My daughter has a small dog that is 14 years old. For his age, he is relatively active and healthy except for one thing, he is totally blind. This is not a huge problem for him most of the time. He knows how to find his food and water and if things are not moved around too much, he can get through the house fairly well. However, most of his time is spent as close to his master as he can get.
She takes him with her as much as she can, but there are times he must be left behind. If he is at our house and my daughter is not there, he wanders around whining and crying, trying to find her. At times, he will locate the door and lay with his nose near it, attempting to pick up her scent. When she returns to get him, he knows it is her and goes crazy until she picks him up.
This is a trivial illustration to make a profoundly serious point. It is frightening to be in the dark and alone. This is the situation everyone finds themselves in before finding Jesus, the Master and staying close to him. In our study of Ephesians, we have been answering the question, “Who am I in Christ?” To make this next asset more understandable, the Apostle Paul first reminds us of who we were without a relationship with the Master. Ephesians 2:11-12, “Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (that done in the body by the hands of men)–12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.” Being without God is always a place without hope. It is a place of fear and loneliness. Later in Ephesians 4:3-4, Paul tells us this, “And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”
But we are not left in this dark and hopeless situation. Ephesians 2:13, gives us this promise, “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.” Imagine if you were totally blind and were dropped into a place you had never been. You do not know where or even what the dangers may be. And then, you feel strong arms wrap around you and at that moment, you are whisked away to a place of safety where your sight is fully restored. This is the picture of salvation by faith in Jesus. However, as advantages as it is to be free from blindness, this is not the most important asset we have gained. Being near to God brings an overwhelming sense of comfort and hope. Having been brought near to God is not simply about a space in proximity to someone. When we receive redemption through faith in the blood of Jesus, God’s Spirit lives in us. Although we often talk about having Jesus in our hearts, this indwelling is far deeper. God inhabits every part of our being. 1 Corinthians 3:16, “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?” Throughout Old Testament history, the temple was the location of the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies. This is where the High Priest would have access to God to make sacrifice for the sins of the people. When Jesus gave his life, this access was granted to everyone. We do not need a room in a building to worship God, we have been brought near to him. Our access is unlimited. It has no boundaries of time. It is not dependent on anyone or anything. Because of Jesus, I am the place where God dwells. I can pour out the difficulties or praise him for his blessing any moment of any day. I am brought near.