That You May Believe - October 13th

That You May Believe - Week 5 Recap

What do we mean by "Loving Christ more than…"?

To address the thought, we have to understand the reasoning behind the question. What we love in this life is what drives our decisions, desires, and dreams. We make sacrifices for the things and people that we love. Nothing is wrong with loving those people or things within themselves. Where the rub comes in is, where does Christ fit into all of this? Our mind immediately goes to the place of loving Christ at the exclusion of all other things in life. That is not what John approaches is John 3:22-36; his words deal with loving Christ more than everything else. This passage is about the supremacy of Christ as the Son of God and Lord of our lives.

It's the conflict of all conflicts because it seems that life competes with the supremacy of Christ in our lives. So, where do we start in making this transition to Christ being preeminent?

First, this is not about us making a list and placing numbers by items that represent our lives and then shuffling them around to look like Christ is supreme. This transition first takes place within our hearts, and then it's manifested by our actions. It begins with a recognition of God as the source of all things in this world. The apostle John states, "A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven," and that statement far exceeds tangible earthly resources. The intentional word used here is "Heaven," focusing us on the greatest gift ever given, and that is the incarnate Christ, God wrapped in flesh.

Secondly, in light of this gift not earned or deserved but given by grace, we realize we bring nothing to the table of salvation but our brokenness. We stand before God in the shadow of His Son, forgiven and covered in the righteousness of Christ. There is no greater love known to mankind, and in view of our humanity and God's greatness, He brings transformation to our lives.

This is our joyful response to God's sovereignty, not a dreaded duty to a directive of a ruthless and unloving deity. We respond to Christ's plan for our lives out of a recognition that He has always had a divine plan. Christ is supreme in all creation whither we give Him that place in our lives or not, but the only path to fullness of life is that He is preeminent in our hearts, and that alters our behavior and realigns our priorities.

Scripture

John 3:1-36

John 10:3-4

Ephesians 5:25-27

1 Corinthians 15:47-49

Let's Chat

Let's keep the conversation going. Use the following questions to discuss with your family, friends, or discussion group.

Instead of making a list of all your responsibilities, obligations, and what you love and then trying to prioritize your life, try starting with your heart.

1. What is your understanding of God and how He feels about you?

2. What's in your heart that you need to surrender to the grace of Christ?

3. What guilt and regret are you shouldering that Christ is already carrying for you?

Open your mind and heart to the words of God in scripture. His words to you have a supernatural way of revealing what needs to change in your heart. Submit to the Holy Spirit for guidance on this journey.

Miss Sunday?

If you didn't get a chance to hear Sunday's message, check out the link below to watch. (Sunday message videos are usually available Sunday afternoon.)