Salvation-Life

The salvation God offers is like life itself. In fact, the best life we can hope for is the salvation-life God offers us.

You and I didn't create ourselves. We were created. And, while our parents certainly had something to do with our creation, they did not give us breath. You were given breath. Did you know that the same word for Spirit in the Bible is the one used for breath? Your breath was provided for you by the One who Breathes Life into us.

You and I have about as much to do with our okay-ness with God as we did in being physically created. From the beginning of time according the Bible, when humanity did something to damage their relationship with God (and simultaneously damage their own life experience), God took initiative in providing restoration. From Adam and Eve, through Abraham, all the way to God's clearest and greatest reconciliatory restorative action in Christ's sacrificial death, God has always been a Restorer, a Redeemer of us. It is a gift to embrace that informs our hope that after this life is over, life will go on for us, and it will be very good and free. Not because of something we have done, but because this Breather of Life loves us and has covered us out of endless resources of Grace.

What we do with our life between our first breath on earth and our first breath in heaven is up to us. God is giving us an invitation, a Way, a Direction. God even promises to empower us in our pursuit of this Way. But we have the choice as to whether or not we will embrace this Way of life. The Way is the salvation-life God offers - the very best hope for life on this earth. Meaningful. Whole. Significant. And different than the default way of the world.

This savaltion-life is something that needs to be worked out all throughout our lives. Jesus began his earthly ministry by spending 40 days and nights in the wilderness to prepare for the tests to come. A Spring training, of sorts. Throughout his ministry, he would take time way from his responsibilities to invest in a greater responsibility - his intimacy with the Breather of Life. It is no wonder, then, that Paul wrote to the Philippian church to "work out your salvation with fear and trembling." The fear/trembling connotes the need for taking it very seriously.

We live in a very health-conscious age. We know that a healthy diet and exercise leads to a better life experience. And we know it is a choice. We know that we have to do cardio training to keep our hearts operating at optimum health. And we know that we need to do strength training to give us healthy bones and muscles. No matter what physical trainer you speak to, all of them will encourage you to work out every major muscle group in your body. None of them will suggest that simply doing dumbbell curls alone will be sufficient strength training for your health. If you focused only on select areas of your body for strength training, you would become out of balance. You'd look silly, and you would be setting yourself up for physical failure when your neglected muscles are put to the test.

Salvation-life is similar. It is multifaceted. In the Gospel of John, there are seven areas that stand out in Jesus' life and teaching that show us the areas we need to work out. The areas listed are not in order. There is no "right" place to begin. All need to be developed, however, in order for us to experience more and more of the salvation-life God has for evey person.

Spirit. This salvation-life is Spirit-driven. God loves us, and will constantly be present to counsel us along the way. When we choose to view God's interaction with us through a lens of love and grace, God does not come across as Angry Judge, but rather Benevolent Coach. Be open to the words of the Coach.

Confession. A woman gets caught in adultery. Jesus is asked to make a judgment as to what her punishment should be (John 8). He utters the famous verdict: Let anyone who is without sin cast the first stone. Slowly and surely, all the accusers drop their stones and walk away. Jesus is left alone with the woman, telling her that he does not condemn her, and instructs her to leave her life of sin. To turn away from her destructive behavior. To repent. Throughout our lives, we need to walk humbly enough to recognize when the Spirit is coaching us to stop destructive attitudes and behaviors. And when we hear, we need to make the course correction.

Allegiance. When Jesus spoke to Peter after being resurrected from the dead (John 21), he asked him three times whether or not Peter loved him. Three times. The same number of times Peter denied being associated with Jesus a short time before. Humbled by the allusion to his failure, Peter pledged total allegiance to following Christ. We need to do more than simply confess where we've missed the mark. We need to be shooting at the mark, pursuing the salvation-life to which we've been called.

Community. Not long before he would be arrested, Jesus gathered with his disciples, and he washed their feet (John 13). After he had performed this lowliest of acts, he commanded them to wash each other's feet. If they would choose to love each other in this way, he knew that their understanding of love would grow exponentially. As they learned, their abiblity to love strangers - and even enemies - would skyrocket as well. But apart from being in community, it wouldn't happen. We need each other to learn how to love and be loved.

Rituals. Jesus gave us two clear rituals to practice together: baptism and communion. Baptism, because it represents God's grace over our lives - the washing away of sin, the new life after death, the new beginning. Baptism also illustrates our commitment to God - in our tradition we choose to be baptised - we declare through this act our allegiance to the God who has given us everlasting hope and the Way for salvation-life. Communion is an ongoing ritual that remembers the love of God made obvious in the passion of Christ. It keeps us centered on the reality that our breath comes not from ourselves, but from the Breather. The healed blind man's unfolding understanding and confession of belief served the early church as an example, and became the source of a confessional statement during both rituals (John 9).

Intellect. Nicodemus, an expert and leader among the Jewish community, came to visit Jesus (John 3). Nicodemus did not go with the expectation that he would leave that conversation with the realization that he had a lot to learn. Many things about which he thought he knew all he needed to know, he didn't. Nicodemus kept learning, and became a follower of Jesus. We need to keep learning throughout our entire lives. God desires us to know Him increasingly. Studying, journaling and meditating through the Bible is a necessary staple in our salvation-life workout.

Emotions. When Jesus rasied his good friend, Lazarus, from the dead, this was more than an intellectual teaching moment for the hundreds of witnesses present (John 11). Their emotional sense of assurance about this Jesus as God's anointed One deepened immensely. As we walk in relationship with God, we will see God working all throughout our lives. As we witness God's touch, our emotional knowing grows strong, helping us navigate through the most difficult of times.

These salvation-life workout areas lead to the abundant life Jesus promised to his disciples (John 10:10). May you recognize where your current salvation-life workout is out of balance. May you choose to work out your salvation with great intentionality. May you live as you've never lived before.

Process Stuff...
Why do you think Jesus needed to spend 40 days preparing in the wilderness?
How do you spend time preparing?
In which salvation workout area are you most developed? Under-developed?
What are you going to do differently in response to new insights you've gained?

Prayer: God, may you help me have a larger vision of the life you offer me. Help me be sensitive to your Spirit, quick to confess where I've missed the mark, quicker to say yes to your directives, humble enough to love and serve other, quiet enough to appreciate the rituals you've provided, wise enough to know I have much to learn, and open enough to see and celebrate your incredible faithfulness all around me.