Part Time Jesus

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.  "He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.  "And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.  "For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. "  But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."
John 3: 16 - 21 NKJV

I saw a story on the news the other night of a christian family struggling to fit in with their mainstream society.  Now, they seemed like a genuine family, with many of the same struggles many of us have.  However, I began to have questions as the father claimed near the end of the clip, "We definately look forward, as a family, to that one day each week where we realize just who Jesus is."  What?  Ok, not to be too overly critical, but is this Jesus of whom he speaks only a part time Jesus?  Because the Christ Jesus who I have come to know has come to reside within me {Galations 2:20}.  Indeed, it is I who no longer lives, and Christ Jesus who now resides in me.  The apostle Paul went to great lengths in Galations 2 to remind us that the very work of Jesus did not conclude with the shedding of His blood and washing away of all sin.  For this was only part of our Lords efforts to lovingly give us the gift of our salvation.  For when Jesus died, that part of us which was born into sin died with Him.  What remained that morning as the stone of the tomb was rolled away was that we were now a brand new creation in Christ Jesus.  We are no longer slaves to sin but to righteousness {Romans 6:18}.  Sadly, far too many people see Christ as only a part time Jesus, someone whom they can call on and praise whenever the mood strikes them.

"I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."
Galations 2:20 NKJV

This idea of  a "Jesus in a box" which many have made popular is woefully inacurate.  For Christ did not become sin on our behalf {2 Corinthians 5:21} only for us to put Him in that box until we have need of Him.  The more that we treat Jesus as only a temporary solution and not our everything, the more distant He may become to us.  Of course, the truth of Jesus is that He lives within each of us.  The very reason which I keep refering to the truth revealing scripture found in Galations 2:20 is that others may come to realize the truth of Christ Jesus as I have.  This is the very thing which my dear friend Dennis has done with me in teaching me this very truth.  For I was once like that father of that family on TV, only calling on Jesus when I needed Him.  This was my own part time Jesus, waiting in the wings until I called.  Sure, I knew who Jesus was and the gift which our heavenly Father had given us, but I didn't know the truth about Him.  It was as if I was telling God, "Hey, I got this big guy.  I'll call if I need you."  Not only is this relagating God to a less important role in our lives, it is denying ourselves that freedom which comes with the realization of the truth of Christ.  And what of that freedom?  Well, for one thing, we no longer have need to come to our heavenly Father to seek His forgiveness for what we may feel we may have done.  For whatever iniquities we once carried were washed away by the blood of Christ Jesus at the cross.  This no longer makes us simply sinners saved by grace, but brand new creations in Jesus.  If I could tell that father I saw on TV one thing it would be this, "We can now cherish and live each and every day AS Christ Jesus who is in us."  I just wonder if it would take him as long to realize that truth as it took me.

~Scott~