Saved by Christ and Christ alone

Knowing that what Christ has done is enough to save, and that he has saved is the best feeling one on this earth can have. It is liberating, freeing, relaxing, peaceful, and amazing for lack of a better word.

It's comforting, it's assuring, it's brilliant.

It guides you into light. It gives your life purpose and meaning. It creates a passion in you for his word. It sets your heart ablaze for His will. It gives you a hatred for sin.

It gives you hope for a better treasure. Hope for a better life. Hope for the countless days spent with the father.

It gives you a sense of awe. A sense of wonder. A proclamation of His mysteries.

It causes urgency for the cross of Christ to be preached and proclaimed. You feel loved, and know you're loved, so it's easier to love. The love overflows and thusly flows from your life into others.

It's intoxicating. It's breathtaking. It's mesmerizing.

You loose your life, and then find it. You become a new creation. You are set apart. The world you live in is no longer your home. You're alienated to the world. Worldly pleasures become hideous. Sin looses it's pleasure. Sin looses it's power.

Darkness no longer has power over you. Death can't have you. The enemy can't have you.

You know you've been bought. You know He's your portion. You know you've been made for true and long lasting pleasure.

It smashes your pride. It smashes the love of yourself. It causes you to know the cross is the only good thing you have. You boast in it. You glory in it. You love Christ.

I love Christ. I love what He has done. I love that what He's done is enough for me. It's more than enough for me. It will always be enough for me. He will always be my portion. I will always find delight in Him.

I've been set free. My guilt has disappeared. My burden has been lifted. My chains have been cast aside.
I've been cleansed. I've been redeemed.

He gave His life for me. I only hope that I'll be able to give my life for Him.

Sometimes I get tired of lofty theological ideas, and biblical based discussions.
I don't really understand why that might be. Don't get me wrong, If you gave me the chance I would probably talk your ear off about all the cool things in the bible, and all the things God has, is doing and will be doing in the future.

I think, maybe why we get tired of thinking about God or talking about God, or praying to God is because our human minds can't truly grasp who he is. Every single person on this planet has a false perception of who God really is. Maybe it's because of that false perception we grow weary of God. You can't compare God to a human because He's God. However, since we don't know God and have never seen God the only thing we can compare God to is a human. I don't mean we call God human (even though he was at one point), I mean we compare God's goodness to a humans goodness which is outrageous. God is infinitely good, and ultimately good, and forever good. It's ridiculous that we'd even try to compare human goodness to God's goodness. After all, a human is made good in God's eyes by the cross alone. His Holiness has no bounds, and neither does His power. We can't grasp that. We can't even begin to grasp who God is so we have to bring Him down to our level somehow, because we want to understand and we somehow feel better about understanding. The truth is, we can't understand.

I think maybe that's why we get tired of talking about God. It's when we try to understand Him we get tired of talking about Him. I think I might never tire talking about God's mysteries.

We'll enjoy God forever when we're with Him for eternity. I'm guessing we'll have a better understanding of who is He is at that point. We'll never get tired of talking about Him. We'll never get tired of praising Him. We'll never get tired of talking to Him. We'll never get tired of hearing His voice. The bible specifically says we'll never be tired...

I wonder how gloriously glorious heaven will be. For me to never grow tired of God, that must be amazing.

Living life with the end goal in mind

I really wish I was selfless. I want very much to love God with all my heart, soul, and mind, and love others as He first loved us. I want to obey all the laws within his word and want to follow all the commandments he has given us. I can't. I can't do it. Praise God for the great mediator who is His son, or I'd be in some major trouble to say the least.

Bottom line is, I'm selfish. I can't get over myself. I wish I'd never been born in this flesh which is sin, but that is the human condition. It's every humans problem that we're born with.

And why should I not get over myself if I live with the end goal in mind. I want my life to look like Paul's. I want to count everything aside from knowing Christ as rubbish. And, in all reality, everything aside from knowing christ, investing in others lives and living out what God asks of us through his law and commandments is rubbish. That is, it's rubbish if I live with the end goal in mind. My treasure is in heaven! Why can't I wrap my thoughts around that? My reward will be eternity in heaven, with God- Who will bestow joys upon me which are unconceivable. Why should I live this life for me? It's not about me! God didn't create this world and the 6 billion other people in it for me. It's by his grace and mercy that he created me in the first place.

So, with that knowledge my life should look radically different. Genuine christian lives should look radically different. That knowledge should change how we live.

My ultimate goals in this life are these-
When I'm on my deathbed, I'll be able to say much like Paul "I did it. I did all God called me to do. There's nothing left on this earth for me to do, I've done it. I've fought the good fight"
And, when people look at my life I don't want them to say "Blake Russell is an awesome guy."
I want people to say "Jesus Christ is an awesome God." If people see any good in me- I hope they'll see Jesus Christ, not Blake Russell.

Apart from Christ, I have nothing good. Christ is my only boast! That is it, that is all. Apart from Christ my life is meaningless. I can only begin to praise Him for saving me.