Meeting the King

I had grown up knowing that Jesus was my saviour. My church and Sunday school taught faithfully that I can't live up to God's standards, but that through Jesus I had a way back to God. As I passed through my teens and early twenties, the evidence of my life showed how far short I fell. So it was a great comfort to me to know that my sin-debt was paid by Jesus on the cross, and that I was adopted as a son of God. What great news!


Problem was, hardly anyone would've been able to tell the difference. Why, given such good news, did my attitude and behaviour not change much at all?


I'd only understood half the story (although I'm sure that my church taught me the whole truth).

C. S. Lewis

C. S. Lewis once wrote of himself:

A young man who wishes to remain a sound atheist cannot be too careful of his reading.

That is also true of casual Christians (like me) who try to retain authority over their lives.


One year, my wife bought me a new NIV bible for my birthday. It had a “bible-in-a-year” reading plan in the back, which I followed. As I read chronologically from Genesis to Revelation, my eyes were opened to some of the great truths of Jesus:

• Jesus the life-giver, who met me and raised me and restored me when I was helpless to do those things myself;
  
• Jesus the go-between, who bridges the yawning chasm between me and God;
  
• Jesus the ransom-payer, who had bought me from my enslavement to sin and death and now owned me;
  
• Jesus the King, who owes me nothing, to whom I owe everything, to whom I can deny nothing.
  

There was no way I could read this and stay the same.


Jesus didn't pick me up, set me on my feet, pat me on the back and wish me luck on my way. Jesus tells me to count the cost of being his disciple, to abandon friends, family, comfort and even life (Lk14:25-33). He tells me that I am no longer my own, but that I have been bought at a great price (1 Cor 6:19,20).


And so began the process of abandoning myself – of abandoning my Self – and acknowledging Jesus as my King, as well as my saviour. So began the exhilarating adventure of truly living for His glory and for the good of others. So began the truly surprising realisation that in giving up my plans, desires and dreams – in giving up my life – I get it all back, richer and more joy-filled than before.