Many Christians say that when they are in the presence of God, they feel great happiness and joy, accompanied by a sense of rest and peace.
David himself attested that this is true in Psalm 16:11, saying:
"You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore."
While God's presence does bring such feelings to all who rest in Him, these are not the only ones we can feel when we're with Him in His presence.
There's also one thing that we will surely feel whenever we encounter God:
We feel God's holiness as compared to our unholiness, and realize our sinfulness in contrast to His righteousness.
Wait, what?
We can think that only feelings of great happiness are present whenever God's presence is felt. We can believe that because God is love and God loves us, we can be whoever we want to be and continue enjoying the presence of God, even if we live ungodly and fleshly lives.
This is wrong and misleading, and can cause many young believers to fall away from the faith.
Why is that?
Many Christians today, failing to recognize the righteousness and holiness of God, minimize Him and turn Him into a "healing balm" of sorts.
They go to church because "it feels good to worship God" even when actually what they seek is not God but the feeling they get whenever they sing a song that exalts their feelings about God instead of God Himself, and hear some motivational preaching that's centered on "God loves you."
Because of this, they find it hard to believe that God is truly righteous and will never have any room for our sin. They find it hard to believe that God will really punish sin in hell, and would rather believe in the idea of an all-loving God who doesn't get angry with wrongdoing and disobedience, and will not discipline His children.
While it's true that God is very patient and that He truly loves us, we should also believe in the truth that He is a just and righteous God who will never let sin go unpunished, and that He will do everything to make us conform to the likeness of Christ.
Just think of how some of God's people responded when they realized the holiness of God:
Isaiah the prophet:
"So I said: "Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts."" (Isaiah 6:5)
Jacob, after his encounter with God:
"So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: "For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved."" (Genesis 32:30)
Job's repentance after seeing God:
""I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You. Therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes."" (Job 42:5)
Peter's declaration after witnessing a miracle from Jesus:
"When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!"" (Luke 5:8)
Paul's declaration about his achievements in comparison to Christ:
"But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith." (Philippians 3:7-9)
In closing
Friends, God is truly holy. His presence brings joy and fear to us: joy in that we have a loving Father who loved us so much that He sent His one and only begotten Son so that we could be saved; and fear in that He is truly a holy God who is like no other and that no flesh can ever be glorified before Him.
Dear friends, I leave you with this passage. I hope we live by it.
"Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure." (Philippians 2:12-13)
