I’m going to
make a statement that may sound really…heretical perhaps, until it’s thought
over. The event of the Cross of Jesus
does not sanctify me in and of itself. The
event of the Cross of Jesus saves me, and I have a relationship with my Master
based on no other action, only His. Yet
I am sanctified as His Spirit works through that relationship to modify me;
conforming me more into the image of my Master.
As that happens, I am made holy and fit for His use.
What I have
to accept is that my relationship with my Master is based on nothing other than
His sacrifice on the cross on my behalf.
And that is true for all humanity.
One of the difficulties I have with this is that I find it very
difficult to view my Master through a lens so differently than my human
relationships. He is not a man that He
should change. Yet I keep thinking that,
once saved, I then continually have to work to retain my status before Him. I have to work to maintain my relationship
with my wife, my friends, my co-workers and company. I don’t have to “work” to retain my
relationship with my Master.
What good I do
as a result of the relationship I have with my Master I do as an overflow of
that relationship. Hopefully, I can’t
help but do right things. The goodness
should be a Spiritual Fruit of that relationship, not a duty. Not that there is no duty involved in my
relationship with my Master. I am His
servant, and servants have duties, and I have mine. Obedience implies duty, even requires it. But duty for One having done so much for me
is a joy, not a burden. Duty is an
obligation I have, in this case, because I have obligated myself. The obligation is part of the covenant I
entered into with my Master. And this
covenant is heavily weighted to my benefit.
I am saved
from destruction I earned through my rebellion against the Master of the
universe. He redeemed me from this
destruction and offered me a covenant agreement that provides me eternal life
in heaven. What I give Him in exchange
is all the stuff I tried to build on my own, the junk I once thought so
precious. The obligation I have to obey
and the duty I have to perform is part of the result of the covenant. I confess Jesus as Lord (Yahweh, Master,
King) and that confession obligates me to obey.
It really is sort of silly to look on it as a tough thing though, as if I
have to enslave myself, giving up my freedom and indenturing myself.
The King of
all matter, Creator of the universe from proton to planet to galaxy, is already
King without my acknowledgement. My
confession only acknowledges what is already true, He is King. And it submits me to the One already in
charge. In a sense, my confession
reframes my paradigm to reality rather than continuing in the paradigm of the illusion
that I am in control of my environment. On
the surface, Americans recoil at the thought of “enslavement” but when the
reality is discovered that we already are enslaved, it’s becomes a whole bunch
easier to choose. Enslaved to death or
enslaved to life; it’s my choice. Hmm,
let me think.
The hard
part is that considering myself as “in-charge” is how I used to define
freedom. It is how the world I live in
defines it. But in reality, submitting
myself to my Master and obeying Him is really freedom; freedom from death, freedom
to live out my purpose, freedom to walk the streets of heaven, and freedom to
worship the One True God. I have a
master of some sort regardless of what I think.
The reality of this universe is that humans are enslaved. But through the work of Jesus Christ, I can
now choose my master, whether my selfishness and the enemy, or the One True
Master of the universe; life or death, blessing or curse.
So, I am
saved by Jesus’ sacrifice of Himself on the Cross. And I am sanctified through His Spirit
throughout the rest of my time here on earth.
It is while I am in that sanctifying process that I gladly serve my King
and perform my duties He has given me.
And in all of this, I enjoy reality without illusion, seeing the
universe as it is, and spending time with the One responsible for it. Is there anything better than that?
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