Jesus the Reverence of the Redeemed

be filled with the Spirit... giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. (Eph. 5.18b, 20-21)

At no time in history has submission of one's will been easy. No matter whether the culture was hyper-individualistic or deeply communal, there is a strain against pure conformity. The individual, and even the collective society, will rebel against obedience and fight against submission. When men and women, even children, have tasted the bittersweet wine of human stubbornness we become intoxicated with our own selfish wants and desires. We care less about greeting one another in love and more concerned about our personal wellbeing and intense gratification.

Into the self-centered debauchery of our own souls, Jesus speaks to us. He calls to us. He beckons us to detox from our arrogant drunkenness and be filled with the Holy Spirit. Led by the Spirit of Jesus we become sober to the world around us and to the fellowship of believers who stand at our shoulders with whom we share life. We address one another with the light and life of Christ and have purpose and love born into our once corrupted souls. Where we only had egotistical twisted wants and manipulated desires we now have a heart filled with Christ-centered thanks and praise. We see our brothers and sisters with the thankfulness of an orphan brought into a loving family.

We no longer stumble through life blithely placing our depraved passions and foolishness on an idolatrous pedestal but we see Jesus, the reverence of the redeemed. We obediently lift up one another, submitting to one another in reverent worship to God. We submitted readily and willingly to Jesus, who is our life, our love, our Lord.

Jesus, you are the reverence of my soul, the one who gently leads my soul before the Father, who guides me in righteousness and joy! Thank you Lord for your faithfulness to bring me out of my blindness.

Jesus the Shining Light

“Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” (Ephesians 5.14)

These words are an early hymn, an anthem of the early church, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” They are sharp in their spiritual reality and beautiful in their cadence. Like Lazarus, these words join in our minds with our own resurrection from the dead. Our spiritual death, in which we walked as if in an unending nightmare has come to an end. We have heard that voice crying in the wilderness and turned our faces toward the morning sun. We have been awakened to life, baptized into new life, standing now dripping in the dazzling light of morning.

Jesus is our shining light. From His mouth He speaks radiating light into the darkness that plagues humanity. It is not that we need to discourse and detail all the depravity of the world to bring the lies and lust to light. No, we need only live in the light of Christ. Jesus is the shining light that exposes the diseased roots of sin. If we will love the light we will experience the painful joy of sanctification as Jesus burns away the sickness. In the light we can awake from our dark prison and feel the warmth of redemption on our faces. We can stand, risen from the dead, as Christ shines on us. The meaningless, wasteful and flagrant sins that paled our souls in the darkness must yield to the all-powerful brilliance of our Savior King, Jesus Christ.

Jesus, thank you for forgiving my sin, for making away from the dark night that held me from freedom and I now stand free in the joy eternal of your shining light!

Jesus the Fragrant Sacrifice

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (Ephesians 5.1-2)

It is amusing and moving when we see our children imitate us. Our mannerisms communicated to the next generation through loving imitation. A gesture. A speech pattern. A gait in our walk. Even more than that is when we see them pick up our modeling for them in worship. A raised hand in worship. A bowed head in prayer. A righteous rhythm in their walk.

We are imitating our Father and we find our best model for that in Christ our brother. Jesus has shown us how best we can walk in love. In the words of the Gospel accounts, in the reflections of the early church letters, in the prophesies of old, we find the picture of Jesus. Jesus, our all in all. Jesus our everything. Jesus who models His perfect love for the Father in His ultimate sacrifice for us.

Jesus’ offering of His sinless life gives us a taste of what our lives can be. Not that he did not face opposition or difficulty, but that he pleased the Father. Jesus’ sacrifice of His death on the cross gives us the fullest image of God's love for Himself and for us. We have before us the perfect offering and sacrifice, given on our behalf, in love to the Father. We now have the invitation and the timeless model to come before God in a way that is fully pleasing to Him: lives that are a fragrant aroma rising up to Him from our imitation of Jesus' offering and sacrifice.

Jesus, thank you for showing me how to imitate your great love. Give me wisdom in how I can live a life of sincere offering and selfless sacrifice for your glory and pleasure.