The Difference in Jesus

Church joy, obedience, and freedom of heart are different from what this world may think

I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

Psalm 27:13

I tried to share this word with a loved one last night. I hope she heard what I said.

But, in case she didn't, and in case anyone else needs to hear, this is something on my heart today, after a very difficult few weeks.

First of all, the healing and understanding that comes with salvation does often take time in life, but it's also immediate or instant.

The Holy Spirit painstakingly gave us the Bible, working through one people and another people over centuries, recording trial, error, and victory in Christ alike.

Not only does the Bible record show us how salvation immediately saves us, how the love of Jesus immediately opens our understanding and gives us new hope for life (even life everlasting through Heaven); but salvation speaks directly to us as individuals, blessing us to understand rescue and freedom in Jesus, immediately.

But how does the freedom of Christian salvation square with issues of slavery? How on earth have the oppressed, historically, understood life in Christ when oppression has been extremely contrary to knowing Jesus and the freedom of salvation in Him?

The short answer is that, even though salvation in Jesus is immediate in the life of a person who gets saved, circumstances are often slow to be reconciled with that salvation.

And, indeed, fruit of the Holy Spirit is patience.

When we are in the habit of waiting on spiritual outcomes, we're easily contented with such as we have. And we don't look forward to anything terribly fleshly.

To wait on Jesus is to wait on something spiritual, even the promise of salvation for children and grandchildren.

That's how many who were slaves in America were able to have joy and freedom of heart in Christ, trusting Heaven's promises, as did Abraham.

"WAIT! on the Lord," the pastor repeatedly shouted above the pew.

When we're waiting, in Jesus, we're waiting on Heaven Himself, and we're expecting our children's repentance, which is obedience.

Some people may get confused about that. Because, the Bible says things like, "Children, obey your parents in all things," which, to the lost, could mean going to get cigarettes for dad. But the HOLY Spirit tells the faithful the true meaning. Jesus says we can't love mother or father more than Him, so Apostle Paul clarifies, "Obey your parents in the Lord."

In Jesus, our obedience is to knowing Him and the way that He counsels.

To help people survive the slavery of Paul's time, Paul counseled servants to, yes, be obedient to their earthly masters, but Paul didn't stop there.

The whole of what he said is to have the Holy Spirit, that Spirit of obedience to Heaven, in the tasks that you and your masters need completed in order to live in peace one with another; but do NOT serve in order to be "men-pleasers" (Colossians 3:22). Instead, serve in "singleness of (Christian) heart" with those who you are working with, with reverence or fear of Heaven. "And whatsoever you do, do wholeheartedly, as for the sake of Heaven, and not for men" (Colossians 3:23, paraphrased).

In Jesus, there's a difference in the reason and in the ways we serve even our own selves.

In Jesus, I work for my health, that I may serve another day, and that I may see my loved ones and others break with sinning one day. In Jesus, choosing not to sin anymore is where our freedom of heart really is.