By Teena Myers

What do we have in common with God? He is Spirit. We are flesh. He lives forever. We will return to dust. He is love. Our love for others is tainted with selfishness. God is rich. The richest man on earth lives in poverty compared to God. His foolishness is wiser than the wisdom of the wisest person who ever lived. God’s weakness is stronger than our greatest strength. How can we draw near to God, have fellowship with God when we have nothing in common?

Hebrews 7:18-19 NAS95 (18)  For, on the one hand, there is a setting aside of a former commandment because of its weakness and uselessness (19) (for the Law made nothing perfect), and on the other hand there is a bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God.

The only basis of our fellowship with God is the “better hope” the prophets and apostles spoke about and wrote about. The hope God gave to Abraham before he gave Moses the law.

The law God gave to Moses could not perfect us. The Greek word translated as “perfect” means to complete. We are not complete until we are reunited with the God who created us. The law God gave to Moses condemns us making it powerless to complete us.

After Jesus was resurrected, God introduced a better hope when:

Psalm 110:1 AMP The Lord (Father) says to my Lord (the Messiah, His Son), “Sit at my right hand Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet [subjugating them into complete submission].

Then God made that promise unchangeable when:

Psalm 110:4 AMP The Lord has sworn [an oath] and will not change His mind: “You are a priest forever…”

The better hope is to be ruled by Jesus who is God with us (Mat. 1:23), who cannot lie (Heb 6:18), who died so we can live (John 11:25, 14:19), and will not lord it over us as the rulers of this world do (Mark 10:42-45).

Through the better hope we draw near to God. The only thing we have in common with God is the desire for a nation that gives true justice and equality because it’s government serves us and does what is in our best interest instead of serving itself.

1 John 3:2-3 NAS95  (2)  Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. (3)  And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

God made it easy for us to be pure in his eyes. When we hope for the things God wants to give us, it makes us pure like God is pure. No one in their own strength can make themselves pure enough to be God’s child. Everyone can purify their hearts by embracing the hope God gave to Abraham.

Jesus told us why we need a pure heart.

Matthew 5:8 NAS95  “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Jesus was not talking about going to Heaven to see God. He is talking about the need to see or understand God so we can survive in the cruel world we live in.

Ephesians 1:15-18 NAS95 (15)  For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love for all the saints, (16)  do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers; (17)  that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. (18)  I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, …

Other translations say the “eye of your understanding. The unusual miracles God did at Ephesus had already produced faith and many forsook their idols to worship God. Now they needed to understand the hope God gave them. Paul prayed God would give them wisdom and revelation so they would understand the hope of their calling, so they can, as Jesus said, “see God,” not with our eyes of flesh, but with the eyes of our understanding.

1 Corinthians 2:6-10 NAS95 (6)  Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away; (7)  but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory; (8)  the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory; (9)  but just as it is written, “THINGS WHICH EYE HAS NOT SEEN AND EAR HAS NOT HEARD, AND which HAVE NOT ENTERED THE HEART OF MAN, ALL THAT GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM.” (10)  For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God.

God wants those who love him to know the things he is giving to us that no eye has seen, no ear heard, and no one could even imagine unless God himself revealed it to us. Paul quoted from Isaiah when he wrote those words.

Isaiah 64:4 NAS95 (4)  For from days of old they have not heard or perceived by ear, Nor has the eye seen a God besides You, Who acts in behalf of the one who waits for Him.

Paul defined waiting as love. If we love God, we will wait for him to act on our behalf, because we have faith he will keep his word.