The Eternal God has no favorites, but He has “intimates.” However, those who would enjoy intimacy must be willing to pay the price, which is stated generically in Jer. 29:13, “You shall seek me and find me when you seek for me with all your heart.” In all earnestness I enquired of the Lord to tell me specifically how to have intimacy with Him. The results are as follows:
- You must specifically confess all known sin in your life – Proverbs 28:13; 1 John 1:9 – Sins of commission and omission, of thoughts and action, private and public. There is no blessing for the person who “covers” or won’t admit his sins.
- You must forsake these sins specifically by the aid of the power of Christ (Phil. 4:13; Isaiah 55:7-8).
- You must have (know) and keep God’s commandments, not as a duty, but simply because you love Jesus (John 14:21).
- You must walk in the light (1 John 1:7) – To walk in the Light means two things:
- You must be utterly honest and sincere with God, yourself and others. Paul prayed that you and I might be “sincere and without offense” (Phil. 1:10). The word “sincere” comes from two Latin words, sine and cera, which means “without wax.” Roman sculptors often filled the defects in their marble statues with wax.
- You must live up to all the light of the truth God has revealed to you.
- You must be active in sharing your faith (Philemon 1:6). When you do this, you will understand “all the good things you have in Christ,” not least of which is “intimacy” with Him.
- You must trust in the Lord with all your heart (Prov. 3:5-6). We must trust Him not only for the salvation of our souls but also for the direction of our lives. Every area of our lives must be turned over to His control – “In all thy ways acknowledge Him.” We must also acknowledge that we do not know what is best for us, that we are not capable of guiding ourselves – “Lean not unto thine own understanding.” Then He will make guidance so clear that to refuse would be positive disobedience.
- You must live in the “fear of the Lord” (Prov. 1:7). 25:14 promises “The secrets of the Lord is with those who fear Him.” “The secrets” means “personal intimate communion.” Fear means “great awe, reverence and submission” toward the Holy God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
- You must cultivate a contrite and humble heart (Isa. 57:15; James 4:5; 1 Peter 5:5). Our only boast should be in the cross of Christ (Gal. 6:14). “All the vain things that charm me most I sacrifice them to His blood.”
- You must seek the Lord with all your heart (Jer. 29:13. This requires that you have a meaningful time daily with the Lord, which calls for a special time, sufficient time, a special place, a special book and a special plan – for prayer.
- You must give God and Him alone all the glory in all things, including your intimacy with Him (Isa. 42:8; 1 Cor. 10:31).