{"id":3341,"date":"2012-12-14T09:20:47","date_gmt":"2012-12-14T14:20:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/simplelife\/?p=3341"},"modified":"2012-12-20T09:35:51","modified_gmt":"2012-12-20T14:35:51","slug":"face-to-face-with-god","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/simplelife\/2012\/12\/face-to-face-with-god.html","title":{"rendered":"Face to face with God"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>In ancient times, few people were given the privilege of seeing God. \u00a0While we aren’t told that Abraham actually saw God face to face, we know that God valued Abraham so much that he was called “the friend of God.” \u00a0It was an amazing closeness.<\/p>\n

However, for the Hebrews to acknowledge that a man would have friendship with their G-d was not even logical. \u00a0Jehovah’s name alone was so holy that the Jewish people dare not speak it. \u00a0Therefore, when spelling G-d’s name, the vowels are left out so it cannot be pronounced.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Understand, this is a sensible precaution considering the history of \u00a0mankind-and-God’s tentative relationship. We note that God loves. \u00a0Man rejects his love through sin. \u00a0God continues to love. \u00a0Women and men fail. \u00a0God loves. \u00a0We finally fail so completely that the only answer is to turn to God. \u00a0God forgives in his love. \u00a0God and man live in harmony for a time and then the cycle begins again.<\/p>\n

Therefore, it is amazing that God’s mercy and grace reached out to us to give to us his son. \u00a0He is a man whom we can touch and with whom we can experience God’s forgiving love through a personal relationship. \u00a0We are no longer slaves but friends.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>I often tell people that I’m God’s favorite. \u00a0Most people laugh. \u00a0Some get angry. \u00a0Yet, it is the fact that God desires to have a personal relationship with me that leads me to believe that I must be his favorite. \u00a0I know who I am and how much I must be forgiven each day. \u00a0Still, he loves me. \u00a0He desires to be my friend!<\/p>\n

Christmas reminds us that God became a man in order that we might become a friend of God, having a face-to-face relationship. \u00a0Through our own efforts, we cannot obtain forgiveness or peace. \u00a0Ironically, achievement isn’t necessary. \u00a0Acceptance of God’s grace is. \u00a0Jesus’ birth means that we come face to face with God and we share in his love with total abandonment and joy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In ancient times, few people were given the privilege of seeing God. \u00a0While we aren’t told that Abraham actually saw God face to face, we know that God valued Abraham so much that he was called “the friend of God.” \u00a0It was an amazing closeness. However, for the Hebrews to acknowledge that a man would…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":387,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,20,3,40,186,49,16,8,4,41],"tags":[690,21,688,696,7,699,715,701,694,689,57,6,687,700],"class_list":["post-3341","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-christianity","category-church","category-developmental-disabilities","category-faith","category-hope","category-inspiration","category-intellectual-disability","category-mentally-challenged-community","category-simple-truths","category-spirituality","tag-autism-spectrum","tag-christian","tag-christianity","tag-church","tag-developmental-disabilities-2","tag-faith","tag-hope","tag-inspiration","tag-intellectual-disability","tag-mentally-challenged-community","tag-prayer","tag-simple-scriptural-truths","tag-simple-truths","tag-spirituality"],"yoast_head":"\nFace to face with God - A Simple Life, a Childlike Faith<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, nofollow\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Face to face with God - A Simple Life, a Childlike Faith\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"In ancient times, few people were given the privilege of seeing God. \u00a0While we aren’t told that Abraham actually saw God face to face, we know that God valued Abraham so much that he was called “the friend of God.” \u00a0It was an amazing closeness. 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