Why do we not walk around in shock that Jesus died for us? Like someone who walked out of the Holocaust unharmed. Why are we not like that? Because we did not come out of there literally, but we did in a sense. He died in the most gruesome, awful way, absorbing the punishment of every human being ever created, and sparing us all the pain. The invitation stands open for everyone.
Saved from what exactly? Take the worst moment of your life. The deepest loneliness, the sharpest grief, the heaviest shame. Now imagine that moment lasting forever, with no relief, no morning after, and no God to cry out to. That is what He saved us from. Revelation 20:15 gives us the answer we would rather not sit with:
“And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.”
— Revelation 20:15
That is what was waiting for us. That is what He stepped in front of.
With this knowledge, how should I live? Humble, worry free, grateful, indebted to His goodness, obedient, and worthy of the freedom He purchased for me.
To draw a parallel: imagine a soldier who returns home from battle and discovers that his wife has been having an affair with the leader of the enemy, actively plotting to take over his country. What should this returning soldier do? His wife is either incredibly naive or irredeemably treacherous. Even as his own wife, he will have to turn her in. We cannot continue to live as though we love Satan and the things of this world when our freedom was purchased by the only One who could pay the price.
Jesus will deal with Satan and those who choose to remain sinful. That is not our battle. As faithful Christians, our job is not to worry about those who refuse to leave the shadow of Satan, who embrace pride, avarice, and deceit, all that God hates. Our job is to remember, every single day, that we escaped eternal torture by the thinnest thread, solely because of God’s benevolence and mercy.
This may sound a little preachy, but I feel compelled to say it anyway. If we do not keep one eye on what we escaped from, the way a driver checks the rear view mirror, we risk becoming a Gomer. When Jesus comes back, will He find us in the arms of the enemy?
I do not want to be found there. The enemy is clever, overpowering, and wily. So how does someone like me, outmatched on my own, avoid being duped? By staying connected to the One who is more powerful than him. Satan was defeated. He is roaming the earth picking through garbage. I am a princess. There is no reason to give him so much as a moment of my time. I may have been a Gomer once, but through my free will, I choose to be the daughter of the King.
“For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs — heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.”
-Romans 8:15-17
Dear God,
I am sorry for not always being aware of the great sacrifice You made for me and for all of mankind. Please keep me close in Your presence, ever mindful of what You have done for my freedom. May I glorify You today in everything I say and do. I pray in Your precious name, Jesus. Amen.