When we think of Christ & His ministry on earth, what stands out to us? Perhaps for many of us, we focus on God’s amazing gift of salvation. Yet most of Jesus’ teachings were not about heaven & the after-life, but rather revolved around our everyday existence & relationships. Why would Jesus spend so much time focusing on the “here-and-now” instead of the “here-after?” I would submit that He desires to have a relationship with us today, not tomorrow. Committing our lives to Christ is not meant to be a life insurance policy. Rather, committing our lives to Christ should be an eBay “Buy-it-Now” purchase that we don’t dare delay.
Why should we desire to change our lives & start a relationship with Christ today? Paul outlines the motivation, quite succinctly, as he describes the Fruits of the Spirit (v22-23). Or, as we may think of them, Christ’s 9 Point Benefit Package, release 5.22: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, & Self-Control.
As an exercise, let’s consider the above benefits in relation to our lives today. Which of the list do we experience the most? Which one do we experience the least?
As we review our list, we might see a gap between our lives & the life Christ offers us. The theologian, Dallas Willard, calls this the “great disparity” & Pastor Adam, in a sermon last fall noted that we need to “mind the gap.”
The challenge to closing this gap, per Bill Hybels of Willow Creek Community Church, is that we tend to think of only one transformation in our faith journey. He contends there are two great leaps in a Christian’s faith walk. The 1st leap is from non-believer to believer. The 2nd leap is from believer to committed Christian. When we commit our life to Christ, that is not a conclusion, but rather an exciting beginning. We then need to start the process of growing in our faith to become a deeply committed Christian.
How? We need to open our Bibles & learn about God, about ourselves, & how God desires to interact with us. We need to openly talk with God through prayer: share our hopes, dreams, and fears & then listen for God’s direction. We need to worship God–not fame or fortune, but God. The day we drive to church for worship and instead of thinking of “where else could I be?” we excitedly conclude that “there is nowhere else I’d rather be,” we’ll know we are making progress. Let’s “Buy-it-Now” & start enjoying the Fruits of the Spirit today.
Darren Lippe co-leads the “Loving God” Leaning Community at The Church of the Resurrection.
