Romans 8: 1 NKJV
In these times, many churches have been forced to resort to online services in order to remain connected to their congregations. This week I happened to come across one of these video church services conducted by a acquaintance of mine. Now, this seems to be a popular church, with a steady group of followers. However, as I watched the service I began to wonder just what it was that draws people to such a scene. For the most part, I saw more than a few people crying instead of the usual service I'm accustomed to. Granted, I've been away from the church for some time so perhaps this is the new normal? Are we to now come before God in sorrow? What happened to joyful praise and worship? The trouble is, I see this more and more often recently. Sorrowful, sad Christians walking through life wondering what it is that they have done that their lives would be in such tumult. It is here where I believe that we will find what we are looking for. See, I used to be among the church going crowd as well. I walked into church on Sunday as took my place among the followers of Jesus. I put on my smile which, I hoped, would tell everyone that I was rejoicing in the Lord. The trouble was, more often than not I was just like those people in the video church service, unhappy with how I was. Almost in tears that once again I was unable to live up to that standard which Christ Jesus had set for me. Yes, He died in my place to wash away my sins, but each and every Sunday I walked into church knowing that I had failed Him once again. How could I not be anything but unhappy? I see this in a lot of unhappy Christians these days, worried that their sins will somehow prevent them from experiencing all the happiness which a life in Christ Jesus has to offer. Will we ever reach that point where we can rejoice in Him instead of crying through our sin? I did. It wasn't that I grew tired of being unhappy most of the time, although that had a lot to do with it. What opened my eyes to my own unhappiness was beginning to see Jesus for who He was. And, in turn, seeing myself for who I am.
Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6: 6 - 11 NKJV
What made me look deeper into who Jesus truly is was a pastors sermon. One Easter Sunday I sat in church listening to the same old story of how Jesus died on that cross and rose again three days later. However, it's what the pastor said next that forever changed me. After the sermon, the padre asked that if there were any among them that felt they had sins to confess that they could come forward and be forgiven. In that moment, all that I had been taught about Jesus seemed like a lie. How is it that I could have ANY sin remaining if Jesus had given Himself to wash away my sins? How is it that I could have any sin remaining if Jesus had become sin at the cross{2 Corinthians 5:21}? This was my Jesus aha moment. I began to realize why I had been unhappy in my faith. I had been seeing Jesus in the wrong light. I was not following a someone who was far removed from me, as I had been taught for so many years. No, the Jesus I am following is closer to me than I ever would have known. It is this Jesus who lives in me {Galatians 2:20}. How can I ever be unhappy knowing that I and Jesus are the same {John 17:21}? How can I be anything but happy knowing that I...am Jesus? It is Jesus who removed sin from my life, knowing that He would replace it. I am no longer bound by the guilt and shame of a life of sin apart from God. THIS is the truth of Jesus that I have discovered. I will never believe that God means for any of His children to live a life of unhappiness and sorrow. What I do believe is that He will bring us to that place where we will see the truth of Jesus for ourselves.
~Scott~
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