This was for my ethics students today. It's a way of understanding the Gospel that helps young people to understand the narrative in which they live and to help them turn from their self-centeredness. You can let me know what you think about it.
***
The Christian life is a part of the story of Jesus. God has a plan to glorify His Son. He is to be His King - the Redeemer-Saviour King, who has a kingdom by rescuing it and cleansing it for himself. He did the work 2000 years ago on a cross, rising to victory and his throne.
We come in later.
We are conceived with a nature that could care less; our puny minds can only think of our selves; we are out of touch with what's really going on; in the Matrix. God steps into our lives and begins to make what Jesus has done for us to start to work - to do things to us.
First, subconsciously, he changes our hearts. Then, he calls us, normally through his Church in some way, to follow Jesus (with the change in our heart, we are awake, we can hear); to use Jesus' words: "take up your cross and follow me; enter the straight gate and the narrow way that leads to eternal life; come unto me all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest."
God has made us with responsibility and so he takes our responsibility seriously and asks us to use it: to say "no" to our selves and to say "yes" to him. He calls us to believe he really does love us that much and to step out into a life of letting him love us and of our loving others in return. We step out - we respond in faith and obedience.
What happens next? We fail; we give into our old ways and start being self-centered again. We thus learn more and more of how, not only would we not be following him if he had not changed us and called us, but we cannot follow him unless he helps us. So, we pray for help, get back up, and continue on the road.
We thus find ourselves starting to get it; we grow more and more awake to how the story is all about Jesus: Who He is and what He has done, does do, and will do for us. We start to sing the song that the rest of the universe has been singing for ages past. We get more and more absorbed in the God-side of the story.
Part of that story is that we get to have a part in what Jesus is doing to grow his kingdom before he returns to usher in the new world to come. He allows us to serve him by calling others to him, as we were called. In this way, we get to have a little experience fighting Evil, like he did - though there's really no comparison.
As we thus suffer, mysteriously, in our own little way, we share the reward of his glory. God gives us the privilege of really doing something; of really being a part of His great story of glorifying His Son. (think of how Aslan gives the Pevensies a chance to fight the White Witch).
In the end, we become more fully human; more fully what we were made to be. We become more really ourselves after all ("he that loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it") and we find ourselves strangely happy (though in this world we still weep), with the promise of being happy forever.
Now, have you answered the call? Not sure? Are you on the road (humbly trusting and obeying)? Then you must have. Simply look to Jesus. He is the Saviour, from beginning to glorious end.
***
The Christian life is a part of the story of Jesus. God has a plan to glorify His Son. He is to be His King - the Redeemer-Saviour King, who has a kingdom by rescuing it and cleansing it for himself. He did the work 2000 years ago on a cross, rising to victory and his throne.
We come in later.
We are conceived with a nature that could care less; our puny minds can only think of our selves; we are out of touch with what's really going on; in the Matrix. God steps into our lives and begins to make what Jesus has done for us to start to work - to do things to us.
First, subconsciously, he changes our hearts. Then, he calls us, normally through his Church in some way, to follow Jesus (with the change in our heart, we are awake, we can hear); to use Jesus' words: "take up your cross and follow me; enter the straight gate and the narrow way that leads to eternal life; come unto me all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest."
God has made us with responsibility and so he takes our responsibility seriously and asks us to use it: to say "no" to our selves and to say "yes" to him. He calls us to believe he really does love us that much and to step out into a life of letting him love us and of our loving others in return. We step out - we respond in faith and obedience.
What happens next? We fail; we give into our old ways and start being self-centered again. We thus learn more and more of how, not only would we not be following him if he had not changed us and called us, but we cannot follow him unless he helps us. So, we pray for help, get back up, and continue on the road.
We thus find ourselves starting to get it; we grow more and more awake to how the story is all about Jesus: Who He is and what He has done, does do, and will do for us. We start to sing the song that the rest of the universe has been singing for ages past. We get more and more absorbed in the God-side of the story.
Part of that story is that we get to have a part in what Jesus is doing to grow his kingdom before he returns to usher in the new world to come. He allows us to serve him by calling others to him, as we were called. In this way, we get to have a little experience fighting Evil, like he did - though there's really no comparison.
As we thus suffer, mysteriously, in our own little way, we share the reward of his glory. God gives us the privilege of really doing something; of really being a part of His great story of glorifying His Son. (think of how Aslan gives the Pevensies a chance to fight the White Witch).
In the end, we become more fully human; more fully what we were made to be. We become more really ourselves after all ("he that loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it") and we find ourselves strangely happy (though in this world we still weep), with the promise of being happy forever.
Now, have you answered the call? Not sure? Are you on the road (humbly trusting and obeying)? Then you must have. Simply look to Jesus. He is the Saviour, from beginning to glorious end.
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