ChristMyLife.org - Everything

Jesus is Everything. He doesn't know the way or tell us about the way. He is The Way. He doesn't just tell us about the truth. He is The Truth. He isn't just "alive", but He is The Life. He is Everything.

In contrast to Jesus, we can then look at ourselves. What do we have? What is our life? What makes us who we are? There are many things which make up our life: family, friends, culture, church, neighbors, work, school, life experiences, possessions, passions, dreams, hurts, pain, sorrow. The sum of all that we are is our "everything". Day in and day out our life experience touches on different elements of "everything" about our lives. Every day you have experience different emotions, thoughts and worries regarding these different areas of your life. In a sense they are almost inseparable from who you are. They define who you are. They are "everything".

Jesus is Everything. We have "everything". How do these two "everythings" intersect? Can they be blended and mixed together? To answer these questions, let's consider a simple scenario. Suppose someone were to offer to take you on a journey and told you they would provide everything you need for this journey. What then would you need to bring? Nothing. If you were to bring some things, then they would not be providing everything. If they are providing everything then nothing is needed from you.

Jesus is Everything. He asks us to follow Him. What do we bring with us if we follow Him?

Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. (Luke 9:23-24, NIV)

To follow Jesus, "everything" must go. If we desire Everything (Jesus), then we must let go of "everything". There is no blending or mixing of Everything and "everything".

What does this mean? If we give up "everything", what will remain? Does this mean I walk away from my family, friends, work and all that I am? Of course this is not what we are to do. Actually, Jesus is asking us to do even more than walk away from these things. He is asking us to give up our life. He is asking us to lay aside our life so that we can have The Life. He is asking us to lay aside our truth so that we can have The Truth. He wants us to give up our way that we may follow The Way. He simply asks us to lay aside "everything" that we may have Everything. We cannot have Everything until we have given up "everything"

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 5:20 NIV)

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:1-2 NIV)

Those who are in Christ have died with Christ. When someone dies, what do they have left? Nothing. A person who dies loses "everything". In the same way, we who are in Christ have died and we have lost "everything". This is the reality of who we are in Christ. Our death to "everything" has been accomplished on The Cross. By faith, we can walk in this truth.

Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. (Romans 6:8-11 NIV)

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV)

Jesus calls us to follow Him. He is Everything. What can we bring with us? Nothing. Our only contribution is to give up "everything".

Giving up "everything" is not about trying to be a better Christian or disciplining ourselves to live a good life. Until we see there is nothing good in us, we will never exchange our "everything" for Everything. We have nothing to offer Christ and He offers us Everything.

The first step for us is to identify "everything" and to do this we must get to the core or the root of who we are. What do you think about? What drives you to do what you do? These thoughts and desires come from the root of who we are and are part of our "everything". Our desires and plans drive what we think and who we are. These are all part of the "everything" Jesus is asking us to give up. When we give up our life, we will then experience His Life. When we give up what we believe to be true, He can then become our Truth. We must give "everything" and walk by faith in Him.

So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. (Galatians 5:16 NIV)

We live by faith, not by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7 NIV)

Let go of "everything" you are and follow Him. Rather than having some grand plan and design for your life which you hold dear, walk in faith trusting Him. Let Him be your Everything. Each day lay aside the "everything" you see in your life and trust in Him who is Everything.

Additional reading suggestions:
Dying, Submitting, Listening, Obeying on www.christmylife.org
Back to the Cross at http://www.theschoolofchrist.org/category/read/articles/discipleship-articles-read

August 2009

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