Just Give Me JESUS

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16 (emphasis added)

As a Christian military family every move for us involves finding a new church home…a bittersweet task.  Just over 2 months after our latest move we’re still in “church-search” mode and it amazes me how complicated Christians make the Gospel, in the name of “spiritual maturity”.

The Gospel is so simple children receive it but we clutter it up with a bunch of do’s/don’ts and rules/regs to keep people “in line” and “accountable”.  But you know what?  When the Father gave us His best He gave us JESUS; with no additives, fillers or preservatives.  Straight up, no chaser…for those of us who knew a thing or two about that back in the day!

He gave us JESUS and with Him everlasting life once we put our faith in Him.  Do you think the Father gave us JESUS without giving us every good thing we need to live victoriously in Him?  In fact, with JESUS He freely gave us everything we need including holiness.

So when I hear a sermon, I want to hear about whom the Father gave me…JESUS.  Not philosophy or psychology.  Not a denominational slant.  Not about my shortcomings and failures and what I need to do to get my act together.  My wrongs were judged in JESUS’ body at the cross.

I am a new creation in Him and I need to hear from the Scriptures what I should believe about JESUS so I know who I am in Him.  The more I see JESUS in the Scriptures I am transformed into His image.  He is my identity and my life is hidden in Him.  I am not some sort of growth attached to Jesus; faults exposed, living apologetically for marring His beauty.  He gave me His beauty for the ashes of His finished work on the cross.  He calls me His beautiful bride without spot.

So please, can I just sing about JESUS in praise and worship and hear about Him all throughout the sermon?  He really is more than enough and He doesn’t need man’s “help” to make Him more attractive to the masses or to keep them in line once a part of the body of Christ.  JESUS is glorious and more than capable of keeping His bride from stumbling.  Just give me JESUS!

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SOUL FOOD (Scripture References)

Romans 8:32

Romans 8:37, 1 Corinthians 15:57

2 Corinthians 5:17, 21

2 Corinthians 3:18

Colossians 3:3, 4

Isaiah 61:3

Song of Solomon 4:7

Jude 1:24

© Vanessa A. Harris and The Legacy of Faith, 2012.