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What Kind Of Relationship Do We Have With Jesus?

3/14/2009   

“Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you.” (Acts 17:23)

Do you remember when President Clinton was confronted by the press in 1998 about his relationship with Monica Lewinsky? What adult older than 25 could forget that moment when during a White House press conference, then President Clinton stared directly into the camera and the eyes of the American people, wagging his finger, and said, “I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky.”

I thought about that quote this morning when one of my pastors talked about our “relations with Jesus.” It was the first time since that fateful day in 1998 I had heard that expression used in another context.

How are we relating to Jesus? I led today’s column with something the Apostle Paul said to a group of believers in Athens. He was likely speaking to a group of people who might not have known his God, but firmly believed they knew their god. They were after all characterized by Paul as being “very religious” – not necessarily a good thing. Interestingly, Paul was literally run out of town before he had the full opportunity to speak in depth about the God he knew. The Book of Acts records that he enjoyed very limited success on this evangelistic trip. “Some joined him and believed.” (Acts 17:34)

Most of us are afraid to stand in front of the world, and their god, and proclaim our God like Paul did in Athens. We live in cities and towns that are very much the modern-day Athens where we should recognize that while our neighbors may be very religious, they are not necessarily going to heaven when they die. Shouldn’t we care enough to try to make an eternal difference for them?

So why should you heed my call to see your neighborhood as a mission field? Because we are commanded to do so in Scripture, and warned about what will happen to us if we don’t!

Just before he ascended, Jesus told his disciples, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 28:19) Some believers do not believe that Jesus was actually commanding us to take the Gospel to the world. They challenge us to look at the context in which he made this statement, pointing out that this charge was to his disciples and not to us.

First of all, I think it’s important to point out that Jesus told his disciples to “go… and make disciples”. In other words, he told them to pass the torch so that the saving power of Christ could march forward until He returns. In context, I think it is pretty hard to argue otherwise. So I do not agree, but if we want to focus on context and make sure that Jesus is speaking to us, we should be willing to turn to Scripture and think about what will happen when we don’t.

In Luke, Jesus speaks directly to all of us, not just to his disciples. Think about His words: “Then he said to them all, ‘If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me”. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost? For whoever is ashamed of me and my words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when he comes in his own glory, and in his Father’s, and of the holy angels. (Luke 9:23-26)

While Jesus was again speaking to his disciples, he clearly says, “If anyone desires to come after me.” There is no doubt here that what he means. He is speaking to all of us, and we should think twice about the life we lead in his name. I don’t know about you, but I certainly don’t want for him to be ashamed of me for not doing what I knew inside was the right thing to do all along.

Stop worrying about living a life that you can be proud of – one where you don’t offend others, or make yourself look too different from the rest of the world. Instead, live a life that Jesus would be proud of, one that would make him proud and say when he sees you: “Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your lord.” (Matthew 25:21)

posted by Mike Ruffin on 3/14/2009