Pursue Jesus!

There are three paths to walk upon: lawlessness, legalism, and love.

Lawlessness is the disregard of God's design for creation. It is manifested through immorality, idolatry, envy and the like.

Legalism is the false belief that right standing before God is obtained by works and good deeds.

Both lawlessness and legalism reveal one thing: a lack of relationship with Jesus Christ.

Lawlessness reveals that one is not finding supreme satisfaction in Christ. Thus, the one who disregards God's pattern for life is not pursuing the Lord, because all things are rubbish compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Jesus Christ (Philippians 3:8). Legalism likewise reveals that one has a self-righteous view of him or herself. The legalist is not pursuing the Lord, because he or she is blinded to Him who died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous (1 Peter 3:18).

The solution, therefore, to both lawlessness and legalism is Jesus Christ.

Pursue Jesus and you inevitably pursue love.

Jesus said: "If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you an do nothing" (John 15:5). Apart from Jesus we can do NOTHING! We cannot produce fruit. We are depraved sinners lacking every good of our own merit. Jesus alone produces fruit when we abide in Him; when we pursue a relationship with Him. And so how do we remain in Jesus? 1 John 4:16 says: "God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him." Jesus Christ (one with God the Father) is love. Thus, whoever lives in love lives in Jesus, and Jesus in him.

We abide in Jesus when we love. And how do we love? We love out of His love, which is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. We have been crucified with Christ and we no longer live, but Christ lives in us! We walk empowered by His Spirit. We allow Jesus to love through us.

I pray that our eyes will ever be fixed on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith. May we pursue Him. May we come to know His surpassing worth. May we continually forsake lesser treasures to obtain Him, the true treasure. May we see His holiness and our own depravity. May our hope rest soley in His gospel of grace through faith. May we abide in His love; may His love compel us.