Freedom Blog

For most Christians today, there’s way too much hesitation, even resistance and apathy in making that transition from seeing a need to fulfilling that need. I believe the problem is that we live lives that are far from a Gospel lifestyle. A big reason for this is that a lot of our lives are defined by something else other than Jesus. Remember Jesus is the Gospel without Jesus there is no redemption, no forgiveness of sin because it’s only through Christ’s shed blood on the Cross that the entire debt for sin was paid in full. For the disicples, their whole lives were defined by Jesus, every aspect of them. They lived and breathed knowing that Jesus, their Savior and Friend was the Lord of Lords and Kings of Kings (2 Tim 6:15). The One who raised people from the dead (Matt 9; Luke 7; John 11) and washed their feet (John 13). The One who they saw resurrected from the dead and then ascended into heaven. The One who breathed the Holy Spirit on them (John 20:22) and sent tongues of fire to rest upon them (Acts 2:3). 

What is it that is defining your life?

     – Is it your job?

     – Is it money or material things?

     – Is it your family and friends?

     – Is it the affirmation and praises of others?

     – Is it the attention of the opposite sex?

     – Is it your fears?

¹ One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. ² Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. ³ When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. ⁴ Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” ⁵ So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them. ⁶ Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” ⁷ Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. ⁸ He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. ⁹ When all the people saw him walking and praising God, ¹⁰ they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. (Acts 3:1-10 NLT)

The more a person’s life reflects that they are completely defined by Jesus, the more quickly they will be able to act redemptively in any given situation. Everything Jesus did was redemptive and the more a believer’s life is defined by the Gospel, the quicker they will act to address a need as Peter and John did in the lame man’s life. They will be able to move right from seeing a need to fulfilling that need by acting redemptively with the power of the Gospel. There was a fluidity that Peter showed as he moved from seeing the lame man, to healing him in the power and authority of Jesus’ Name. We don’t read any hesitation. Peter didn’t have to spend time thinking about what to do. He didn’t have to talk to John about it or they didn’t invite the man to the temple with them. No, Peter just looked at the man and did what needed to be done.

I believe that when believers are completely defined by Jesus, they will be able to move fluidly in the power of the Gospel, in the power and authority of the Name of Jesus. But, too often, I hear and see people not acting or hesitating; myself included. But, the more my life has become defined by Jesus, meaning the more I’ve begun to live a Gospel lifestyle, the more Jesus has included me in His ongoing ministry of redemption here on earth. I’ve literally, seen people set free by the power of God. It’s one thing to watch miracles happen, but to actually be involved in that process takes it to whole other level.  

Now how a Gospel lifestyle is lived out is going to look differently from believer to believer. But, at the core of a Gospel lifestyle will be these characteristics:

     – Faith                  – Love             – Peace              – Self-sacrifice

     – Forgiveness        – Prayer          – Goodness         – Kindness

     – Redemption        – Joy               – Hope               – Self-control

Now, this list is neither exclusive nor exhaustive. Maybe you’d add a few other characteristics to the list. The point here is this: The more a believer’s life is defined by Jesus, the more their lives will reflect these core characteristics of the Gospel. But, in order for these elements to be more tangible in a believer’s life, there needs to be surrender and submission to God. We are all in process with the Lord and His desire is to glorify Himself in every aspect of our lives by bringing us into the fullness of His grace and redeeming everything in our lives. This means we need to be daily positioning ourselves to be transformed by God, so that more areas of our lives will be integrated with the Gospel. This means we need to be actively surrendering to God. The more we surrender, the more God establishes His rightful place as the Lord of our hearts and the more fully Gospel integrated we become. Jesus needs to be sitting at the throne of every part of our lives. Make it your mission today to begin living a Gospel lifestyle! 

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When you read a passage like 2 Corinthians 5:17 which says: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” What goes through your mind? We all say we believe that, but when it comes to actually walking this verse out in our lives, do our actions actually line up with what we say we believe? because this verse talks about change and transformation. Maybe when you came to faith, God pulled you from a life of sin and you had a pretty dramatic conversion and the contrast between the old and the new was very clear. Or maybe you’ve been walking in the new life since you were a little kid and the distinction between the old and the new has never ever been that clear to you. Either way, as we grow and mature, we can reach a certain level of comfort in who we are and it’s real easy to begin to settle into that image of ourselves. When this happens, it’s really easy to simply stop growing and take on a complacent, even an indifferent attitude toward change.

Do you remember the Rubik’s Cube? Oftentimes the image that we hold of ourselves is like that one completed side that we can all accomplish. I don’t know about you, but when I finally complete that one side I am pretty cautious about doing anything to mess it up. In many ways this is like the image we keep of ourselves that we guard and protect. Have you ever said to yourself: “Oh, that’s just the way I am.” When we say things like that, what we are really saying is that I’d rather stay the way that I am than try to change. Maybe you believe that you can’t change. But, thinking like that excludes God from the picture. In this Rubik’s cube example, what I’ve wanted to emphasize is that we as people as limited. Our desires are limited, our understanding is limited, and our view of ourselves is limited. It’s because we are only creations. But, God is the Creator who is able to see everything going on, when we can only see a portion.

God’s Word says that we are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14) and we all know this to be true because I don’t know about you, but I know that I’m complicated. And I don’t know about you, but just thinking about trying to get every side of a Rubik’s Cube seems almost impossible, but God knows what He’s doing and though it may seem like He’s messing up our one little side, what He’s really doing is working to complete the good work that He started in all of us: Philippians 1:6 says: “being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” So, when God begins to bring change into our lives, it’s because He’s trying to make us whole. He’s putting together and completing all the other sides. But, we must always remember that it’s only through Christ that a believer is given new life because Jesus is the source, power and goal of all Christian growth.

Colossians 3: 3-4 says: “For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” There are two truths in these verses: 1) that a believer’s current life is hidden with Christ in God and 2) that all believers will one day appear with Christ in glory. Do you believe that your life is hidden in Christ? That everything that we need in understanding who we are can be found in Christ? What Paul is saying here is that believers are “with Christ in God” and therefore reside in a place other than this world, a place where divine grace transforms us into a new creation. Where are you looking for your life? Are you looking for your life in Christ or out in the world?  

• It’s in Jesus that we find eternal life.
• It’s in Jesus that we find our inheritance.
• It’s in Jesus that we find our true identity.
• It’s in Jesus that we find peace with God, others and ourselves.
• It’s in Jesus that we find joy.
• It’s in Jesus that we are given the Holy Spirit.
• It’s in Jesus that we are healed.
• It’s in Jesus that our hearts are mended.
• It’s in Jesus that our minds are renewed.
• It’s in Jesus that our souls are refreshed.
• It’s in Jesus that we are redeemed.
• It’s in Jesus that we are adopted as sons and daughters of God.
• It’s in Jesus that we find true strength.
• It’s in Jesus that we experience the Father’s love.
• It’s in Jesus that we are under the protection of the Father.

Everything that we need to experience the fullness of life that Jesus promised (John 10:10) us can only be found in Him. That’s why Paul says that our lives are hidden with Christ in God. But, we must also remember that this fullness of life that believers experience is only in part (1 Corinthians 13:12) because it is only at Jesus’ Second Coming will the Kingdom of God be fully realized where as Paul says: believers will “also appear with Him in glory.”When Christ appears we also will appear with Him in glory because God will have completed the good work He’s begun in each believer (Philippians 1:6). God’s grace truly is amazing!

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Jesus often taught about the Kingdom of God/Heaven (cf. Mark 4:26-32; Luke 13:20-21; Matthew 13; 20:1-16; 22:1-14; 25) . Now, from what I understand about the Christian faith and the blessed hope that awaits all believers is that we will all one day stand firmly in the Kingdom of God where everything that we have come to know and experience of our place within the Kingdom of Heaven will become crystal clear (1 Corinthians 13:8-12), where God is at the very center of all that we know (Revelation 21:1-5). So, what this tells me is that, if the end goal is living with Jesus as a citizen in His Kingdom, then the more ground that the Kingdom of Heaven takes in my present life while I live here on this earth, the more blessed and excellent my life will be. Jesus inaugurated the coming of His Kingdom with His life, death and resurrection. So, we are currently living in the Kingdom of God, but it will not be fully realized until His return.

But, even so, Jesus promises us an abundantly full life (John 10:10). In hearing this, it is real easy to get caught up in the trap that earthly riches or a life of fame denotes an abundantly full life, even an excellent life. But, believers need to realize that the Kingdom of God is an upside-down kingdom that has values that are oftentimes at odds with the world’s values. In God’s Kingdom the first will be last and the last will be first (Matthew 19:30). Jesus further elaborates on this concept when He overhears the disciples arguing about who will be the greatest (Mark 9:33-34). On one hand, you have the disciples arguing about position in the Kingdom of God and, on the other hand, you have Jesus saying that status should be the last thing on your mind because the one who wants to be first, must be a servant of all (Mark 9:35). Jesus modeled a life of servanthood which He further punctuated with the act of washing the disciples’ feet (John 13:12-17). And then, ultimately, by giving His life to be a ransom for many (Mark 10:45; Matthew 20:28) by dying on a cross for the sins of the world, in order to save those who believe in Him (John 3:16-18).

So, living as a citizen of God’s Kingdom means following Jesus’ example of living a sacrificial life (Luke 9:23-25). But a sacrificial life is only part of the story. A sacrificial life needs to be motivated by love (John 15:9-12). Now a sacrificial life of love that pours itself out for another (John 15:13) can really only happen when a person is eternally impacted by the unconditional love of God (John 3:16). When this happens, there will be no mistaking the unconditional love of God that pours out of a believer’s life (John 13:35). This incarnational Christ-like love will manifest itself in acts of kindness (Luke 6:27-31, 35), in generosity towards the poor (Matthew 6:1-4), in not judging others (Matthew 7:1-5) and in standing up for justice (Luke 4:18, 19). But, I believe what truly captures the makings of an excellent life is the Beatitudes because they fully encapsulate what life in the Kingdom of God looks like. The Beatitudes describe the character of Jesus Himself. In many ways, they are the fundamental laws of the Gospel.

Jesus began His ministry purposefully, thronged by a great multitude, He called people to “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand” (Matt 4:17b). Immediately, following this announcement of the Kingdom, He sets the foundation for all of His teachings with the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-10) by describing the citizens of God’s Kingdom. A child of God, who is a servant of the King, will be marked by certain characteristics. They will have a character of brokenness (v.3) that mourns over sin (v.4) with a meekness that is not weak, but gently subdued (v.5). They will have a hunger and thirst for God’s righteousness (v.6) that shows itself by being merciful to others (v.7). While striving to have their hearts cleansed by God, they will gain discernment of God (v.8) which will help them be agents of peace (v.9) who willingly suffer for the Kingdom of Heaven (v.10).  

What makes a life excellent is one that embodies the values of the Kingdom of God. “All the virtues of the Beatitudes character are intolerable to an evil world. The world cannot handle somebody who is poor in spirit, because the world lives in pride, in a state of self-promotion and ego substantiation. The world cannot tolerate mourning over sinfulness. It wants to bypass sin altogether and convince itself that it’s all right. The world cannot tolerate meekness; it honors pride. The world cannot tolerate someone who knows he is nothing and seeks something that cannot be earned. The world knows little of mercy, about purity, about making peace. These characteristics flagrantly counter the system [MacArthur, “The Beatitudes,” 185].  

When someone is living as citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven, the glory of God will rest upon them and they will shine as the light of the world by their deeds (Matthew 5:14-16); deeds that are contrary to what the world values. The way that they live their lives will reveal to the world that their eternal inheritance is far more important than anything that this world has to offer (Matthew 6:19-21) with their greatest joy in life being bringing glory to God the Father through obedience to His Word (John 15:8-11). Remember the Christian faith is not about following rules and regulations, but about having a vibrant relationship with Jesus that is both life-giving and life-changing. A citizen of God’s Kingdom has been and is continually being transformed by the Gospel everyday and is then impacting the world around them for the Kingdom of Heaven. That’s what being a citizen of God’s Kingdom is all about. It’s about being a Kingdom building world-changer for Jesus. This is what makes life excellent.

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I will be attending my last official class of seminary tomorrow. It has been a long arduous four years, but I will have finished all the coursework for the Master’s of Divinity degree at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. I truly am amazed at where God has taken me. Twenty years ago (1989), I was just beginning my journey into the drug lifestyle. Fifteen years ago (1994), I was hopelessly addicted to cocaine and soon to be heroin, ecstasy and speed. Ten years ago (1999), on the verge of despair, God entered my life. A year later Jesus becomes my Savior and Lord and I am filled with the Holy Spirit. Five years ago (2004), I finally become comfortable in the Body of Christ. A year later I enter seminary and here I am today, writing a blog on a website dedicated to praying for those struggling with drug addiction. In many ways you could say that I have come full circle.

Whenever life begins to overwhelm me, it helps for me to think back about just where God plucked me from. How His Spirit came into the deep darkness that was my life and brought me into His loving light. Whenever my pride rises up trying to claim glory for itself, it helps for me to remind myself that the target age that I was living for was 30, if I made to 30, life accomplished. It truly is only because of Jesus that I am alive today. Whenever I reach a place of discouragement where thinking back on God’s faithfulness in my own life isn’t enough to break me out of my funk, a scene from Jesus’ life serendipitously flickers through my mind.

It’s just after Jesus teaches the masses that He is the Bread of Life (John 6). Many of those who hear Him have a really hard time grasping what Jesus is saying and what happens is that many people begin to complain that the teaching is just too hard to understand and start leaving. So, Jesus turns to the twelve disciples and asks them if they want to go as well. But, Simon Peter tells him: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God” (vv.68, 69). Peter’s words give me great comfort because they remind me that no matter how hard life may get or how difficult this journey of faith may be or how painful surrender becomes. If I really think about it, where else am I to go? Back into the world? No, been there and done that – the world holds nothing for me. Jesus has the very words of eternal life: His words have the power to bring me into eternity and eternity into me. “There is no other place for me, but at the feet of Jesus.”

Now, if you asked me anytime in my life if, I ever thought I’d be here right now in this moment, saying those words. I’d have to say “No.” Never in my wildest dreams (and I have had some doozies) would I have ever dreamt of this very moment, which makes it all the more incredible that: I am truly living this dream of amazing grace. My life is a living testimony to the grace and mercy of God and because of this, embodies the Gospel. As Paul stated about his own life, so I: “But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me—and not without results. For I have worked harder than any of the other apostles; yet it was not I but God who was working through me by his grace” (1 Corinthians 15:10 NLT). Go God!

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