ?

1. We become filled with wisdom and understanding,
2. we live a worthy life,
3. we bear fruit;
4. we grow in our personal and active knowledge of God,
5. we become strong in the power of the Holy Spirit,
6. we have great endurance and patience,
7. and we give joyful thanks to the Father!

We are no long trapped in the dominion of darkness, but He has brought us into the kingdom of Christ. How? Through the forgiveness of sins–our redemption by way of the cross. It is at this point that we should exclaim as Paul did in Romans 11,

³³ Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
    How unsearchable his judgments,
    and his paths beyond tracing out!
³⁴ “Who has known the mind of the Lord?
    Or who has been his counselor?”
³⁵ “Who has ever given to God,
    that God should repay them?”
³⁶ For from him and through him and for him are all things.
    To him be the glory forever! Amen.
Romans 11:33-36

Abba, You have done so much for us at great expense to Yourself. May we take our salvation very seriously and “study to show ourselves approved by You, workmen who need not be ashamed, right handling the Word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). Your Word is truth; Lord Jesus, You are truth, and Your Spirit, who is truth, as well, reveals truth to us. Because of Your great love for us, You have chosen to give us the mind of Christ! Overwhelm us, O Lord. Wash over us like the waves of the sea! May we get lost in Your love. Amen.