I have so often, in conversation about Christianity, heard and seen the puzzled minds of others wondering why I would ever choose to follow all these rules and commands. I have seen it so many times, people thinking, “Why would he choose to be a Christian? It seems so difficult and boring.”
I feel that this really is quite a common consensus among many people, especially this young generation. It is the idea that God is perhaps some sort of dictator, that He is unfair and that being a Christian is too hard because it comes with the obligation to start going to church and following too many rules, maybe even having to wear tight pants and a “Jesus” shirt.
“You’re telling me I have to start loving people now?"
"And I can’t go out with my friends anymore?"
"And I have to go to church twice a week? I’m busy."
"And what about the whole creation thing? Do I really have to start thinking about my purpose here?”
I’m really not sure how people have come to think that following Christ is about being good enough. It could be a bad representation by believers, or perhaps it is just our human nature to be works-minded. Whatever the reason, the fact remains that following Jesus is not about those things at all. Being a Christian is absolutely not based on works, but it is “By grace through faith,” (Eph. 2:8) that we are saved. It is absolutely not by our works.
Through all of this, and through many experiences and seemingly failed conversations, I have come to realize that I cannot do anything to change someone’s heart or mind. What I must rely on is the power of God and His Word, and therefore I must have boldness to speak His Word and trust that it will not return void (Is. 55:11).
Therefore, I want to focus the rest of this on all of Ephesians 2. I will not write the whole chapter here, but I encourage anyone who reads this to go read it right away. It is extremely powerful, humbling and hopeful to anyone, believer and non-believer. As I began reading this chapter, the amazing love of God our Father for His children rushed into my mind and I could not help but be completely overwhelmed by who God is and that He has saved me. He has brought me from death into life, from darkness into light, from destruction and no purpose to true joy and fulfillment. God has simply given me life. Without His grace, I have absolutely nothing to live for.
Conversely, I feel that this passage has direct implication to the fear that following Jesus is about being good enough.
My dear, wise and wonderful sister, in discussing this passage, thought of a brilliant image that completely opened my eyes to what really happens when we are saved by Jesus from death and destruction.
Millions of children are born into horrible situations. Families are broken and abusive, parents abandon, poverty kills and neglect leaves them feeling unworthy and unwanted. There are horrible, deadly situations that children are born into with absolutely no hope of survival.
These tragic realities can only be healed through adoption.
The poor, hurting children have one hope of having a fruitful and joyous life -- being adopted, and for some this is their only chance at mere survival.
The beautiful picture here is exactly our story. This is precisely what happens to us, whether we realize it or not, when we surrender our lives to Christ and experience His grace, His adoption. The reality is that we are born into sin. We are born, as Ephesians says, “following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience…” (v. 2). It says that we were literally “children of wrath” (v. 3).
“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ…” (v. 4-5).
We have been adopted by God our Father, saved from our old selves which were slaves to sin and to Satan.
Following Christ is not at all about earning salvation by good works. That is an absolutely perverted way to view Jesus and brings Him down to our level. We can never be good enough for Him. But He, in His amazing mercy and grace, has offered us salvation despite our sin. He is a good father who brings His children out of darkness into light. Surrendering to Christ is not about being good enough, because we never will be. It is wholly about Jesus changing our hearts and us living, in response, in full surrender to Him because of His great love for us.
God is a good father and He loves His children dearly. Thank Him for His amazing grace and live in light of His mercy and adoption today and every day, knowing that He has given us purpose and joy when we had no hope.
