Imagine with me for a few moments. Let’s go back in time and imagine Jesus, born as an innocent baby. Over time he grows to adolescence. We know about Jesus’ priorities as a 12 year old boy through the story of his parents finding him missing on their journey home from a festival. Retracing their steps back to Jerusalem they find him in the temple:
Did ye not know that I ought to be occupied in my Father’s business? Luke 2:49
Through this we learn that at 12 years old Jesus knew that God was his Father. And his main interest above everything else was knowing his Father and doing his Father’s will. Later as an adult, during his ministry we learn that he had become so identified with his Father that he could say:
Whoever has seen Me, has seen the Father. John 14:9
Jesus’ obsession was his Father. His desire was to express His Father’s will. To do whatever his Father directed him to do and to say whatever His Father directed him to say. And the desire of Jesus’ heart is to have followers who desire to walk in this manner as well. Yielding their independence from God to become dependent on God. Besides shedding his precious blood on the cross for our sin, this is why Jesus walked this earth and left a written record of his life for us!
Now let’s imagine a drastically different scenario: Jesus is 12 years old and realizing a longing in his soul for purpose and meaning. But instead of looking outside of himself to God, his Father to satisfy his longing, Jesus looks into his own soul. Examining his own desires from his self-nature – his human nature. He decides that if he just pursues his own desires coming from his own nature, he will find satisfaction in his self-expression.
Interestingly, this happens to be the very tactic that the devil used when tempting Jesus during his 40 days in the desert. To try to get Jesus to act outside of the will of his Father. If he could just get Jesus to satisfy his own desires instead of submitting everything he did, said and was to the will of his Father, the devil would have the victory.
This was also the devil’s tactic in the garden of Eden. To get Eve and Adam to act outside of dependence and trust in God’s revealed will. To get them to distrust God and thereby believe the devils lie.
The devil is God’s archenemy. Jesus said
[The devil] was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies. John 8:44
Until he is permanently done away with, the devil is constantly tempting us with distractions and lies. Here’s a sampling: If it feels good, do it! You can be anything you want to be! Did you see how that person slighted you? You should be offended! Scripture tells us
God resists the proud…” James 4:6
but the devil would have us believe pride is virtuous.
Why did God break into space and time to become one of us? Did he decide it was time to start a new religion? … Or did he come to start a revolution? A revolution of love expressed through a life of surrender of self to the will of God. When Peter asked:
“Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. Matthew 18:21-22
That’s forgiving your brother in Christ 490 times without being offended. This revolution of a life of love says to friends and enemies, “no matter how many times you try to offend me. No matter even if you kill me. I am determined to love you.”
This is an impossible life that only Jesus Christ can live in the heart of every believer.
Jesus came to establish the Kingdom of God on the earth. A Kingdom that begins in the heart of every believer at the cross. Jesus died there. And every believer in Christ dies there. Their self-life goes into the grave with Christ and the life they live afterwards is not their own. The reality of a believer’s life is
You died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. Colossians 3:3
From the first moment of surrender in faith, Christ lives in the believer. Their life is now powered by the resurrection life of Christ – which is an indestructible Life. We don’t necessarily need to understand how this works. But when we start to believe it is true, God begins to change us from the inside out. As we grow by experience in grace, knowledge and understanding of our Lord who dwells in us, we are transformed into His image. In the same way the sun shines and everything grows…the Son shines through us as we believe, and we grow. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!