“No longer I who live, but Christ in me
For I’ve been born again, my heart is free
The hope of heaven before me, the grave behind
Hallelujah, You brought me back to life”
Back to Life, Zahriya Zachary
“20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
Galatians 2:20:
‘Back to Life’ by Bethel is one of Kailie’s favourite songs. I often hear her singing in the kitchen, or while doing the laundry, or just walking down the hall: “Just like Lazarus, You brought me back to life!”
And it is one of the sweetest sounds I have ever heard. Not only because it is the sweet songbird voice of my wife, but because of the content itself – HE BRINGS US BACK TO LIFE.
I was very much dead but Jesus brought me back to life.
Christianity is not so much about the handing out of an ultimatum. I’ve been involved with evangelism for a very long time, and one of the most frequent objections I’ve heard is in regards to the sort of ‘turn or burn’ preaching that happens at some of these events.
“How can a loving God be so cruel? Why would a God that is so full of love and compassion judge and condemn the sinner? It seems unfair to say “choose Me or go to hell…”
This is the fruit of us preaching ultimatums.
I unashamedly preach repentance and holiness – heaven and hell – I unashamedly preach fire and brimstone, but at no point do I believe that God is issuing threats or ultimatums.
We are already dead. We are, in a lot of ways, already in hell.
Jesus does not offer us the opportunity to choose where we go next – as if this life is some sort of neutral ground – He does not offer an ultimatum. Instead Jesus offers, through His sacrifice upon the Cross, a solution. He offers us a way out of our current situation.
Jesus very much is the Right Hand of God reaching out to pull us up and out of the grave and into newness and freshness of life.
A victorious life where we do not have to be ruled by sin and fear – but where we can prosper as children of our Father who loves us.
In the story of Lazarus his sisters were discouraged when Jesus did not come immediately. They call on Jesus when their brother falls ill, but He knows and tells His disciples: “This sickness will not end in death.”
Two things come to mind. Some of us are Mary’s and Matha’s and we have been praying – calling on Jesus – in regards to our family or our friends that they might encounter Him and be set free. We have been making intercession for a sibling, a parent, a spouse, maybe our children – and we have become discouraged. Why isn’t He showing up?
Don’t stop praying, and don’t stop loving!
A friend’s mother told me how she had prayed, sometimes through the night, for her son to be saved. He was a drug addict. Her pillow would sometimes be soaked with tears as she cried out to the Lord.
Today he helps many drug addicts break free and recover from the chains of addiction.
It took more than a decade – but at the right time God stepped in. And when she tells the story you can’t help but marvel at the goodness of God – when you hear his side of things it becomes even more of a miracle.
Some of us are a little bit more like Lazarus. I was a Lazarus.
I was dead. All seemed lost. It had reached a point where I felt it was too late for me.
Hope had run out.
I was suicidal, I had no will to live. I knew I had strayed from the path God had had in mind for me and could see no way back. All I had was darkness eating away at my heart and soul.
The enemy thought he had me… but Jesus said: “YOU ARE MINE!”
And the moment I realised that, the moment I truly encountered the boundless, unconditional love and resurrection power of Jesus my whole life changed.
He called me out of that grave. And I have never looked back. I stepped from death to life. From the darkness I stepped into the light of His grace and mercy. I stepped from chaos into His peace.
God does not give us ultimatums – He offers us a solution. He offers us salvation.
It’s not about choosing where we go when this life is over – rather it is about staying where we are, dead and hopeless, or taking His hand and coming out of the grave.
I chose to take His hand and come out of the grave. And in doing so I chose to serve Him. To live a life worthy of the Life He Gave. I serve Him by becoming the echo of His call to me – “Lazarus! Come out of that grave!”
Prayer: Today, Lord, I choose life. I choose to hear Your voice calling out to me. I will get up and step out of death and into life. Lord, forgive me, come and cleanse me – come and make me clean. I throw myself upon Your mercy and ask that You might drench me to the bone in Your love and clothe my nakedness with You grace. And as I renounce the things that have kept me separated from You, oh Lord, draw near to me. Come alive in me so that I, like Paul, might be able to say “It is no longer I, but Christ who lives in me.” Let everyone I encounter and interact with today see You, feel You and hear You as I become an echo of Your call to me. Let others come to Christ through my coming to Christ. In Jesus Name. Amen.