Have you ever thought about what God uses as catalysts for radical change in men and women? Most of us would quickly say that we want to be more like Jesus and would welcome anything that would accelerate the process. If you asked the standard Christian how God changes us, he would probably respond that Bible study, prayer, and church attendance are the keys. Those are undoubtedly good things and even essential things in the life of believers, but what do we see in scripture as the most catalytic change agent in the lives of God’s people from Genesis to Revelation? That can be answered in one word – Encounter.
An encounter with the living God is the most remarkable catalyst for change in the Bible. The encounter can come in various packages – a voice from heaven, a burning bush, an angelic visitation, a dream or a vision, manna in the morning, healing, resurrection, miraculous deliverance from lions or fire, miraculous provision, victories over impossible odds or fire dancing on your head and strange languages coming out of your mouth. The Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Gideon, David, Daniel, Joseph, Saul of Tarsus, Peter, etc. were profoundly changed by personal encounters with God rather than increased time in the Torah. Even David who sings the praises of the Word of God throughout the Psalms apparently was able to experience God in the sanctuary as he “sought his face.” David’s emphasis on the amazing goodness of God’s Word and his commandments came from his experiences with God and the knowledge that keeping God’s word carefully aligned us for even more encounters.
By the time we get to the book of Acts, encountering God through the Holy Spirit became a daily event in the life of believers as they experienced unusual boldness in sharing the gospel, found themselves healing the sick, casting out demons, uttering prophecies, and learning to be led by the Holy Spirit on a daily basis. Our standard catalysts of Bible study, prayer, and “church attendance” were never intended to be ends in themselves but are intended to lead us into regular encounters with God.
The Pharisees with whom Jesus had so many unpleasant conversations were men of prayer, men of Bible study who “searched the scriptures,” and men of the synagogue. But they were not changed. They could not recognize Jesus for who he was. As Jesus said, they were clean on the outside but rotten on the inside. There were, of course, a few truth seekers among them. Nicodemus was one. When he came to Jesus by night seeking some spiritual insight, Jesus told him that he needed to be born again – born of water and the Spirit. A better translation of “born again” might be “born from above.” In other words, Nicodemus needed a life-changing encounter with God through the Holy Spirit.
Three years with Jesus seemed to have had minimal effect on the disciples because they were encountering God through Jesus rather than having direct personal encounters. No doubt, some of the things they saw Jesus do rocked their world and opened their eyes to greater possibilities than they had ever been offered in synagogue but their direct encounter with the Holy Spirit on Pentecost was the truly transformative moment for each of them that was a gateway for more encounters.
From the beginning, God did not want man to simply know about him but rather to have personal encounters with him. That is why he would walk with Adam and Eve in the garden in the cool of the evenings. He still desires that. If your spiritual life has simply been an effort to acquire more information about God, to know your Bible better, or to be certain of your doctrinal standings then you have missed the point. The point is to encounter God in a supernatural way. I am not trying to diminish the value of Bible study. It is essential, but it is not an end in itself. It is not just an ancient picture to be hung on the wall and admired, but a living map to lead us into life-changing encounters with the creator of the universe. Scripture says that if we seek God, with all of our hearts we will find him. Notice our goal is to find him, not just find out about him. May you encounter him today in a way that changes your life forever.
