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Do the words ‘Are we there yet’ sound familiar? I suspect every child goes through that stage, especially when they are in a car on a longer trip. I can still find myself being impatient at a stop sign, at a checkout stand, at a restaurant, or the like. I don’t know why that is, but I highly suspect everyone finds themselves impatient at some point.

When talking about God answering prayers, someone recently commented about their impatience when God doesn’t answer our prayers. Moses became impatient with God when he said, “Ever since I came to Pharaoh as your spokesman, he has been even more brutal to your people. And you have done nothing to rescue them!” Exodus 5:23 (NLT2) He thought God should have delivered His people from Egypt immediately, and since God did not respond that way, Moses impatiently exploded against God. While impatience is childish, adults also can display childish impatience. It reckons that God’s actions must be compressed into my time schedule and must be done in my way. Childishness is essentially trying to bring God down to earth and forcing Him to obey earthly laws instead of the laws of heaven.

Is our problem with time or with our need to control God? When impatience raises its childish head within us, it is a red light on our dashboard telling us something is misaligned within us. Nothing stops our pouting like a good look in the mirror. Jesus tells us to abide in Him (His presence) and not to think or act independently of Him. I dislike it when my impatience shows, and I must admit that my arrogant attitude challenges God’s integrity, wisdom, and most certainly His authority over me.

When I humble myself and recognize His presence in my life in that moment of time, I find it much easier to say I’m sorry for acting like a child. I want to be proactive as His child and regularly communicate with Him and so delight in His presence. How do I know that? I went through that very process while sitting in a hospital room, all dressed and ready for a doctor to come to dismiss me. When I was able to get realigned with Him, I felt so much better and enjoyed His presence in the room. James tells me, “But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.” James 1:25 (NLT2)

That is why I must use my Bible constantly, not only for what it tells me about God, but for what it tells me about myself! The Bible, like my mirror, is my truest friend. It tells me what I need to know to be proactive and move forward instead of looking in my rearview mirror at my failures. That is what spiritual maturity looks like.

Acknowledging my humanity does not mean I must grovel in my failure. Rather, it reminds me to get back up and take positive action to follow Jesus’ example. Skinned knees are not fun, but they can serve us well when we thank God we don’t have to deal with a broken leg.

I was not aware of who Charlie Kirk was until news of his being killed grabbed the media headlines. Perhaps what struck me the most was how authentic and invested he was in his faith in God. His target audience, the young people, often quickly identify a charlatan. Regardless of whether you liked him, there was no question about his authenticity. In fact, from what I understand, it was who he was and what he stood for that motivated his killer to shoot him.

It led me to ask myself, am I believable? Or am I only another so-called Christian? I find it striking that neither John the Baptist nor Jesus tried to use any form of promotion to get people to come to them. In fact, Jesus even told some of those He healed NOT to tell anyone, albeit it would be hard to hide a healing of a former blind or otherwise handicapped person.

Jesus’ strategy for letting the world know they were believers was for them not to say much of anything. Jesus stated His primary indicator when He said, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:35 (ESV). He revealed His strategy, saying, “… I will do what the Father requires of me, so that the world will know that I love the Father… “John 14:31 (NLT2). His obedience to the Father authenticated Him.

Lord, as a disciple of Yours, I must not only believe but be believable. There is no use in telling others of God’s grace unless that grace has been operating in me. Even businesspeople know this concept is true. That is why they tell their employees, “My reputation is in your hands.”

Ezekiel pointed out in 36:27 that when regeneration occurs in a human, that person will naturally desire to be careful to follow God’s decrees and laws. The apostle Paul later said, “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.” Philippians 2:13 (NLT2) Dallas Willard said when a person is genuinely living in God’s kingdom while still on this earth, His presence is actively working in their life. That person lives interactively with God and is caught up in what He is doing. It was this kind of living that far exceeded the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees. (Matthew 5:20) I assume that to mean that God’s presence in our lives is not so much focused on what we do as it is why we do it. If my heart is that sold on what I’m doing, others will see it.

The best salesperson is one who is totally sold on the product she/he is selling. They personally own and use it. They confidently put their product up against the product that has the greater share of sales. It is like that product is in their blood! As I look at my life, my greatest goal is to leave a legacy of someone who ‘bleeds’ loving God with all their heart—as Jesus loved His Father. It is that passion that crushes other attractions in my life. However, although that is my greatest passion, is that the fragrance that follows behind me? Obviously, I cannot see what others see in my life, so all I can do is to be genuinely authentic in what I do. My favorite verse is Paul’s words to the church leaders of Ephesus, “But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus…” Acts 20:24 (NLT2) Your spiritual passion is probably something different. That is not the point. The point is what’s in your ‘blood’ that motivates you to be who you are. Does your scent reveal where you’ve been?

Occasionally, Connie would ask me to go to the storeroom to get a sauce or the like. Sometimes when I got there, I couldn’t find what she had requested. When I told her that, she would say, “I know it is down there,” so off we would go to look together. Sure enough, it was there. I had been looking straight at it but couldn’t see it. This is often like our relationship with God.

The early Hebrews saw God’s stunning miracles. Yet soon they returned to worshiping the local cultural gods. To this day, practicing Jews will do their ritual of worship of God, yet not see Him in the life of His Son, Jesus. But are we that much different? We can go to church, read our Bibles, serve others, and the like, yet rarely, if ever, encounter God in doing so.

We commonly think that if so and so could see a miracle, they would believe and trust in Jesus, but that is not so. Jesus’ brothers and sisters, who ate meals with Jesus, saw, touched and conversed with Him, yet only Mary, their mother, saw who Jesus really was. It is thought that many of his family members did not believe in him until after He died and rose again. John the Baptist, declared Jesus was the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Yet, he became confused about who Jesus was and sent his disciples to inquire of Jesus if He was really the Son of God. The scribes and Pharisees heard Jesus teach and witnessed the miracles God did through Him yet could not see Him for who He really was.

Our preconceived ideas blind us to what is true. We often view spontaneous thoughts as harmless clouds drifting by. We ignore Paul’s warning, “…we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:12 (NLT2) These evil spirits confuse us too often. Peter couldn’t distinguish the difference between the Holy Spirit’s and Satan’s ideas that popped into his mind. When something puts our mind in a spin, we aren’t able to see Satan or Jesus when looking at them.

I’ve been intrigued with how those physically close to Jesus didn’t realize who He was. It was like me looking in the storeroom and not seeing what was in front of me. The Jewish leaders, people in his hometown (Nazareth), the community of Gadarenes, and scores more; Mary at the tomb and the men walking and talking with Jesus on the road to Emmaus didn’t recognize Him.

We would like to imagine that if we saw what they saw, we would go all in for certain. However, we don’t realize the influence twisted ideas can have on our minds. Consider Judas Iscariot. Jesus empowered him to do mighty miracles with the other disciples and the seventy whom Jesus sent out to do the miraculous. He had to be blind not to see Jesus for who He was.

This makes me question how often I might miss God at work around me. Why is it that we find it difficult to credit God for small things that happen to us? I too can be obsessed with the physical. How about you? I can only say I am still on the learning curve of seeing God instead of myself in what happens around me. But the more I watch for Him working daily in my life, the greater healing and joy I experience. I’m sure that is how it would be with you as well. He is working when we don’t see or feel Him working. But when I look more for Him, I can see Him.

So many choruses are written and sung about Jesus. His name has become so familiar that people use His name in vain. I have wondered if Christians, ministers, Sunday School teachers, etc., don’t inadvertently use His name in vain. Jokingly, Christian speakers have stated that if they ask a rhetorical question, the universal answer most often is Jesus. Indeed, Jesus can do anything when He’s led by the Spirit. However, is it possible His name has become so familiar we lose respect for Him? For example, when we reference the name Jesus, are we referring to His deity or humanity because He was fully both God and man? Has His name become so common we no longer even think seriously about the difference.

What was Jesus really saying when He clearly stated, … “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. John 5:19 (ESV) and, ’I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me.’” John 5:30 (ESV) Or, which Jesus was the subject when the Mark wrote, “immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, ‘Why do you question these things in your hearts’?” Mark 2:8 (ESV) Which Jesus was making those statements? … His humanity or deity?

The aging process is clearly a challenge. Someone has said the proverb, “Growing old is not for the faint of heart”. If you don’t understand that, you will if you wait long enough. Not only do you experience physical pain in places you didn’t know existed, but you also have senior moments. I become frustrated when I’m speaking and a word or name I’ve often used refuses to come to mind at that moment. When that happens, my mind goes to Paul’s words, “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ. 1 Corinthians 2:16 (ESV) I find it noteworthy He doesn’t say the mind of Jesus, which would open the door to a reference to Jesus’ humanity. This verse has opened up a whole new way of thinking for me. Just how much of His mind is within each of us? How often do we default to our human mind rather than His mind in our daily life? It is interesting Jesus told His disciples, “But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time, you will be given what to say,” Matthew 10:19 (NIV) This at least suggests the “mind of Christ” can be a part of our daily life, especially in times of stress.

The more I have considered this concept, the more I admire the humanity of Jesus. It could be said that He had learned this principle before He even became a teenager. He was exercising “the mind of Christ” while sitting among the teachers, and all who heard Him were astonished. (Luke 2:46-47) Whatever was happening then, at an early age He obviously had learned what He had told the disciples to do when brought in front of governors and kings.

This also offers new meaning to me when I think of the words, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.  Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT2) I regret it has taken me decades to literally learn how to do what that verse tells each of us to do. It makes me admire Jesus for learning at an early age what has taken me decades to learn. Have you learned this practice yet? He is teaching me, but I am having to unlearn so much before I can practice leaning on His mind.

How could anyone be afraid of Jesus? He was opposed to evil of whatever sort. He abused no one. He only loved, supported and healed the hurting, especially those who society rejected. So how is it that Luke, a doctor no less, would record a litany of people in the book he wrote, who were terrified of Jesus? In Luke 8 we find that the disciples initially feared they would drown due to the terrible, raging Sea of Galilee. But when Jesus calmed the water, they became even more afraid of Him. They were terrified and said, “Who is this man? … When he gives a command, even the wind and waves obey him!” (v 25 NLT). When a group of demons saw Him, they shrieked and fell down in front of Him, screaming, “Why are you interfering with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Please, I beg of you, don’t torture me!” The citizens of Gerasenes begged Jesus to go away and leave them alone, for “a great wave of fear swept over them.” (Luke 8:28-38) They were afraid Jesus would take away the source of their income. When a woman touched the fringe of Jesus’ robe, He asked, who touched me? The woman began to tremble and fell to her knees before Him. How is it that so many people were afraid of Jesus, but we are not? Could it be we have misunderstood Him?

Psalms 111:10 reads, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!” (ESV) Perfect love casts out lesser fears (1 John 4:18) and teaches us to hug the appropriate fear of the Lord who commands waves, demons, and sickness to do His bidding. Hum… If we don’t fear and only love Him, are we missing something? How do we reconcile fearing Jesus and fully loving Him at the same time? Can both emotions exist within us at the same time? Or could it be there are two sides of the same coin?

Loving God and fearing Him come to a common result. If we love God, we will fear Him. If we fear Him as the Bible teaches, we will love Him. Jesus Himself said, “…I’ll tell you whom to fear. Fear God, who has the power to kill you and then throw you into hell. Yes, he’s the one to fear.” Luke 12:5 (NLT2) Could it be that the fear of God serves as a motivator to not turn away from Him? There is a type of fear where we don’t want to be close to someone and a type of fear where we don’t want to be separated from someone. It is the same way you may fear your mom or dad. You love them, but you often follow their rules out of fear of hurting them. Fearing God isn’t about being afraid but about acknowledging His ultimate power, which produces sobering awe.  Paradoxically, fearing God leads to intimacy, not distance. The Psalmist wrote, “The friendship of the LORD is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant.” Psalm 25:14 (ESV). The Bible portrays the relationship between loving and fearing God as complementary, not contradictory. One does not replace the other, but instead, they reinforce each other to create a whole and healthy relationship with God. We can be so focused on solving the problem of God’s fearsomeness with the gospel that we may not give people a chance to really let it sink in how deeply sinful they are or how fearsome God really is. Philippians 2;12b reads, “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” (ESV) Someone has said, there is a terror when outside of Christ and a different kind of trembling when in Christ.

Do you have a healthy fear of God or just love Him? I dare say if you only love Him, you are more vulnerable to breaking His heart due to false presumption of His grace. God is not tolerant of willful sinning. Think about that. Don’t be afraid of fearing Jesus.

Occasionally, Connie would ask me to go to the storeroom to get a sauce or the like. Sometimes when I got there, I couldn’t find what she had requested. When I told her that, she would say, “I know it is down there,” so off we would go to look together. Sure enough, it was there. I had been looking straight at it but couldn’t see it. This is often like our relationship with God.

The early Hebrews saw God’s stunning miracles. Yet soon they returned to worshiping the local cultural gods. To this day, practicing Jews will do their ritual of worship of God, yet not see Him in the life of His Son, Jesus. But are we that much different? We can go to church, read our Bibles, serve others, and the like, yet rarely, if ever, encounter God in doing so.

We commonly think that if so and so could see a miracle, they would believe and trust in Jesus, but that is not so. Jesus’ brothers and sisters, who ate meals with Jesus, saw, touched and conversed with Him, yet only Mary, their mother, saw who Jesus really was. It is thought that many of his family members did not believe in him until after He died and rose again. John the Baptist, declared Jesus was the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Yet, he became confused about who Jesus was and sent his disciples to inquire of Jesus if He was really the Son of God. The scribes and Pharisees heard Jesus teach and witnessed the miracles God did through Him yet could not see Him for who He really was.

Our preconceived ideas blind us to what is true. We often view spontaneous thoughts as harmless clouds drifting by. We ignore Paul’s warning, “…we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:12 (NLT2) These evil spirits confuse us too often. Peter couldn’t distinguish the difference between the Holy Spirit’s and Satan’s ideas that popped into his mind. When something puts our mind in a spin, we aren’t able to see Satan or Jesus when looking at them.

I’ve been intrigued with how those physically close to Jesus didn’t realize who He was. It was like me looking in the storeroom and not seeing what was in front of me. The Jewish leaders, people in his hometown (Nazareth), the community of Gadarenes, and scores more. Mary at the tomb and the men walking and talking with Jesus on the road to Emmaus didn’t recognize Him.

We would like to imagine that if we saw what they saw, we would go all in for certain. However, we don’t realize the influence twisted ideas can have on our minds. Consider Judas Iscariot. Jesus empowered him to do mighty miracles with the other disciples and the seventy whom Jesus sent out to do the miraculous. He had to be blind not to see Jesus for who He was.

This makes me question how often I might miss God at work around me. Why is it that we find it difficult to credit God for small things that happen to us? I, too can be as obsessed with the physical. How about you? I can only say I am still on the learning curve of seeing God instead of myself in what happens around me. But the more I watch for Him working daily in my life, the greater healing and joy I experience. I’m sure that is how it would be with you as well. He is working when we don’t see or feel Him working. But when I look more for Him, I can see Him.

Love can be defined in many different ways, but all the definitions include a form of one common element. That element will be stronger at some points than others, but it still remains. That element is how it affects what you think about. If you are looking to buy a car, or whatever, your mind repeatedly gravitates towards that item. The same is true when a person falls in love. Their minds repeatedly gravitate towards that special person. The same seems to hold true if you fall in love with a particular house, vacation spot, etc. When I visited a seminary in the Philippines earlier this year, some aspects of it repeatedly return to my mind. I sense God is preparing me to return to serve as a volunteer there.

The first fruit of your being captivated by God is the repeated musings in your mind upon God. If you are ravished by God, your mind will repeatedly be transported back to some aspect of Him. David wrote, “How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!  Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with you.” Psalm 139:17-18 (NIV) He also wrote, “I have set the LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.  Therefore, my heart is glad, and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay.  You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” Psalm 16:8-11 (NIV) He genuinely loved God, and it showed in how he thought of God and how often he thought of Him.

When the prophet Ezekiel prophesied about spiritual rebirth or regeneration that would come in the future, he wrote something profoundly significant about the results or fruit of that salvation in the life of a new convert. First, he points out what His Spirit will do in the person, then points out the effects of what He does. It inspires a dramatic change in a new believer.  He wrote, “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. Your filth will be washed away, and you will no longer worship idols.  And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.  And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations. Ezekiel 36:25-27 (NLT2) To me, that is saying the awe of God’s work in the person is so profound the person falls in love with God. We are only careful to do things we place a very high value on.

The goal of Satan and his companions is to eliminate the awe and love for God. That’s exactly how he treated Eve and the church at Ephesus. Comparing the church of Ephesus in Acts 19:23-31 shows a clear difference from the same church roughly 30 years later. John’s description of that church still doing all the right things, but had forsaken its first love, which God values far more than continuing to do all the right things. (Revelation 2:1-6)

The enemy still does the same to believers now. It’s disheartening how many former churchgoers now seem to lack their earlier zeal. Renewal requires a fresh encounter with God’s awe via Scripture or a new revelation of our Lord.

This begs the question; what might the temperature of your love for Him look like today. Do your thoughts snap back to His awesomeness you recently experienced, or might they occasionally find their way back into your mind through the many memories of family, experiences or accomplishments? Are you comfortable with where it might be?

As I write this, the day is predicted to be sunny but partly cloudy. Clouds appear innocuous as they float through the sky. But they can also bring furious storms and disastrous destruction. They are like ideas that float through our minds.

Like clouds, ideas have a source, which primarily appears as innocent circumstantial conditions. But their source can also be stirred up by threatening changing atmospheric conditions. Their source is the determining factor. Ideas that come from God are based on established truth and reality, and they produce great fruit. His truth has endured unchanged throughout the millennia. However, ideas from Satan and company are based on imaginations that at first appear very appealing but will eventually morph into what will produce death and destruction.

Here’s how Paul described the source of these destructive ideas.  “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:12 (NLT2)

Interestingly, we will encounter both types of ideas, and it’s most critical that we discern the difference between them. John recorded the Holy Spirit’s explanation of a pre-rebirth state, observed in Jesus’ disciples. “By this he [Jesus] meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified. John 7:39 (NIV). So, when Jesus asked, “Who do you say that I am” (Mark 8:29), an idea from the Holy Spirit was dropped into Peter’s mind, and he blurted out, “You are the Christ.” However, we read soon after Peter had this idea from God, Satan dropped an idea into his mind. He then pulled Jesus aside and rebuked Him. (Mark 8:32) This shows Peter was not discerning one idea from the other. Unless our spirit is attuned to the Holy Spirit, we will make the same mistake Peter made.

Ideas that come from God are saturated with supernatural peace. They are based on a rock-solid, proven reality. Secular Humanism, actualized today as Progressivism, was man-generated with the Ancient Greeks and Romans. Progressivism has produced those who riot, burn and loot cities, confuse sexuality, and the like, including killing and assassination of the righteous, as just occurred with Charlie Kirk. Charlie, on the other hand, has distinctly shown us how admirable fruit comes from following the ideas coming from God. Sadly, too many in the church today have confusedly mixed the different sources of ideas. The results have been faint versions of Charlie Kirk, some more so than others.

This raises the question each of us must ask ourselves. Have I allowed myself to adopt human ideas rather than those coming from God? Possibly, the most important scale is how much I value my desires compared to God’s plans. Charlie Kirk’s complete surrender to God’s plans brought amazing results. Ironically, though costly, being an apprentice of Jesus is the sole path to a most fulfilling life. Charlie’s big and consistent  smile confirmed that. This is the life that experiences the authentic version of a healthy well-being and all that includes.

We all must frequently reconsider Jesus’ words, “And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?  Is anything worth more than your soul?” Mark 8:36-37 (NLT2)

How does continuous sin affect our lives? More often than not, we let it defeat us, or we grow callous to it. Can that defeat serve a good purpose if we allow it to do so?

All of us have fought to overcome a nasty habit we acknowledge does not honor God. Connie acknowledged in her prayer journals that she had struggled with eating for decades. In her mind, it was keeping her from the joyful victory of overcoming.

 

I have struggled with my memory since high school days. I remember many times when I locked up the shop I worked at, only to get halfway home and couldn’t remember if I had locked the front door before I left. Believe it or not, it kept me humble! I am also humbled every time I am unable to remember someone’s name when I see them. I’ve repeatedly prayed for deliverance, but for reasons beyond me, God didn’t deliver or heal me. It’s been like Paul’s thorn in the flesh.

Others have struggled with unhealthy habits like smoking and the like. Despite many prayers and the practice of spiritual discipline, the habit persisted, and they lived with defeat.

Why does God let us struggle so much with what feels like a sin to us? Could it be that God is more concerned about something else in our life than that certain sin—like our pride? Interestingly, humility is like a backbone to having sufficient trust in God. We can only see our unique ‘sin’ while He sees the result His deliverance would have in our lives. Would we bring God more glory if we were free from our sin but full of self-righteous pride? While striving for holiness, we must not underestimate the value of humility. Is it possible our confidence and freedom would release in us the attitude of the self-righteous man who thanked God he wasn’t as bad as that wretched publican. (Luke 18:10-14) I’m not certain we understand how God sees pride. He hates it.

Could it be that God looks more at our heart’s desire to desperately want to be free than at our unholy habits? That habit has a unique way of keeping us humble. Did you know God patiently bears with us to become more like His Son? Can we not patiently bear with a thorn in the flesh or an unrighteous habit that keeps us humble in His eyes?

We all have imperfections of various sorts. I have more than I can even imagine. They seem to be new every morning, just as God’s mercies are new every morning. Which imperfection is He going to bring His judgement down on me for doing? I dare say we are far more concerned with our imperfections than we are in passionately seeking to develop a heart more like Jesus had while a human walking on this earth. It is like we are more concerned with the outside of the cup than the inside. (Matthew 23:25-26). We then have contempt for those whose cup on the outside is grubbier than ours. No wonder Jesus told us not to judge lest we be judged. (Matthew 7:1-2)

François Fénelon, a Christian spiritual advisor in the 1600s, concluded, “Bear with your involuntary frailties as God bears, wait patiently for His appointed time of complete deliverance, and meanwhile go on quietly and according to your strength in the path before you without looking back; sorrowing over [your sins] with humility but putting them aside to press onwards… towards a Father who loves you.”

When you hear or read the word ‘gospel’, what comes to your mind first? Did you know the gospel Jesus taught was not the forgiveness of sin? Check it out in the Bible for yourself. When you read or hear anything about the ‘gospel’, it generally is associated with Jesus’ death on the cross. Yes, the cross most certainly plays a very vital role in salvation. However, that was not the ‘gospel’ Jesus had in mind when He preached the gospel of the kingdom of God. Again, check it out in the Bible for yourself.

His sacrificial death did far more than deal with our sin. That was like an entry gate to an abundant life. His grace forgives, but the larger part of grace empowers us to grow into His full stature. There is so much more to our relationship with God than His dealing with guilt and shame. He fully intends to transform us into the very nature of Jesus.

The core of Jesus’ teaching was a kingdom, a cultural condition under God’s absolute rule. When Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit, they were put out of God’s perfect kingdom. The triune Godhead planned that God the Son would die so you and I could re-enter His kingdom by reversing the process that put humans out of His perfect kingdom. However, God’s forgiveness wasn’t just about providing an entry to His kingdom. Going through the door of salvation was only the start of a lifelong procedure of being transformed into the very likeness of Jesus, the Son of God. I write this only to appeal to you. Please don’t limit Jesus’ gospel to the cross because you will then MISS the fullness of God as a change-agent into His very likeness.

This means the gospel Jesus taught also involved a person’s mind, value system, and ways being transformed into the full stature of Jesus. (Ephesians 4:13). That is what we are predestined to become when we received Jesus’ forgiveness through His death on the cross. Think about it. The New Testament is far more about living a transformed life than about asking Christ to forgive your sins. The gospel could be seen as the whole process of being born and maturing into adulthood. The mark of spiritual maturity is not about years spent doing good things in the church. Doing good things CAN help you grow but certainly do not necessarily make you spiritually mature. Good ‘works are more like your shadow; they are not the real you; they only follow wherever you go.

This is my point: Far too many of us surrender our life to Christ, but over time we take it all back—only to become a spiritual fossil—something that once was alive but died on the inside as the believers at Ephesus had done (Revelation 2:1-7) When you first surrendered your life to Christ, you were “…predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.” Romans 8:29 (ESV) We retire from work as humans, but there is no retirement plan for our spiritual life.

If you’ve noticed the passion for intimately knowing God has faded and now you only dream of the joy that once was, please know, God is NOT done with you yet. He still wants to talk to you, lead you, empower you, transform you into His image. You have more delightful days ahead than you have ever experienced. They may look slightly different as your body changes its look. But it can be just as exciting and productive. But it will require taking initiative to seek to know and serve God no matter how old you may get. The best of your life is yet to come, that is unless you prefer to sit on your memories and spiritually fossilize.