Jesus is everything

If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 
 Who, being in very nature God,
      did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 
 but made himself nothing,
      taking the very nature of a servant,
      being made in human likeness. 
 And being found in appearance as a man,
      he humbled himself
      and became obedient to death—
         even death on a cross! 
 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
      and gave him the name that is above every name, 
 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
      in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 
 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
      to the glory of God the Father.
Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.(Philippians 2, NIV, biblegateway.com)

I’ve been thinking this weekend about who it is I believe in. I’ve absolutely committed my life to Jesus and yet so easily I shut Him out, I rely on sef-sufficiency and knowledge and ability and credibility. I find myself on my knees in prayer less and less, and my study of the bible is often to seek support for ideas I read elsewhere. If we don’t spend time in repentance before God, how can we claim to know Him? If we’re not searching His word, then how do we know our dreams and ideas are of Him? If we’re not lifting up our hands in prayer with heads bowed down and on our knees, how do we have peace that we have entrusted matters to Him?

Once upon a time I read that we should preach the gospel to ourselves every day, least we forget - great advice that I remind myself of often. We’re saved by grace and we continue in that grace, with a spirit of humility and repentance. It’s not a spirit of self-sufficiency, power and knowledge. I’m very conscious these days that I fall short of the glory of God and in no way deserve His grace. And that’s why it’s great that 1 John 1:9 reminds us that if we confess our sins He will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. And we know He does it with perfect justice at the same time.

I’m confident He’s still working out that salvation in my life, and that He’s sanctifying me at the same time that I know I’ve already been sanctified. Wierd huh? I can only have confidence in Jesus and that I stand in God’s presence wearing that coat of His righteousness. Otherwise I’d be messed up and pretty distant. But I still turn my back on that grace so often and just do what is easiest, laziest, most self gratifying.

If it wasn’t for Jesus dying, I’d be living a very different life. And that’s why I’ve been excited in recent weeks to go to baptism services where people were giving the story of their faith in Jesus, and expressing their love of Him, just reminding me of the gospel and of the beauty of changed lives. Last night our pastor baptised 3 people, and then opened up the option for anyone else who wanted to get baptised to just come down and get baptised, current clothes and all! Something I’ve never seen, in this church or elsewhere, and it was just so encouraging to see three people respond to that, confessing their faith in Jesus and repentance of sin. People will keep knocking the church I’m part of for a long time yet, but as long as people keep turning to follow Jesus and repenting and getting baptised I don’t think we’re going too far wrong.

Jesus is the centre. He’s our hope and our salvation. He’s won the victory and He’s worthy to receive praise forever and a day. Let’s encourage one another as we seek to follow Him, to believe in Him and to praise Him. Let’s seek His face more closely, and spend time listening rather than just talking to Him. Let’s lift up His name in all the earth, and lets be united with a spirit of love as we do that.