I am a follower of Jesus, and the Way of Jesus. I am thankful for the Redemption and Atonement - the Salvation I believe we all have because of His Gift of Sacrifice as The Lamb of God on the Cross - His Grace, powerful, beautiful and applied to our need. I truly believe that because of The Cross and His becoming the Passover Lamb for us, as demonstrated by the Temple Curtain being torn from top to bottom, as if God grabbed it with both hands and tore it apart because it separated the Holy of Holies from the unworthy people - NOTHING can separate me from the Love of God in Christ Jesus. I am worthy because HE makes me worthy. He is my only righteousness. He is my Savior, yes, but also my LORD - the Lord of my life.
But the gift is not just for me. The Agape Love Jesus taught, gave and exemplified for us in the Gospels is by its nature something to be shared. Jesus did not just die for ME and MY SALVATION. Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of THE WORLD. What He taught quite clearly, as reflected in the Gospels, is that God wants us to live this Agape Love (committed action on behalf of the other) with one another in every aspect of life, society, social interaction. I believe that what God expects is that I will be THANKFUL for this tremendous liberation from sin and death, and being thankful live as one who believes others have this gift as well and need to know it, receive Agape Love and live it in the world.
What I do not need to do is "get people saved". Jesus did that for them 2000 years ago. My interactions with people are not about asking them if they are saved, trying to get them to pray some magic words to get saved or "decide" to believe. I believe we are created to be in a relationship with God. I believe the Holy Spirit of God works dynamically in the world. I believe in the power of God's Grace in Jesus to save THE WORLD. I do not believe I decide anything, but rather simply live in the relationship I was created to live within. I believe concern for "saving" people has more to do with the one(s) trying to do that, than it does about those whom they objectify as "saved souls". I believe I am not called to "save" anybody, but to share the Agape Love I am commanded to live, and that people will respond to that Agape Love and therefore the Lord I follow. The best way for me to convey the Love of God in Jesus is not to talk about it, but to LIVE IT. To actually fulfill Jesus' command to LIVE IT in their lives. I DO THAT because Jesus loves them. Telling them that Jesus loves them and then laying EXPECTATIONS, REQUIREMENTS, JUDGMENTS on them is not following Jesus. They are WORTHY, just as I am worthy because JESUS says they are, not because they meet some expectation I have of them... I am simply commanded to live AGAPE LOVE with them.
I believe I am called to tell people about the Agape Love of God, to live it as if I believe in it and to apply it to the world around me. It is to apply THE CROSS to the world. It is applying the Redemption, the Atonement, the Salvation, the Worthiness in Agape Love to the lives of those in the world around me. If I want to follow Jesus, I must FOLLOW JESUS - what He commanded, taught, exemplified and fulfilled in the world. Jesus is my example. Jesus is my model. Jesus is my Rabbi. Jesus is my Lord. I will spend the rest of my life applying the Grace, the self-sacrifice, the Agape Love for the Redemption of others in the world around me - in the lives of the people around me in the world. THAT is denying myself, taking up the Cross and following Jesus to me. THAT is evangelism to me. That is walking with God to me. That is Micah 6:8. That is Luke 9:23,24 to me. That is Matthew 28:16-20 to me, as well as Matthew 25:31-46. That is Romans 12:1 to me.
I am THANKFUL for the Grace given to me and the price paid for it on my behalf. Because I am thankful and believe in its power out of Agape Love, I must live as if I value it, not just for myself, but also for those in the world around me. I don't want to claim it so I can exploit others around me, try to indoctrinate them into MY beliefs or "collect saved souls" to somehow justify my own faith. I don't just want to preach it, proclaim it and teach it. I want to live it. If I value it and am thankful for it, I can do nothing else.
THANK YOU, JESUS for your gift of Grace in Agape Love. Make me as Gracious with others as you have been with me, as Loving with others as you have been with me, as actively committed to the well-being of others as you were to mine... that others may see Your Love in it, come to value Your Grace in it, and want to live Your Kingdom Values in the world around them - that Your Way may spread like leaven (Matthew 13:33) in the world around us. Amen
No comments:
Post a Comment