"Two-Fold Intimacy"

"And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply." Genesis 1:28a

I want to talk about having intimacy with Christ this morning. One of the comparisons that the Bible uses to describe our relationship with the Lord is that of a husband and a wife. There is an aspect of that relationship that is shared only by the two of them- it's intimacy. When we think about intimacy, we usually think about one side of it. We usually think about the pleasure that it brings to us. But intimacy is not just about us receiving pleasure, it has a "practical" purpose as well-- reproduction.

When God gave Adam and Eve the command in the Garden of Eden to be "fruitful and multiply", this command would be fulfilled through their time of intimacy together. Was intimacy strictly about them? Was it given only to satisfy a desire in them? Was it given for their pleasure alone? As we can see from the command that it had a two-fold purpose- pleasure and reproduction.

Our intimacy with the Lord has a two-fold purpose as well. Intimacy is the avenue through which something is "produced". Many Christians aren't "producing" anything because they are not having intimacy with the Savior. Intimacy translated means-- time alone with Him. It's time when we shut the world out and get alone with Jesus. It's time when we sit at His feet lavishing our love on Him through worship and praise. It's time when we sit still and quiet in His presence and allow Him to share His heart with us. It's in those times where something is "received' from Him that will "produce" something in our lives.

There is no other way to become "fruitful"- it comes through intimacy. And what is produced in us is for a purpose-- so that we will have something to "bring forth" in this world. Without intimacy- time alone with Him in His presence- we have nothing to "bring forth"- no love, no joy, no revelation, no peace, and so on.

Our intimacy with Christ is not just strictly about the pleasure we receive from being in His presence. It is also so that He can place something in our hearts that will make us fruitful and cause us to multiply.

Have a great day. Intimacy- time alone in His presence- produces something in us that we can't receive anywhere else or in any other way, so that we can be fruitful and multiply.

For further reading:
Colossians 1:9-11
Matthew 10:8b; 6:6
Mark 4:34; 1:35