Wednesday, March 17, 2010

How should we then live?

Reading back over the last several months of blogs I realize it would be wise for me to restate the purpose for this discussion forum. The Gospel or good news that Jesus taught has captured my heart like nothing ever has. It is such a phenomenal way to live that I want to sell everything I have if only I can have all that Jesus promised. And not only do I want to possess this priceless pearl I want my friends and neighbors to own this as well.


You will have to forgive me, if in my excitement I speak of the Gospel in a way that sounds impossible to live. That's OK. If the kingdom were something we could live toward in our own strength it would be no different that any other world system. The very nature of this other-worldly value system is that it looks to us like Mount Everest. It looks like an ocean we could never swim across. Here is a truth that every Christian should think long and hard about. If our encounters with Jesus don't leave us with more questions than answers we are having an inferior experience. Encountering the kingdom of heaven at each turn will call deeper levels of faith out of those who are serious about following Jesus.



We are learning something that is totally contrary to the habits of our flesh and the thought processes of our mind. I think it would be wise to resign ourselves to a lifestyle of unresolved conflicts and unanswered questions.



So what is the good of encountering Jesus you ask? I didn't say we don't resolve conflicts and we don't get answers. On the contrary, the follower of Christ will have more stories of God's miraculous intervention and more answers to life's questions. It's just that these events will lead us deeper into God where the conflicts are bigger and the questions go deeper.


Jesus invites us into a relationship with him where we join his heart to love, serve, forgive, sacrifice, and even suffer on behalf of those who are lost, lonely and trapped. Attacking and undoing the things Satan has done to people in this world is the most exciting and fulfilling activity I can think of.

Let's love deeply, serve passionately and give generously; forgiving always, sacrificing joyfully and pursuing always.

In short, let's build a community of followers of Jesus who live in such a way that others would happen upon us and think it foolish not to join us.

4 comments:

  1. Where do I sign up? I have been a "believer" off and on for the majority of my life. I just recently became a follower. I love the life I am living even tho I feel like i have only scratched the surface of the goodness that is to come.

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  2. As we talk about this lets' never forget that Jesus always invites he does not legislate, he woos us he does not force. We move through seasons as we grow more and more intimate with Jesus. Some are seasons of hunger and frustrations, others are seasons of satisfaction and fulfillment.
    Relationship with Jesus is constant, but within the relationship there are conflicts that produce one of two results. We either choose to trust and let go of things God never gave us or we react in fear and cling to what we have always known.

    Either way, his love for us is constant and unbreakable. But one lifestyle leads to greater and greater intimacy and the other leads to a life that plateaus.

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  3. Maybe i misrepresented myself in my last comment. i don't think that ONLY goodness will come from me following Jesus. i just think that there is more goodness to come. i have horrible days still, which is so funny to me to say cuz compared to the wonderful days the bad seem horrible. but compared to the worst days i experienced in my past even the bad days now still seem wonderful. quite an enigma i should say. except that now i know i am walking in faith. not only do i rely on my Savior now when things get rough, but i believe He will carry me thru. and i hear the sweet words He whispers, good things are coming.

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  4. I don't know about you guys, but Dan when you used that line; "The very nature of this other-worldly value system is that it looks to us like Mount Everest. It looks like an ocean we could never swim across." it just fills me with excitement, because I know that it's true and I can't help but think, "yep, and that's what we were created for - a life of adventure!"

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