“When anyone is in Christ, it is a whole new world. The old things are gone; suddenly, everything is new!” – 2 CORINTHIANS 5:17 (ERV)
When someone reads this verse, they may wonder about its meaning. A whole new world? Everything new? But I think that one of the reasons why people question this is because they may not be in Christ so much as they know about Christ.
They’ve heard about Christ but they’re not necessarily in Christ. That’s where we start seeing people saying one thing and doing something else. I’m not here to bring shame or guilt or condemnation, but rather to bring clarity.
Each of us needs to have a personal relationship – an intimate relationship – with Jesus. It’s important for you to have that kind of relationship so that He can speak to you clearly about what you need to do in your life and what you should do for Him. After all, that’s why we’re here as Christians: To live for Him.
“Making Jesus Lord” isn’t just a “get out of Hell free” card. Think about the phrase, “Jesus is Lord”: If you’ve made Jesus your Lord, you’ve surrendered your rights to your life. So, all the things that you get offended about – all the things that upset you when someone says something to you or does something to you – you need to check with Jesus to see if He would get upset or offended.
For instance, if you’re driving in traffic and someone cuts you off and forces you to jam on the brakes, do you get road rage and try to get back at them? Do you make sure that driver knows you’re peeved with them? Somehow, I don’t see Jesus doing that, do you?
Somehow, I don’t see Jesus having road rage…
So, if Jesus wouldn’t do it, and we’ve surrendered our rights to Him, why would we?
Don’t get me wrong…I’m certainly not perfect on always surrendering my rights to Jesus’ will; but, I’m trusting God to improve. The enemy will always lead you to failure and the Holy Spirit will always lead you to improvement. That’s one way you’ll be able to tell if how you’re reacting is of God or not!
I like how the Mirror Bible states Luke 12:33. Here, Jesus is talking about seeking the Kingdom of God above everything else, knowing that He’ll give us everything we need. Jesus tells HIs disciples, “From now on, do life from a different perspective!”
Instead of existing that is so self-consumed with wanting things our way, Jesus tells us to “Be compassion-driven in your sharing and giving.” He’s not just talking about physical “stuff.” He’s talking about our hearts and how we respond to people and situations.
The way the world reacts is to be self-centered; but, Jesus was all about laying down His life for the world. If Jesus is our Lord, that needs to be our way of thinking.
Living life from Jesus’ perspective – that “different perspective” – is good. It’s not selfish to say that it’s good for us (because it’s just a fact)…but it’s also good as a light to the world. When you keep your focus on God and respond like Jesus in the face of contradiction, different is good!
To watch the May 30, 2021 message on which this post is based, CLICK HERE.
