NOTE: This column may be familiar to you. That’s because the message is so important, I rerun it regularly. Enjoy!
“Pastoral work, in large part, deals with the difficulty everyone has in staying alert to the magnificence of salvation.” So says Eugene Peterson (Five Smooth Stones for Pastoral Work). I believe he’s right.
Do you really know what it means to be “saved”? Read on. Slowly.
It means your life is defined and shaped by an act of the living God, not by political, military, economic, bodily, or environmental forces.
It means you are no longer dead to God in your transgressions and sins, but you are alive to love Him and serve Him.
It means you no longer spend your days being hated by others and hating them back, but you are able to have open, happy, healthy relationships.
It means that you who were shattered are whole, naked are clothed, lost are found, thirsty are satisfied, frightened are secure, heartbroken are comforted, hopeless are sure.
It means every time you fail, Jesus has already obeyed in your place.
It means God has done for you—in the most important, enduring way possible—what you could never have done for yourself.
It means God has defeated the darkness, broken your bondage, forgiven your sins, washed clean your heart, silenced your conscience, purchased your freedom, reconciled your past, satisfied His Law, pronounced His verdict, secured your inheritance, and made you His beloved. And all of this, forever.
It means that you have an entirely new family with a Father who helps you grow, provides for you, and loves you; an older Brother who has given His life for you, understands you, and lets you share His identity; and a Comforter who guides you, empowers you, and keeps you.
It means Christmas and Easter are not just holidays to you. They are deeply personal commemorations that define you, direct you, and reassure you. That God became flesh means your life in that body on this earth matters to God. That He rose conquering death means that your labor, whatever it is, is not in vain in the Lord.
It means everything in your life now and everything in your future then come to you from the hands of Love.
It means intimacy with God—the Holy One, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the King of all kings, the Creator of the universe—is your privilege now and your destiny forever.
It means God not only loves you; He likes you too.
It means you are more than a conqueror.
It means you are free.