Commissioned: Jesus Saves: From Brokenness to FreedomSample

Jesus’s Invitation

Jesus is inviting us into a new life, a life of righteousness, peace, and joy here and now, and of eternal happiness in heaven when we pass from this life. He wants to give us this new life as a gift. Only one thing is necessary to receive this wonderful new life—our choice! We are free to choose God’s gift of life or to choose against it.

God grants us freedom of choice. It was this freedom that allowed our first parents to sin by choosing to disobey God. It is this freedom that allowed Cain to murder his brother Abel and that has allowed all the hatred, killing, and sin of all kinds that has followed throughout human history. Why did God grant us this freedom?

God granted us freedom of choice because he created us for a relationship of love with himself and with others, and there can be no love if there is no freedom. God does not force us to love him. He draws us into love by his goodness to us. He shows us his love for us, even to the extent of sending his only begotten son to die for us. He may allow the circumstances of life to drive us toward himself to seek his help. But he never forces us to love him. We can love him only by our own free choice.

Life in Christ is a free gift, but we must choose to receive it. God revealed to John in the Revelation the image of Jesus standing at the door and knocking, promising to enter and enjoy life with us if we hear his voice and open the door for him. Long ago, God revealed to Cain that sin was crouching at the door, longing for Cain’s attention. And so, at each moment, these two stand at the door of each of our hearts. Jesus or sin, which will we choose?

There is a first time for each us in this matter of choosing Jesus. For some of us it is a dramatic moment, as it was for Saint Paul—he was suddenly changed by a miraculous encounter from a persecutor of Christians to an apostle of Jesus Christ. For others it is less dramatic, perhaps a clearer understanding of the baptismal vows that our parents made on our behalf before we were able to choose. Some of us may already be church attendees; others may enter the church after choosing Jesus. For all of us, our baptism and confirmation make us part of the Body of Christ and empower us by the Holy Spirit.

For each of us, choosing Jesus is also a moment-by-moment decision. There are always two standing at the door of our hearts, and we have the privilege of loving Jesus by choosing him again and again. This is what it means to develop a love relationship with God through Jesus Christ. John’s revelation expresses this with the beautiful picture: “I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me.” For this, we were created to show our love for God by choosing him continually and enjoying life with him!

Stop, think and pray:

Jesus is inviting each of us to new life with him, let’s respond and receive him. Let’s pray:

“Father, thank you for loving me and sending Jesus Christ to die on the cross for my sins. Lord Jesus, I open the door of my heart to you and I choose to make you the center of my life, now and forever. Amen.”