Where I Am You Cannot Come

The Pharisees heard the crowd murmuring these things concerning Him, and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take Him.
Then Jesus said to them, “I shall be with you a little while longer, and then I go to Him who sent Me.
You will seek Me and not find Me, and where I am you cannot come.”
Then the Jews said among themselves, “Where does He intend to go that we shall not find Him? Does He intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks?
What is this thing that He said, ‘You will seek Me and not find Me, and where I am you cannot come’?”
[John 7:32-36 NKJV]

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You Cannot Come
Jesus says “Where I am you cannot come.” Why does He say this? It seems a strange thing to say, from someone who desires that all should enter the Kingdom of Heaven. The reality is that all of us can only go with Jesus if we meet the criteria.

If This Mind Be In You
These verses show us what we always know — we attribute criticism to others besides ourselves. What Jesus speaks to here is the legalistic, religious mind — epitomised by the Pharisees — something which we all have to a greater or lesser degree. This is what separates us from Jesus; that we are not of the same mind.

The Mind of Christ
In Romans 8:38-39 we read for I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord, and these verses can only be read in the context of Romans 8:28 and we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

Called According to His Purpose
The Pharisaical mind does not hear the call, for it is mired in religious form and legalistic doctrine. The call of God is straightforward “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” Allow the Holy Spirit to guide you in following that call.

All I do ought to be founded on a perfect oneness with Him, not a self-willed determination to be godly. The God of Israel is He that giveth strength and power to His people.

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