“While [Peter] was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!” Matthew 17:5
God’s eternal counsel concerning us is that we would share in the continuous flow of love between the Father and the Son (Eph. 1:4-5). Thus, we must put ourselves aside in order to cultivate this love that flows in the Triune God and that reaches out to take us up into Himself by making us organically the Body of Christ (Eph. 5:25, 28-30). From eternity past to eternity future God’s love is over us and with us. In fact, nothing can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Principalities, powers, death, life — whatever realm — nothing can separate us. We are more than conquerors, not through our condition, not through our potential, but through Him who loved us. However, if we do not spend time with the Lord and put ourselves aside, we may be cheated from the daily enjoyment of this mighty flowing love.
Paul lived in the enjoyment of this love. And that was the realm whereby Christ lived in him. In Galatians 2:20 he said, “I have been crucified with Christ.” That means I am put out of the way. I am terminated. “It is no longer I.” I have been put aside. Now it is Christ who lives in me. “And the life which I now live in the flesh,” that is, in the environment of my flesh — in the strivings of my flesh, the anxieties of my flesh, the depression of my flesh, all the things of my flesh — the life that I now live in this environment, I will tell you how I live. “I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Not “loved us,” but “loved me.” This is how personal and intimate the Lord’s love was to Paul, and this was what motivated him to enjoy this living Person.
In spending time with the Lord to cultivate a love relationship with Him, we must put ourself aside to hear God’s voice speaking about His Son: “In Him I am well pleased.” Forget about yourself. Just let the Lord speak that word to you, and then tell Him, “Lord, You are the Father’s delight. I treasure this time that I could spend to enjoy You in prayer, the One who is the Father’s delight.” It is in this loving interchange in our spirit between us and the Lord, with the eyes of our heart gazing upon Him, that we are spontaneously being transformed.