As we celebrate the Easter weekend, I thought it fitting to write about Jesus Christ. I don’t profess to know all there is about him, because truthfully, I’m still building my relationship with Him (as we all are), and as days, weeks, months go by, I pray that the Lord will still deem me worthy enough to continue to reveal his secrets too. We the Christian community say a lot, Jesus calls me friend, based on the scripture John 15:14, however, we seem to forget the rest of that verse “you are my friends if you keep on doing what I command you.”
John 15:15 Jesus says “I do not call you servants any longer, for the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you (My) friends, because I have revealed to you everything that I have heard from My Father.” When Jesus talks about friendship with us, it is because he wants us to intimately know Him, as He knows us. He wants intimacy with us, He wants a relationship with us, He wants to spend time with us.
It's like when we are just starting to get to know someone, maybe forging a friendship or relationship, we will find the time to spend together because, we realise unless we get to know the person nothing will develop in the way we would want it too. Additionally, it takes two - if there is only one willing participant who is trying to create a relationship and the other is distant - we will soon start to see any promises of a flourishing relationship is quickly diminished.
Christ is not the fleeting type - He’s already said in His word He knew us before we were created in the womb, He already knew what we are called to be in Him Jeremiah 1:5. He already has an account of what our days looked like from when we came into the world Psalms 139:15-18, right until we leave this earth. He is already aware of the mistakes we are going to make along the way, he knows when we will reject him, he knows when we’ll use him for personal gain (still He calls us), he knows when we will submit to him, he knows when we’ll be faithful to him. He knows who is His friend.
Throughout the bible from the beginning to the end, we see Christ is very much present. He is very much alive from Genesis 1. You may have heard of the Holy Trinity, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, Godhead three in one. He was present right from the beginning of creation, and is further explained about His existence in John 1:1-5. We also see the prediction of Jesus Christ coming as the Son in Genesis 3:15 “and I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head and you shall bruise His heel.” Here God was predicting the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ, conquering sin and death, and reconciling man (and woman) back to Him; 2 Corinthians 5:15-21 “and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again. Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
When I think about Easter, I’m in mourning within my soul - how an innocent man was treated so that I may have life in Him, it brings me to my knees in tears. A lamb without spot or blemish was Jesus Christ, a man who knew know sin, bore our sin on the Cross - a holy sacrifice was made once and for all that we may have life and have it more abundantly through His resurrection - for those who wish to accept Him.
Every day I choose to live for Christ, what he experienced on the Cross, the suffering, the pain, being spat on, scourged, whipped, punched, nail pierced hands, crown of thorns, a pierced side, for me - for us… I can’t repay Him for all he has suffered, all I can do is to choose to submit and live for Him.
You don’t have to get yourself together or be perfect before you come to Him, he wants you to come as you are.
Those who believe that Christ did die for your sins but you believe that you can still live a life of sin, because God knows your heart and therefore, you are saved, that is a lie! We can’t live for God and live for the world. Matthew 6:24.
There is a false narrative out there that we can know the Lord and keep sinning because we have His grace. Paul asks the question in Romans 6:1-2 “What shall we say [to all this]? Should we continue in sin and practice sin as a habit so that [God’s gift of] grace may increase and overflow? Certainly not! How can we, the very ones who died to sin, continue to live in it any longer?” If we celebrate Easter and recognise what the Lord did on the cross that we may have life, how can we feel comfortable to still live in sin and lift up our hands in worship? Now, there is a big difference between struggling in sin, wanting to be free from whatever that sin is vs just down right sinning because it’s 21st century and christianity has to be able to cater to everyone, so the word is watered down for people to be comfortable in their sin - No!
I recall watching something on social media where a church at New Years Eve was dancing to some secular music and swaying along to it. I heard there was a young lady who was planning on going to the club for New Years, but chose to attend a church instead, it so happened she attended this specific church. Needless to say she was disappointed and said the church was no different from the club. That is a soul! Now, I serve an awesome God, so the Lord will point her to the right church who reverence’s the Lord, recognises who He is and what He did on the cross. However, there are so many churches or pockets of people who has forgotten why Christ came, why He suffered, why He died for us and rose again - the reverence for Him is lacking!
I’m currently reading Jeremiah at the moment, and a brother in Christ and I were talking about Jeremiah, as he so happens to be reading it too. We both recognised that the book of Jeremiah is just like today. In the book of Jeremiah we see Israel turning their backs on God plunging deeper and deeper into sin, despite the Lord saving them from bondage, slavery, and bringing them into the Promise Land, they said with their own lips “…that is hopeless! So we will walk according to our own plans, and we will every one obey the dictates of his evil heart.” Jeremiah 18:12. In the past we see that when prophets have pointed out to the Israelites how far they’ve gone from the Lord, they have felt convicted and always turned their faces back to the Lord. We see in this scripture there is no conviction and a blatant disregard for the redemptive power of our God.
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23. Let’s not allow this weekend to go by and not reevaluate where you are with the Lord. Whether you once knew Him and realised that you are far from Him, or you don’t know Him at all - ask yourself, if you died today, will you be in eternity with the Lord, or will you be in Hell? It doesn’t matter if you have a good heart, a good heart doesn’t get you into heaven. The bible says we all fall short Romans 3:23 - there is no one that is righteous, not one Romans 3:10. So, if Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me,” then you’ll know that having a good heart will not get you into heaven, knowing Jesus Christ will.
I don’t know where your walk is with Christ, but this weekend is about His redeeming power and salvation - I pray you will repent, give up your sinful ways and live for the One who can give you life! Amen x