Skip to main content

Living It Out

What does it mean to live out a resurrected life? Remembering is an essential element of following Christ. It is the motivation for taking the Lord's Supper, it is the activity that allows me to apply the words "It is finished," and it is the practice that provides a supernatural reality check whenever I have cause to doubt. The discipline of remembering is actually a unique opportunity. No other religion or philosophy can remember as we do. When doubts or difficulties arise the Christian simply has to remember who they are. Everyone else has to remember what they need to do. This is only possible in Jesus the Christ. This is the key to unlocking all of those passages in which Scripture speaks of life, abundant and free.

At any given moment I can remember what was accomplished through Jesus and I can experience revival. As a Christian, I can remember that He has given freely (at a terrible cost) so that I can receive and not have to earn. I am not a product of my circumstances, I am not the label assigned to me by family, peers, coworkers, or culture. I am one of God's people, precious in His sight, living for eternity every moment, and as brothers & sisters we carry the answer to all of Creation's groaning as we serve the Kingdom. Even the parts of my life I'd like to forget now serve His purpose as my testimony reveals the glory of God. Remembering is no longer painfully loaded with regret but powerfully imbued with hope. Only Jesus has the ability to transform in this way.

When I remember what He did for me I allow His death to remove all defensiveness, offense, aggression, and low self-worth. As the weight of my sin and that way of former living is dropped, I can pick up the baton that was meant for me. Jesus told us to carry on His work as His disciples and the first generation of disciples knew this work was the ministry of reconciliation. My pursuit is to do unto others what He has done for me, and reveal to them what has been revealed to me. In Christ, I am a new creation. I have been set free to care about others. I have been given proof that God has a purpose for who I am in this place and time. Everything else has been dealt with, and all that is left is for me to live in the light of what He has done. No matter what happens, I can remember that my future is secure. What a joy and what a gift is today! I simply must tell everyone I know about this resurrected life.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

All In Good Time

Where does my help come from...and when will it get here?! I have a fairly predictable struggle in my faith walk when it comes down to the timing I would prefer versus the timing of God. Mostly this revolves around my own comfort and desires but there have been occasions when God's timing has cause me deep pain and sadness. Still, I trust Him. In the those times of real struggle I place my hope in what Jesus has already accomplished, and then cast my gaze to what the Bible reveals of the final victory. The greatest resource for my peace is not found in a distraction or a pleasant feeling but in the reality of Christ's death and resurrection. Knowing God was able to bring about the salvation of all in that way, I renew my faith in that great and glorious day yet to come. Sure, my anticipation grows with every look ahead but my temporal peace also increases even in the midst of calamity. Still, I trust Him. This statement is not a mantra or religious chat I use to calm myself i...
Post a Comment
Read more

Endurance and Encouragement?

 Romans 15:5-6 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus,   that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. The endurance of welcoming others in the midst of differing convictions can encourage the weak by walking together in full faith and the strong in demonstrating meekness. This harmony of relationship doubles as a song of praise, lifted in corporate worship. The Father is glorified in unlikely friendships, called and built together through the unique work of the Son, and operating in the unity of the Spirit. This is not possible apart from the body, the church, as it is built by God. As a light, we shoulder the responsibility of how we shine. In the darkest of times, every one of us is hoping to find the right way forward. It can be easy to blind someone with a flashlight but that only makes it difficult to see. It is better to walk togethe...
Post a Comment
Read more

Eternal Boredom...

Will living for eternity in heaven get boring? This is an interesting thought that I have heard from a couple of people in the past few weeks. Two Sundays ago, while proclaiming Psalm 23, I said that the idea of dwelling in the house of the Lord forever was a difficult concept during this "Stay Home" season. Then this past Sunday, Ty was proclaiming Psalm 27 and the same phrase was repeated! Oh, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life? First of all, it is astounding to meditate on the fact that when I consider "all the days of my life" they extend throughout eternity. There is now, in Christ, no separation between my days under the sun and my days in the fullness of His presence. That idea alone ignites my imagination and challenges my limited concept of time. Next, how can I possibly fathom the dimensions of "the house of the Lord?" This is a location unlike any other. God is both outside of time and space, yet able to be...
Post a Comment
Read more