There are wrong reasons to seek Jesus. Don’t get me wrong, He can use anything, even our failures, to draw us to Himself. But there are MANY wrong reasons to seek Jesus, which require an attitude and vision adjustment on our part. Some seek Jesus for status, such as those who will tell him “didn’t we cast out demons, perform miracles and prophecy in your name?” The emphasis there is on what THEY did. It’s an entitled attitude that rejects the Lordship of Christ on the basis of the works one can do, and approaches the throne of Grace with credentials, as opposed to the blood of Christ. Still others seek to escape hell or gain heaven. Again, these are the wrong reasons! While Biblical authors DID tell us to keep our eyes on things above, the goal itself isn’t escape from hell or eternity in heaven. Again, it’s like the rich young ruler approaching Christ saying “What must I do to gain eternal life?” It’s credentials based.
No, loved ones, the only right way, and the one I seek, is to seek Christ Himself. I seek His face. It’s something we see over and over repeated in the Old and New Testaments: to seek the Face of God. I just want Jesus. You can have anything else, I just want Jesus. Heaven will be heaven, eternity will be eternity because the One who saved me is there. Jesus will be there! I can live on the street, with nothing, and, so long as I have Jesus, I will be content for all eternity. I have sinned. I have offended the Father with my sin, and Jesus took my punishment for each and every one, past, present and future on the cross. This breaks my heart, and humbles me, and yet I desire, then, to be in His will, so I no longer do the things that brought Jesus to the Cross. Loved ones, Seek His face. Seek Jesus out by any means necessary. Be like Jairus, the synagogue ruler who needed Jesus so desperately (to save his daughter) he didn’t care who knew that he sought Him out. Be like the woman who had been bleeding for 12 years, who knew that if she could but touch the hem of His robe, she’d be healed. Do whatever it takes, give up everything to do so, and seek Jesus’ face.
Luke 8:40-56
Now when Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed him, for they were all waiting for him. And there came a man named Jairus, who was a ruler of the synagogue. And falling at Jesus’ feet, he implored him to come to his house, for he had an only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she was dying.
As Jesus went, the people pressed around him. And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and though she had spent all her living on physicians, she could not be healed by anyone. She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, and immediately her discharge of blood ceased. And Jesus said, “Who was it that touched me?” When all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the crowds surround you and are pressing in on you!” But Jesus said, “Someone touched me, for I perceive that power has gone out from me.” And when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before him declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed. And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.”
While he was still speaking, someone from the ruler’s house came and said, “Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the Teacher any more.” But Jesus on hearing this answered him, “Do not fear; only believe, and she will be well.” And when he came to the house, he allowed no one to enter with him, except Peter and John and James, and the father and mother of the child. And all were weeping and mourning for her, but he said, “Do not weep, for she is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. But taking her by the hand he called, saying, “Child, arise.” And her spirit returned, and she got up at once. And he directed that something should be given her to eat. And her parents were amazed, but he charged them to tell no one what had happened.
Philippians 1:12-30
I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.
Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.
Yes, and I will rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.
Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.
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