Living in the Real World

"I am not someone with amazing faith or a praiseworthy character,
but I share a confidence with every regenerate Christian that has received from heaven 'every spiritual blessing in Christ'.
I am simultaneously at peace with God because of Christ's imputed righteousness,
and at war with myself because of His imparted righteousness.
I am not a successful runner, but by God's grace, I am looking to Jesus,
the author of this work, and the one who will bring it to completion".

Slightly paraphrased from 'Christ the Lord' by Michael Horton.

I often think that the most dangerous thing about Christianity is the person it wants to make us see - the real Jesus Christ.
"Religion" (and that terms covers a lot of ground) can leave us feeling pretty comfortable with ourselves - our credo (beliefs), our praxis (pious deeds), can easily create the illusion that all is well with our souls - that's pretty much the result of our exodus in the garden..if we have 'covered' ourselves appropriately, we think, everything is OK, but try that charade before someone who really knows you - who came from heaven to earth to not only expose the fallacy of such religion, but to bring humanity life as it was meant to be.

One of my favorite passages in the Gospels is after the resurrection, when some of the disciples are once more on the sea of Galilee fishing (John 21). Jesus walks onto the beach and invites them to join Him for breakfast. As they ate together, Jesus begins to share with them about what's important - our love for Him and for each other. What is so key about this passage is that the Lord comes into the most common things of life, and when we meet Him there, it is the most striking, life-changing thing, for we realize that He is indeed Lord of all.

So often 'religious' activity and duty is marked by something so clear - there is a focus upon us (what we could/should/would do) and Jesus becomes a footnote to that.
Paul teaches us that all of our life, our meaning, our value here and now, is concluded in the one who was the fullness of the Godhead in bodily form - our partaking of and our sharing of Him is what matters. Like the disciples who sat at His feet at breakfast, let all of our lives be seasoned with that same beautiful glory - the person of Jesus Christ.