We are meant to dwell in the presence of God and the presence of God can only be experienced in the present moment; we cannot take a bit of the presence of God and take it away for later enjoyment. This is what is wrong with the whole idea of Churches; it encourages an episodic experience that bears no relation to the demand that we “abide in Him”. It is like saving up the manna for tomorrow, something that God expressly forbade, but which, nevertheless, Israel still did.
What a great insult we do to God when we think that we can pick up the presence whenever we want to and then put it aside when we have finished with Him so that we can turn back to the distractions of the world and the pleasures of this life; this is grossly, grossly demeaning of God and makes of Him a utilitarian object.
The important thing that we must learn from the life and death of the Lord Jesus Christ is that death must precede resurrection life; as it was for Him so it must be for us. The death of self must precede resurrection life; we cannot have resurrection life while the old man still lives.
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