This morning before writing this note, I was brought to tears of joy over students responding to the grace of God. I just read about and watched interviews of students at Asbury University in Wilmore, Kentucky who are turning to God in prayer and worship, acknowledging that he is the only one who can save them from their individual sin and who can rescue their country and the world from evil. Nothing else can. Ingenuity, hard work, knowledge, wealth, technology, economics, politics, psychology, or healthcare can benefit, but on their own they cannot save as God can. Even people from other states and countries have been arriving at Ashbury where this turning to God has been going on continuously for nine days. Other university campuses have also begun experiencing this turning to God. I have been praying for this response among young adults. What a heartwarming blessing it is to see it and the multiplication effect it will have in helping others come to know God.
With all the evil, darkness, despair, and difficulties around us, young people struggle with healing from the past, dealing with the present, and facing the future. How is your relationship with God? Have you come to realize that life’s vital questions and heartfelt issues can only be answered by God? Where did I come from? Why am I here? What is good, right, and loving? How can I live that way? Does anyone love me? Where am I going? How does it all end? In this note I want to share with you the hope you can have, the love you can know, and the abundant life you can experience by trusting and obeying Jesus. He is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). God loves you and created you for more than an ordinary life revolved around yourself. He wants you to be with him, to be like him, and to do what he does. Only by following Jesus will your life take on eternal significance as he transforms you to become all that you are meant to be.
Those Who Trust and Obey Jesus are Blessed
Anyone who places their faith in Jesus to save them is incredibly blessed. Lately I’ve been studying the book of Ephesians with my son and some college students. My bible (NKJV Study Bible published by Thomas Nelson. 2007) summarized some of these amazing blessings as listed in Ephesians.
Gracious Blessings for Believers
- Chosen by God (1:4)
- Adoption into God’s family (1:5, 2:10)
- Acceptance before God (1:6)
- Forgiveness of sins (1:7)
- Insight into God’s will (1:9)
- An eternal inheritance (1:11)
- The seal of the Spirt (1:13, 2:18)
- God’s mercy and love (2:4, 3:17-19)
- Wisdom and knowledge (1:17)
- Divine power (1:19-20, 3:16,20)
- Spiritual life (2:1, 5)
- The promise of eternal kindness (2:7)
- The knowledge that God’s plan for us is good (2:10)
- Unity and peace with all believers (2:11-18, 3:6)
- Heavenly citizenshp (2:19)
- Access to God through Christ (3:12)
Your Blessing Is Meant to Be Shared
God blesses you because he loves you. In addition, he blesses believers to be a blessing to others. Your response is an opportunity to love him and help save others. My study Bible also summarized from Ephesians practical ways to bless others.
Responsibilities for Believers (Opportunities to Love and Help Save)
- To keep the unity of the Spirit (4:3-6)
- To use our abilities for the church’s benefit (4:7-13)
- To keep growing and maturing (4:14-15)
- To put away old, sinful ways (4:17-24, 5:2-14)
- To speak honestly and purely (4:25, 29)
- To do what the Spirt leads us to do (4:30)
- To imitate God (5:1)
- To walk in love (5:2)
- To find out what is acceptable to the Lord (5:10)
- To make the most of our time (5:16)
- To be filled with the Spirt (5:18)
- To submit to on another (5:21)
- To have marriages that honor God (5:22-23)
- To honor God in our families (6:1-4)
- To demonstrate integrity in the work place (6:5-9)
- To stand strong against the forces of evil (6:10-18)
Go Farther by Following
Imagine what our world could be like if we received these blessings by faith and let God use them in our lives to help others. Students at Asbury are getting a glimpse of that during this revival. They are realizing that their brokenness and this fallen world will not be solved by humankind’s efforts. Likewise, your greatest future is not found in your personal merit or achievement. One by one students are letting go of dictating their own lives and letting God work much more powerfully in them and through them to bring about lasting change for their best and the best of those around them. Awesome changes are happening at Asbury because students are confessing their wrongdoing to God and trusting Jesus to save them and help them live rightly with God and for God. How will you respond to Jesus?
In the Bible, a first century fisherman named Peter was faced with how to respond to Jesus. I mentioned this last week in my note on being changed by goodness. In a touching encounter with Jesus, Peter had worked all the previous night fishing, but caught nothing. Jesus met him at his point of need, but then went further. He invited Peter to a fuller life as he does with everyone even today. He told Peter to go out once more to catch fish. Tired and frustrated, Peter was reluctant. He didn’t see the point, he had already tried everything and it didn’t matter. He still had no fish to feed his family or to sell. Nonetheless he did so, since Jesus asked him. Immediately upon lowering his nets, he miraculously caught so many fish that the nets began to break and he had to call another boat to help. Both boats were so full of fish that they began to sink. Humbled and afraid, Peter fell at Jesus’ knees and begged him to go away, for Peter knew he was sinful and unworthy to be in Jesus’ presence. But Jesus lovingly reassured him not to be afraid. Then he called Peter to change the world. He said follow me and I will send you to fish for people. Peter left everything and followed Jesus (Luke 5:1-11).
That day on the lake Peter could have rejected Jesus because of shame, pride, or some other reason. He could have continued life on his own as an ordinary, respectable fisherman. He probably would have even done some good here and there. But nothing would have lasted. Eventually he would die and be judged for all the ways he fell short of what God designed for him. He would be judged for rejecting Jesus the only one who could save him from his wrongdoing. Fortunately, Peter received Jesus’ forgiveness and followed him. As he trusted and obeyed Jesus, Peter experienced not only being saved from his old life of sin, but he also experienced being saved for something much greater. His more abundant, everlasting life was found walking with Jesus and fishing for people.
Conclusion
Like he did with Peter and as he is doing among students at Asbury, God wants to save you from a self-centered, ordinary life “catching fish.” That life only ends in your death and separation from him in eternal torment. In contrast, Jesus came that you might have life. He is calling you to unsurpassed, eternal life united with him. He wants you to walk in intimate fellowship with him. He wants you to transform your character into his. He wants you to participate in his kingdom movement of bringing good out of evil. He wants to teach you to “catch people.” If you choose to follow Jesus, and I pray that you do, always thank him for what he has saved you from. But also look to what he has saved you for. By God’s grace and power use the time, talents, treasure, and tasks God has entrusted you to join him in the revival he is calling people to. That is the divine change for good that other people and our world so desperately need.
Note: If you are still evaluating whether to trust and obey Jesus, I wanted to let you know of a short booklet I wrote which may help you decide. It’s titled, “Why I Choose Jesus” and its available for free on the lightrunner.org website under Resources. Also I’d be happy to answer any questions you have. You can reach me through the lightrunner.org website.