Jesus, who was the Christ, or Messiah of Jewish prophecy, died and rose again to bring salvation from sin, and from God’s judgment, to everyone who believes. But the message that changed the world in the years after Jesus’ ascension was not “Jesus saves,” but “Jesus is Lord.” This is what the disciples insisted on preaching, even in the face of imprisonment and death (because to say that Jesus is lord is, necessarily, to also say that Caesar is not).
To be a follower of Jesus we have to actually follow Jesus (1 John 2:4-6). As Dallas Willard put it, “I am learning from Jesus to live my life as he would live my life if he were I.”1 This does not mean that we can earn salvation! Salvation is entirely an act of God’s grace (Ephesians 2:8-9). Rather, it is a recognition of the fact that we are not only saved from something, we are also saved for something. It’s not just praying a prayer and then waiting around for Him to return. Being a child of God (Romans 8:16) means a whole lot more than just being rescued from Hell.
Working out what this looks like in everyday life has been my journey for the past several years. Although I certainly have not yet arrived, I offer the articles and other resources on this site in hopes that others will be encouraged and challenged, just as I have been.
What You’ll Find Here
On this website you’ll find articles and other resources that I hope will help you draw closer to Christ. If this is your first visit, I invite you to start with some thoughts on what it really means to be a child of God. After that, feel free to browse the other articles and other resources in whatever order you like. And don’t forget to sign up below to have a weekly (for now) devotion emailed to your inbox!
- Willard, Dallas
1997 The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life in God. HarperCollins, Pymble, Australia, page 310. ↩︎