God Is All In!

I think one of the greatest injustices anyone could ever experience is to not know who Jesus is. In fact, I think it is the greatest injustice.

It’s not necessarily that Jesus died on the cross, although if you don’t get that concept, that’s part of the injustice. But I think the greatest injustice is simply to not know Jesus. And I think the church, in some ways, has tainted our view of Jesus.

When you live like Jesus lived, will you make mistakes? Yes, you will! The mystery of God is the church, but the church is part of man. We’re not perfect. We fail, sometimes a lot.

Jesus had turmoil around Him all the time. People tried to kill Him all the time. And yet, even hanging on a cross, He looked over at a guy and said, “Today you’ll be with me in paradise.” He understood what it was to love a human being. He knew the hearts of people and He said, “I love these hearts. And even though they’re bad at times, I still believe in them. I’m going to love on them until they change. I’m all in.

I think Jesus looks at us now and says, “Look. I’ve redeemed sin on the cross. I’ve taken sin away. However, you’re still going to make mistakes.”

My sons make mistakes. They make them all the time! But they still feel loved. And while they live in my home, they will feel safe. I fear that a lot of people don’t feel safe in their own homes. I think that’s why they don’t understand their purpose in life. Even in their own homes, they don’t feel safe. Living the life of Jesus can change that. There is freedom in Christ Jesus. There’s no condemnation in the life of Jesus.

I believe that is why the Word says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

I know we put that phrase on our hats. We tattoo it on our arms. You see that a lot with athletes. They rely on the strength it delivers. But it means so much more than mere strength. It’s not simply, “I can do all things through Christ who gives me physical strength. That’s why I can be a professional athlete.” No, no. It’s a lot more than that. You can do all things in Christ because you live His lifestyle.

If you truly live that lifestyle, you’re strong in all areas. I walk in the lifestyle of Jesus. Things don’t always go right, but I’m confident that I will always be able to deal with problems. I’m always going to be able to overcome obstacles. It’s because of who I am in Jesus. In His family, I’m always safe. Even when bad things happen, Jesus is always going to love me. He’s always going to help me.

He’s always going to encourage me to move on, and I’m going to press on. I look ahead to Him.

Jesus says, “You might experience trials and tribulations, but you belong to my family. Will things go wrong? Yes. Things will go wrong on earth. But because you’re in my family, you will still feel safe. You will still feel joy. You will still feel empowered. When trials come, you can meet them.”

He’s all in!

See you Monday.