Christianity is a lifestyle of self-denial and discipline: one of total surrender and obedience to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Some view this as a constraining, boring, and old fashioned way of life. But we only have one life to live. We can seek to find our own way of life, or we can give our life back to God and discover true abundance.

“Bless the Lord, o my soul, and forget not all His benefits”  — Psalm 103:2

These words were spoken by King David of Israel. He knew God and followed after the heart of God. He was a frail, flawed human like all of us, but because he kept God first on the throne of his heart, he experienced a life full of God’s presence and intervention. I would like to mention several of the benefits of living the Christian life in an effort to persuade some and challenge others:

God gives me lasting peace in a tumultuous world. It guards my heart and mind from fear, worry and anxiety. It is not fragile and fleeting, but beyond my understanding and stronger than life’s storms and uncertainties. He gives rest for the weary soul.

His joy is my strength – not just physical strength, but the part of me which will outlast this aging body. Jesus delivers from depression, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder. He renews my mind, which can be so easily polluted with all the things I see and hear. He gives a sound mind that is not tormented with suicidal thoughts.

God gives wonderful counsel free of charge in His Word. When I apply it to my life, the result is that I live a more abundant life. I have great help in my relationships, such as marriage, children, parents, co-workers, friends, and yes, even enemies. That’s what life is really made up of – relationships – and having a personal one with Jesus makes all earthly ones even better. His office is always open, and He is never on vacation.

Jesus is ready, willing, and able to give all types of healing – physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. I don’t need a psychic, medium, or holistic therapist to overcharge me for their services. I can activate my God-given faith and access His healing power.

God has knowledge of and provides for all of my needs. He supplies them from His great resources and riches. Most of the time I am unaware of how He is constantly doing this, and often I have to trade my worries in for a whole-hearted trust in Him.

I choose to indulge in good, clean fun. There may be many other self-indulging options available that offer unrestrained but temporary pleasures, but God lets me choose – and when I choose, I also live with the consequences. Consequently, I’ve chosen to live a life free of regrets, guilt, hurt relationships, or punishment. When I also confess and turn from wickedness, I will be given an escape from God’s judgment against sin.

I experience pure love from its very source, which is God. Love that never fails and is so deep, so wide, and so forgiving that it’s difficult to understand, because there is nothing like it anywhere else in life. I know God as my heavenly father, which makes me one of His sons. Even if your father was abusive, neglectful or absent from the home, God is a kind and everlasting Father whose family is always growing because He keeps adopting more children.

Jesus has empowered me to live a lifestyle free from self-destructive addictions like smoking, alcohol, drugs, pornography, gossip, and complaining. I reap the benefits of a moral lifestyle with no regrets. God has cleaned the proverbial skeletons out of the closet of my life. And when new ones die and want to make their grave in my heart, Jesus comes with resurrection power over past hurts, pain, guilt, and shame.

There are many more examples, but perhaps this sampling will give you an idea of why I am convinced that being a Christian, not just claiming the title, is the best life possible!

“Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”  – John 3:3

These words ran through my mind over and over again as I sat listening to the minister preach. What was this? I’d been hearing this verse completely wrong! I had even quoted it and I still didn’t have it right!

That night it struck me differently than it ever had before. I used to hear it and think Jesus said, “except a man be born again, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” But notice the difference: it doesn’t say “enter,” it actually says “see.” Even though they are both powerful ideas, it struck me as amazing. He said “enter” as well in a later verse, but here He went as far to say that you can’t even see the kingdom of God without a “born again” experience.

My mind goes back to the story of Moses and the promised land. The only difference is that Moses was allowed to see the place he was going to go to—but he couldn’t go there. He had the misfortune of being able to see the amazing country God had in mind for the people, yet being unable to enter it. It’s like if someone let you stand outside of the most amazing amusement park, or a historic sports event, or a beautiful garden—whatever your definition of wonderful is—and then stopped you from going in to it.

Yet Jesus said that we can’t even see that amazing place without Him. We can’t hear or see anything about it. We can only imagine. I don’t want to be like Moses sitting on the outskirts, unsure about whether I’ll be able to see this amazing place or not. The thing is, God has given us so many tools not just to see, but to enter into His kingdom. We don’t have to settle for less! He laid out the path before us. Yes, at times it may be difficult, but isn’t forever much more amazing than right now? Jesus loved us so much He died for us. Then after he washed all our sins away He made a way for us to live with him forever. So many times I take this for granted. I need to learn to put my everything into not just seeing but entering. I know you do as well.

Here is your challenge: if you aren’t certain that you will enter the Kingdom, get to the place where you are sure. I know that in the end when Jesus gathers His Kingdom together, you and I will want to be there entering, not just sitting off to the side. Don’t just see, but enter!

“Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”  –Matthew 20:28

“It happened during one of the early offensives of WW I.  The Australians were experimenting with mines and now it was show time.  The advance was timed for zero hour—dawn.

All was in the readiness.  The Sappers had done their work well, and the mine was filled with TNT.  The soldiers were buckling on their accoutrements, seeing to their bayonets and drinking their grog in silence.  It was the darkest hour preceding dawn and nerves were on edge.  Some were praying.  And then the faintest suspicion of light tinged the sky, and the black of night was beginning to fade into early morning gray.  The Brigadier looked at his watch and compared with the Major’s.  They nodded assent.  It was time.  He deliberately pressed the button.

Nothing happened.

It was a moment of acute crisis.  The men were going over the top, into enemy fire, mine or no mine.  They might take the position, but at tremendous cost of life.  Just at that moment the Sapper Lieutenant turned to the Brigadier and said, “Excuse me, sir, but I think I know what’s wrong.”  The moments seemed hours as they watched him disappear into the tunnel leading to the mine.  Perspiration stood out on their foreheads—waiting.  A minute passed.  Then an ear shattering roar told its own tale.  The men already half way across no-man’s land took the position with little resistance.

But the Sapper Lieutenant was never seen again.”

–Sacrifice by Howard Guinness, p. 81-82

He had to decide in one agonizing fraction of a second who would die: one of him, or hundreds of his fellow soldiers.  Jesus Christ of Nazareth did much the same.  (Read Matt 26-28)  He was faced with a choice, and to the dismay of the devil and our great gain, He chose the way of the cross—betrayal, mockery, torture. He was left naked and forsaken to die one of the worst deaths imaginable.  His life traded for that of a wicked criminal like so many baseball cards.  A perfect sinless man who bore the weight of the whole world.  But He was living out code Twenty Twenty-Eight—giving his life a ransom for many.

And now He’s risen with victory over hell and the grave and anything you might be facing. And that leaves us to carry on the work He started.  To live as Christians, or Christ-men: to be like Him.

The Bible says that the harvest is ripe, so we aren’t waiting on the world.  And God does not want any to perish, but multitudes die every day, so I don’t think it’s God we’re waiting on.  Rather, I think that God and the world are waiting on us.  Revival starts in the heart.  Revival starts in everyday living.  Just how much of my life am I willing to give?  Am I willing to be like Jesus and the Sapper Lieutenant and give up my earthly life so that others can have life?  I know Jesus paid the price of salvation, but we are supposed to be living sacrifices.  You may never have to face actual physical death.  But possibly even tougher is dying out to self each and every day.  How much time am I willing to give up… in prayer? In Bible study? In outreach? In fasting?  How much criticism will I bear?  How much of God’s love do I take outside the church walls?

When we get to heaven, I have a feeling a lot of things will be put in perspective.  It’s worth it.  This is my call, and I believe it’s the call of every other believer.  Our mission statement: to live Twenty Twenty-Eight.

There once was a man who was a slave to a cruel taskmaster.  Now this slave knew no other way of life.  He was bound, blind to any chance of escape. But there was also a mighty king. This king was filled with love and compassion so much that when he looked at the poor slaves, his heart was broken.  The king longed to see these wretched individuals freed.  But what could he do?  They were bound to the taskmaster; they were not his subjects.

A plan formed in this king’s mind, a way to purchase these miserable creatures away from their fate.  There was only one way. The king must come down. He must descend to the filthy level of the slaves and purchase their freedom. That’s exactly what God did: He came down to our level and through His blood He purchased you and I.  Through the sacrifice of dying on the cross, He purchased our eternal salvation.  It’s just up to us to accept that beautiful gift!

Yet I think there’s a deeper level of God purchasing us or owning us. That level covers our every day activities, living a life that is submitted to God 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  It’s great to act like a Christian on Sunday. It’s great to really get your praise on and “have some church.”  But when the organ tremolo has faded away and the last goose bumps have disappeared from your body, is God still all-powerful? Is He still the redeemer of your soul? Does He still want to affect your life and the people you talk to? Yes! Everywhere we go, God is already there. With every person we talk to, God is there waiting to show his love through our lives, waiting to show His healing power through humble people.

I want to be used of God in every day living. I want to show His love and compassion everywhere I go.  Not from some natural kindness or extra special goodness, but because King Jesus has purchased my life. He owns every day and every hour.

Do you want every hour of your life to count? What does salvation mean to you — and what should it mean? Share your thoughts in the comments.