March 19, 2013
“God rescued us from dead-end alleys and dark dungeons. He’s set us up in the kingdom of the Son he loves so much, the Son who got us out of the pit we were in, got rid of the sins we were doomed to keep repeating.” Colossians 1:13-14 The Message
Jesus makes a very simple promise: If you will follow Him, you will not walk in darkness. His life will bring everything in your life into the light. And that can be a terrifying image for anyone. All of those dead-end communities of self-centeredness .. guilt .. fear .. shame .. bitterness .. anger .. greed .. and unforgiveness would prefer if you let them live manageably in your heart and spirit. For most part, they live contentedly and sometimes cooperatively alongside the good parts of you. They pretend to require little real estate but increasingly demand your best energies to protect them from the Light of Jesus. This world promotes shadow-living as an acceptable alternative to light-living. Jesus doesn’t live in shadows, but he has no hesitation about helping and rescuing anyone who wants to let go of those lies and heart deceptions. He doesn’t require you to prove you want out of the dungeon. He invites you to walk out with His help .. to lean on and trust in His power .. and to learn from Him how to live in the light. He’s already rescued you from the darkest prisons .. enslaving sins .. and life-stealing habits that trapped you. We tend to drift back towards those familiar places when we take our eyes off of Jesus and try to manage life alone. At first it seems doable, but it always leads us away from Christ’s presence and we end up repeating doomed habits and pit-slanted patterns of living. That’s not the life Jesus intends for you. Redemption is in Christ .. never apart from Him. Darkness offers intimacy but only yields isolation. Light offers life and always yields grace and indwelling intimacy. With Jesus and you … it only takes a moment …
“I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the Light of life.” John 8:12 NASB
Ken Chester: Grace-Gripped is sent M-F to Light-dwellers following Jesus and friends of Priority One (KchesterP1@gmail.com)
Love this thought: “This world promotes shadow-living as an acceptable alternative to light-living. Jesus doesn’t live in shadows, but he has no hesitation about helping and rescuing anyone who wants to let go of those lies and heart deceptions. He doesn’t require you to prove you want out of the dungeon. He invites you to walk out with His help .. to lean on and trust in His power .. and to learn from Him how to live in the light.”
Love your stuff!