Someone has Written

This day’s writing of Michael Wells brings back memories from over 30 years ago, when I first became a Christian.  Those were some interesting days…happy as Larry to be a Christian, oftentimes struggling to live like one.  Until one winter day in Colorado…

Who Among Us Is Like Jesus?

If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you. --John 15:7

I have a challenge for those who have been believers for many years. Read through the commands of Jesus and see, after all these years, how well you are doing. How much progress has been made? Has there been a ten, twenty, thirty, or forty percent improvement? How do you act at your worst now? This is not turning into a guilt-based article; I just want to make the point that you still fall way short. Why? I believe there are two things that we must always keep in mind when reading the commandments of Jesus.

First, He was setting a standard that unregenerate man could never keep. The bar was being set so high that no one would be able to reach His level of righteousness. Peter listened every day and knew well the teaching to love an enemy. The end result was cutting off a man’s ear! Often overlooked is one aspect of Christ’s teaching: that it reveals not only what man should do but what man cannot do. Second, Jesus did it all; He did what He taught, and He did it freely, naturally, consistently, and without struggle.

Therefore, He proved it could be done. Here is the secret to dealing with commands we cannot keep, commands that must be kept, and commands that He kept easily. The solution is simple: We admit we cannot; He moves and keeps them through us. It will be Christ in us living through us as though it is us, but it is not us. We do not aspire to live like Jesus; we gave that up. It is really Jesus living through us. Beautiful!

Do any of you recall that old song sung so often in church years ago…

”To be like Jesus, to be like Jesus.  All I ask is to be like Him.  Through this hard trial from earth to glory, oh how I long to be like Him. 

He’s so meek and lowly, so meek and lowly.  Jesus is ever humble and holy, humble and holy.  oh how I long, oh how I long to be like Him.”

And we skipped out of church to go out and TRY to be like Him.

And then we didn’t quite “be like Him” all week.

Then we walked slowly back into church to sing again…

Or, one person changed it up a bit…

“I want to be more like Jesus…”

Aha, just “more like Him.”

And you know the end to that next week…

Well, what did you think of Michael’s challenge? How did you fare?  What % improvement have you accomplished “after all these years”???  How did you feel at “How do you act at your worst now?”

I love thinking and knowing that although Jesus may have set a standard that an unregenerate man couldn’t possibly keep…it is the same for me, a regenerate man.  I love thinking and knowing that Jesus “did it all”…lived a perfect life…kept all the rules, laws, and standards.  AND I LOVE thinking and knowing that Jesus IS my life as a Christian now (Colossians 3:3-4). 

I have joined Michael Wells and said, “I admit I cannot,” and Jesus moves and keeps them through me.  I now experience Christ in me living through me, as though it is me, but it is not me.  It REALLY is Jesus living through me!  Well, amen.