05/09/12 Salvation the gift.

I'm often confronted with a feeling of uneasiness when I hear the gospel of 'salvation' presented.  

It's because usually it's presented as "The Gospel".  Not that I deny that salvation is part of what Jesus came to give us.  But when it is the ONLY focus it becomes as much - us worshiping the gift rather than the giver - as in any other case of us focusing on only one facet of Jesus ministry.  Yes He came to set us free in salvation, but look at His 'opening arguments' as it were, from Isaiah:61:1 as told in Luke 4:16-19. 

      "The Lord's Spirit has come to me, because he has chosen me to tell the good news to the poor.  The Lord has sent me to announce freedom for prisoners, to give sight to the blind, to free everyone who suffers, and to say, `This is the year the Lord has chosen.' " [CEV]

What did HE say that he came for?  Salvation alone?  NO

He came to set the prisoners free. Prisoners of what?  Sin, to be sure, but much more than that.  

Prisoners of the life that we've been living, pain and suffering, the lies of the enemy, and the torment of disconnection that we all feel deep inside.  

Prisoners that have been kept from God by a veil and by religion, and by traditions of man, and by the enemy of our soul.

He came to restore our ability to connect with God, and to give us life, here and now.

He came to tell us 'This is who I am - the lost love of your hearts, the one who would do anything to connect with you.'

It baffles me that so many "Christians" are so stuck on this 'gospel' of salvation.  If we are honest and examine the evidence we see that having simply received salvation has NOT changed their lives. Sadly, if anything this 'salvation gospel' has put them into more bondage than ever now having to deal with sin management.  They are now stuck trying to live up to an ideal of 'Christianity' and to be what they could never be before accepting Christ as savior.  It simply does not work to add more rules or to promote the appearance of goodness.  Jesus did not come to add more rules and more guilt and more weight for us to carry around.  Power comes from being connected to God heart to heart. There is no more power to live rightly just by knowing you are not going to hell than there was before, and faking it is just a lie.  They would be better off being honest and living how they please.
But for truth, for pure honest Truth, He is your man.
Jesus came to set us free.
No faking it.

This was not simply a rescue mission of Him just coming to save us from hell.  

It was a mission of restoration, not just figuratively or 'positionally', but entirely; physically emotionally mentally and spiritually.  

Jesus wants us to have it all.

He gave us back the ability to connect with Him and to stay that way.

WOW!  

Do you know what that means?

The veil was torn in two!

No more separation necessary!

God is now within reach again!

Hurrah for our King Jesus who opened the door back to God!

And how does Jesus give us that connection?

He gives us sight, heals our wounds, and announces the good news is that NOW it's time.

It means that for those who accept His invitation, our hearts are free at last.  

Free!

Free from the bondage of sin, but also free to love and not hold back.  

Free to trust entirely that we are His.

Free to walk and talk and act as we are - as it is supposed to be - as His beloved.

Free to bask in the love so generously given to us.

Free to share our whole hearts with Him and with others.

It's not an assignment people, IT'S A PARTY!

Invite everyone to come into the freedom of this love.  

It is endless and everlasting.  

It means that whatever is going on in our lives: it is love in action.  

God is up to something.  And that something is Love.

Our previous notions of what it meant to belong to Him are forever changed.

When that connection is made, He goes to work healing all the wounds, cleaning out all the closets of pain and hurt that causes us to be less than His perfect love.  He takes us by the hand and opens our eyes to the vast potential that He created us to be.  He reveals just what He was thinking when He created each one of us.  All unique, all part of His plan, all some glorious portion of God's reflection given to show Him in truth to the world.

What does that say about Him?  

Salvation is awesome, but it's one - only one - of the gifts He came to give us.

Love is the greatest gift that we've been given: the ability to connect to the source of Love. 

Now, that is something to be excited about!

That is something to worship Him for.

What does He ask of us?

It's very simple:  Love. (of course - reflecting Him)