Promised Presence

“I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”
—John 17:26 NIV

Jesus has promised to make himself known to us through the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. Before we could even learn to seek him, he had willed in his heart to seek us first. Thank you, Jesus, for your faithful love toward your people.

The revelation of God comes with the clear purpose of manifesting his love in our hearts. No other driving force can so effectively establish God’s people in holiness, humility, and freedom. Apart from this infilling of love, we are constantly seeking our own desires.

But God is persistent.

He doesn’t show up one time to reveal himself. Instead, he pursues us constantly. He is always there when we turn to seek him—he is there even when we run away from him. Like a good and faithful father, he is always prepared for our return to his table of grace.

This is the only hope we have for salvation. Even though a one-time visitation would be an incredibly gracious and generous gift from the God of the universe, a radical encounter cannot sustain a lifetime of faith in God. It is not enough to come to the well only occasionally, nor is this the desire of God for us. We require constant help to live in a way that honors and worships God. We need a flow of God’s love into our hearts that never stops.

God knows that we can only sustain a life of holiness when we have the power of his Spirit alive within us. God created us for relationship, so a life of abiding is nothing less than the most intimate relationship possible with your creator God.

Knowing this, God made a way to set his Spirit in our hearts forever. Through the forgiveness of our sins and the washing of Christ’s blood over our conscience, we are justified in the eyes of God. We become worthy vessels to carry the Spirit of God within us.

You were made to abide in Christ, so Jesus made a way for you to abide in him.