How Can We Not LIVE For The One Who DIED For Us?

For the past few weeks, I have been doing a study of the book of Romans, a book so legit I can hardly put it down!  Anyways, I finally made it to chapter eight this morning, which, if you've ever read Romans, you will know is a chapter in which Paul (the author) completely slam dunks it and eloquently proclaims truth after truth.  It is amazing.  So I read through chapter eight and then listened to a podcast by John Piper called The Mighty & Merciful Message of Romans 1-8, which more-or-less summarizes the first eight chapters.  After listening to the sermon, I was just overcome by what a big deal this is!  I mean, seriously, think about this with me for a moment...

I don't think any sane human being would deny that our world is (slightly) messed up.  There is pain.  There is suffering.  There is injustice.  There is greed.  There is MURDER, for goodness sake.  We live in a broken and fallen world because we are broken and fallen.  That wasn't God's design.  That isn't God's design.  He created us to be perfect and righteous.  He created us to enjoy the fullness of all He has given us in His creation and enjoy the fullness of being in a perfect relationship with Him.  However, we messed up.  And thus mankind began the impossible process of trying to get right with God.  We can't.  There is NO WAY.  We cannot do enough good to ever make up for all the wrong we have done.  It is impossible.

DOOMED?

One might think... but that is where the beauty of the Gospel comes in.  We could never get right with God so God gets right with us.  John 3:16 (a verse many of us memorized as children) puts it quite simply:  For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.  

Because God knew we could never make up for all the bad, He sent His only Son Jesus Christ to this earth to live a perfect and blameless life in order to ultimately die the most excruciating death on the cross and bear the wrath of God (i.e. take all our wrongdoings on His shoulders) for us.  He died for us.  Let that sink in a moment.  (Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends - John 15:13)  He wiped our slates clean with His last breath.  But He didn't stop there.  Jesus conquered death when He rose from the dead three days later.  Death could not hold Him.

Romans 3:22-24 says this:  This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.  There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

Wow... that is it.  That is the key.  We don't have to do anything to earn God's love because it is by grace that we have been saved, through faith - and this is not from ourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boat.  (Ephesians 2:8)  

Not only that, but nothing can separate us from His love, neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation.  (Romans 8:38-39)  

Awesome, right?  Oh yeah :) 

But we can't just "know this in our heads."  We must believe it in our hearts AND we must live it out in our actions and through our lives.  Jesus clearly said, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and FOLLOW ME."  "Follow me" is an action, not a thought nor a belief.  It requires doing something.  And the sad thing is that many people think following Jesus and/or Christianity is boring and dull and sucks the fun out of life.  Ha.  If they only knew... following Jesus is the ultimate.  There is nothing more satisfying.  There is nothing more fulfilling.  Nothing will bring you more joy and peace.  Nothing.  

So how can we not LIVE for the ONE who DIED for us?