Is Jesus Sufficient? (part 3 of 3)

Tolstoy speaks of two Gods...

The first makes us adequate, supplies what we need, and serves to meet our needs. Contrary to belief, he notes, this God does not exist!

The second is the God we have been discussing. He does not serve us, rather we serve and declare our allegiance to Him, to live as He intends, to accomplish what He wishes in and through us, and to embody his vision of humanity as divinely conceived. 

This is the true God, the real God, and He invites us into vital relationship with Him. He does not do this so that we can have enough to get by or to live adequate lives sufficient to meet each day’s demands. No. He makes this vital union possible in order that we may know Him, experience Him, grapple each moment with the extravagance of His grace, the magnitude of His persona, and the breadth of His dreams. 

Jesus Christ lives in us to live through us, a compelling expression of His life via our personality cast against life’s backdrop. He has no aspirations to simply be sufficient. He asks us to trust Him to live courageous lives anticipating with each turn of events how He intends to accomplish more than we could ever comprehend, conceive, or concoct. 

He did not simply make it possible for us to go to heaven and escape hell. He radically transformed us for today. He didn’t simply forgive us, but endowed us with new hearts possessing the capacity to connect with His heart and share His thoughts. And now, He calls us by a new name and entices us through His indwelling presence to live beyond what we perceive in our temporal state and join Him in the realm of His reign. 

Jesus Christ is not adequate, neither is He sufficient. He is overwhelming and super-abounding and has declared that in Him we live, and move, and have our being.