“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Ga2.20
You may remember symbiosis from high school biology. A symbiant relationship exists where two different organisms live together with beneficial consequences for at least one of the parties. In case you have forgotten here is a summary:
Mutualism--both benefit and neither suffers,
Commensalism-one party gains, the other unaffected, Parasitism--one benefits while the other is harmed,
Amensalism--disadvantageous to one, the other is not affected, Neutralism-- both organisms are unaffected,
Competition--both organisms are harmed.
These descriptions can only stimulate us to think about our relationship with God because none of them adequately describe it. Scripture has many descriptions of our relationship with God: husband to wife, king to subject, parent to child, shepherd to sheep, vine to branches, even friend to friend. All of these descriptions are used to describe what can only be a multifaceted relationship between Creator and creature.
Now it is true that in some sense, we may give something to God but this is true only because He has first given to us. The only benefit that we are to Him is a mere expression of the benefit He is to Himself. We were not created out of need but out of excess. We are the overflow of that perfect fellowship eternally existing between the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Paul’s famous declaration, explains how we are drawn up into this fellowship. It may be hard to visualize, but when we come to Christ we are placed on the cross with Him and our old existence dies. That old life could never live in fellowship with God. He resurrects us in Christ so that a unique symbiosis is formed. We are as distinct as the Father is from the Son but drawn up into the oneness their life and fellowship. 4/7/07 ts
Just me trying to be honest with God.
