Overview
There is no distance between us and God: through the blood of Jesus Christ, those who were once far off have been made nigh, and God has put His own spirit inside us. In this teaching, recorded from a rural home on the Western Slope of the Colorado Rockies, the speaker uses the Continental Divide as a picture of the barriers people believe separate them, then works through Isaiah 46:13, Isaiah 57:15, Ephesians 2:13, Ephesians 3:16, the centurion in Matthew 8 and Psalm 73:28 to show that distance is a human perception rather than a spiritual fact. God conquered distance long ago, just as He conquered the consequences of sin and sickness. Our part is to draw near to Him in how we think.
Transcript
Distance Is a Matter of Perspective, Not Just Miles
Hi everyone, today I’d like to explore with you the subject of distance. You know, it’s not so much all the problems with distance, but it’s our perspective of distance that I think makes the biggest difference in how we’re affected in our lives. You know, it’s not as if physical distance doesn’t exist, it certainly does, but it’s God who helps us to overcome any adverse effects of distance.
Living on the Western Slope of the Continental Divide
You know, distance is such a popular subject right now, and I’ve come to think that perhaps my husband and I have become somewhat of the experts on how to deal with it. Possibly it’s because we already live in the middle of nowhere. We are in a very rural area here in Colorado.
In fact, we live on what is called the Western Slope, and what that means is that we live on the western side of the Continental Divide. This divide is the result of a sequence of mountains that literally form a barrier between our side of the state and the east side, and so any rain or snow that falls on the east side eventually flows to the Atlantic Ocean, and anything on our side flows to the Pacific Ocean. And if we were to let that idea of this huge divide affect how we see ourselves as being part of the rest of humanity, it would be very sad.
But we refuse to think that way, and in fact we go back and forth and back and forth whenever we need to. You know, from a practical point of view, we need to understand that when we need to go somewhere and we need to accomplish something with God, it’s very possible. It’s like a simple thing for my husband and I, if we decide we need to go to a city like Denver, then we simply drive across the Continental Divide, and of course we’ve done that in all kinds of weather and all kinds of conditions, and we go up over Berthoud Pass, which at the highest point is about 11,000 feet above sea level.
And as long as you remember not to look over the edge, and to think about what’s down there below you, there’s no problem. And in the summertime, we can go over Trail Ridge Road, which is a path that goes through Rocky Mountain National Park, and that road is literally the tallest paved continuous highway in North America. And it’s a lot more serious, even scary, if you look over the edge, where there’s no guardrail, and it’s 12,000 feet above sea level. And that’s a place where even trees don’t want to grow.
Why Distance Is Perceived as Separation and Loss
So, what does any of this have to do with our perspective toward God? I’ve been thinking about how there’s many periods in life when we hear about the intimidating ideas concerning distance. Distance usually implies separation.
Sometimes, we are separated from friends or family members, or even services and conveniences. Distance usually is perceived as an obstacle, and almost it seems insurmountable at times. That’s a perception that we carry in our own minds.
If I dwell on that, about how I’m separated from something that I value or that I crave, then I feel a loss. There’s a dictionary definition of distance that says, it’s the state or fact of being apart in space, as of one thing from another. It means remoteness.
But that’s only a human understanding of the concept. From God’s point of view, distance actually means very little. In fact, He conquered distance a long, long time ago.
You know, if I wanted to build my own case concerning the difficulties of distance, I could tell you that I live six and a half miles from my mailbox. Whenever I need to go to the grocery store, I travel 16 miles. And it’s actually 91 miles from me to the nearest department store.
God Brings His Righteousness Near: Isaiah 46 and Isaiah 57
But that’s not how I think about my life and my lifestyle and what we do day in and day out and how we manage distance. And when you get down to it, and you think about God and His perspective of us, then you realize that with God, there’s really no distance at all. Please go to Isaiah chapter 46.
And there in Isaiah 46, verse 13, God says, I bring near my righteousness, it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not tarry. And I will place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory. You know, I believe that God is actually very comfortable with where He lives and the space that He occupies.
We’re the ones who need to deal with our perception of distance and remain close to Him in how we think. There’s a verse in Isaiah, another verse in Isaiah, Isaiah 57, verse 15, that says, For thus saith the high and lofty one that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is holy, I dwell in the high and holy place with Him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. You know, God is that high and lofty one, and He doesn’t have boundaries, least of all, a boundary of distance.
But amidst that, He also doesn’t want to dwell out there by Himself. He’s not satisfied with just His own position. He wants to share it with us who are of a humble mindset.
Where the Idea of Distance Began: Adam and Eve in Eden
And that’s how He pictures us. You know, in thinking about distance, I realized that perhaps the whole concept probably came into being when Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden of Eden. Up until that time, they enjoyed complete harmony and closeness with God.
Adam never dreamed that he’d have to take an Uber to go visit God or any other means in order to go out to see God. God was there. He had made their lives complete.
But when Adam and Eve breached their agreement between them and God, then they needed to leave and that’s when they started to feel the distance. Thankfully, God bridged that gap through Jesus Christ so that we can enjoy this closeness with God again uninterrupted. God conquered distance, just like He conquered the consequences of sin and sickness through Jesus Christ.
Made Nigh by the Blood of Christ: Ephesians 2:13
He tore down the separation between mankind and Himself. Please go to Ephesians, Ephesians chapter 2, and in verse 13, you’ll see that it says, But now, in Christ Jesus, ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh or near by the blood of Christ. That is what God prepared for us so that there literally is no distance between us and Him.
You know, from a human point of view, there are so many representations in the world that show problems concerning distance. People sense a need for something that they are not close to, and sometimes an emotion that they don’t feel like they can share with another person. Sometimes people can even feel alone in a room filled with other people.
Strengthened by His Spirit in the Inner Man: Ephesians 3:16
But it’s not God who promotes that problem. In Ephesians chapter 3, verse 16, it says that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man. And I was thinking about that inner man.
You know, that is not the same as saying that your gift of Holy Spirit is sitting in the back seat of your car or resting out on your front porch. You know, that Holy Spirit doesn’t run around your neighborhood or go south for the winter. Your inner man inhabits your whole being.
The Centurion’s Faith: Authority That Transcends Distance
Spiritually speaking, there’s no reason for us to suffer from human unrest that has its roots in distance. And we can see that in the Word. If you look at the ministry of Jesus Christ back in the Gospel period, you’ll see how He claimed advantage over distance.
Please go to Matthew chapter 8. And there in Matthew 8, beginning in verse 5, it says, And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, and saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him. The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof, but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.
For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me, and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth, and to another, Come, and he cometh, and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. When Jesus heard it, he marveled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.
The centurion realized that spiritual authority transcends boundaries. He understood the power of the spoken word, and he did not make the focus of that particular situation all about being within a certain space. What we need to deal with in a real practical way is our connection with God and not allow ourselves to be distracted by the concept of distance.
Closer Than Our Very Breath: Drawing Near to God
The world right now, and maybe it always is, is very animated and theatrical about distressing situations concerning distance and how far we sometimes need to be from other things.
It can even suggest that at times you and I are totally lost and alone, but meanwhile it’s God who reassures us in his word that closeness is actually embodied in what he describes as God in Christ in us, and there’s no distance in the middle of that. A God who has already declared that he knows the number of hairs on your head certainly is not abiding very far away. It is up to us to navigate our lives with this same mindset and to remember that he is literally closer than our very breath.
Let’s finish up here in Psalm 73, verse 28, where it says it is good for me to draw near to God. I have put my trust in the Lord God that I may declare all thy works, and that needs to be our confession day by day, that it’s good for me in my mind to draw close to God understanding that he has already made himself close to me and put his spirit inside of me via his son Jesus Christ. Well, amen and thanks for listening today.
Key Takeaways
- Physical distance is real, but the adverse effects of distance are largely a perception we carry in our own minds, and it is God who helps us overcome them.
- From God’s point of view distance means very little: He conquered it a long, long time ago, just as He conquered the consequences of sin and sickness through Jesus Christ.
- Isaiah 46:13 has God bringing His righteousness near so that it shall not be far off, and Isaiah 57:15 has the high and lofty One who inhabiteth eternity choosing to dwell with the contrite and humble spirit.
- The concept of distance from God began when Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden of Eden; Ephesians 2:13 says those who were once far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
- The gift of Holy Spirit is not parked somewhere outside you: the inner man of Ephesians 3:16 inhabits your whole being, and God is closer than your very breath.
- The centurion in Matthew 8 understood that spiritual authority transcends boundaries, asking Jesus to speak the word only rather than travel to his house.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there really no distance between us and God?
From God’s point of view there is none. The speaker teaches that God conquered distance a long time ago, in the same way He conquered the consequences of sin and sickness through Jesus Christ. Ephesians 2:13 says that in Christ Jesus, ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. Physical distance still exists, but the separation people feel from God is a human perception, not a spiritual fact.
Where did the idea of distance from God come from?
The speaker suggests the whole concept came into being when Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden of Eden. Up until that time they enjoyed complete harmony and closeness with God, and Adam never had to travel anywhere to see Him. When they breached their agreement with God they had to leave, and that is when they started to feel the distance. God then bridged that gap through Jesus Christ.
What does the centurion in Matthew 8 teach about distance and faith?
The centurion asked Jesus not to come under his roof but to speak the word only, so that his servant would be healed, because as a man under authority he knew a command carries even when the one giving it is not present. Jesus marveled and said He had not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. The centurion realized that spiritual authority transcends boundaries.
Scripture References
Isaiah 46:13; Isaiah 57:15; Ephesians 2:13; Ephesians 3:16; Matthew 8:5; Matthew 8:6; Matthew 8:7; Matthew 8:8; Matthew 8:9; Matthew 8:10; Psalm 73:28
This text was prepared from the teaching audio. Please verify scripture references against your own Bible.
