Crossing Over

In John 5:24 Jesus speaks of ‘crossing over from death to life’.  How often it is that we limit the application of that particular Scripture to only our conversion experience … when we ask Jesus to be our Lord and Savior, dying to self in order to gain new life in Christ.

But let us consider the powerful effect this passage would have on us if only we would apply it to the additional areas of our lives that are in need of a touch by the Christ.  Let me give you an example that may bring this home for you …

Let us consider someone you know who struggles with an addiction … maybe it’s even you.  Of course, the first ‘addictions’ that typically come to mind involve the consumption of alcohol and drugs but consider also the addictions that invade our lives as we shop, or work, or as we respond to the God given pleasures of sex.  Further consider, if you will, that casual chance of gambling or even the everyday need to eat.  And what about those folks who struggle with ‘secret’ addictions like those who clean only to think that more cleaning needs to be done … or those who struggle to be perfectionists in everything they do, those who allow worry and fear to rule their lives or even the person who obsesses to control every situation that arises in their lives. 

How often these ordinary events of life take on lives of their own … slowly but surely becoming addictions that bring death to the very spirit that God has placed inside of us.  No longer are we filled with the peace that God planned for our life for now we are being controlled by something that is not of God.  As the journey turns us away from the light of Christ, true joy fades … often allowing the darkness of depression, fears and frustrations to enter us …  all the while leaving us very little room for hope.

Yes, the truth is that each of us are susceptible to the cruelty of addictions but when you extend John 5:24 beyond your conversion experience you find that God, in all His infinite wisdom, realizes fully the schemes of the enemy and through His mercies provides us the hope of being able to cross over from the imposed death sentence of addictions to the freedom that is possible in a life lived out with Christ.

So ok … we can clearly see the multiple pools of darkness that all of us are susceptible to … and the need that so many of us have to escape the quicksand that we’ve fallen into … but how in the world do we cross over from this type of death to a life that is free of the captivity of obsessions?

In one word … Jesus.  He is the answer to ever question ever asked and every issue that we’ve ever come up against.  In John 14:6 Jesus tells us “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life.” … beyond all the head knowledge (which in and of itself is necessary) beyond the feelings (which often serve to toss us to and fro) beyond all the effort we put out to manage the world around us … there we will find this Jesus who will reveal to us the truth.  There, if we allow Him, He will provide hope and peace and unconditional love.  So willing … so able … to move mightily in our lives … if only we would give Him permission to.  If only we would seek Him in our moment of need and surrender our own worldly desires over to Him.

Easy enough to say … but we’ve been trained up to feed our fleshly desires … surely we shouldn’t have to go without something that we ‘really’ want … something that brings us pleasure?

That, my friends, is a lie from the pit of hell.  Those are the chains that bind us and hold us captive.  How embarrassing it is to see myself stomping my feet … wanting to have my own way … having a childlike tantrum so that I can fulfill my fleshly desires without having to consider the spiritual consequences. 

Is the Light beginning to shine for you … as it did for me?  Has the idol that you’ve created before God been exposed as mine has been?

The path of righteousness (life) leads to a place of holiness (true peace).  It’s a journey … and we have the choice to walk away from this side of death and cross over to Light and Life.  Oh, don’t get me wrong … we can’t get there without Jesus … in and of ourselves we will fail every time … but with unconditional surrender of our own selfish desires, our faith will grow into stepping stones that build a road that will allow us to cross over to true peace.  Freedom FOREVER when our heart unites with His.

Psalm 119:105 tells us that ‘He is the lamp unto our feet and the light unto our path’

Psalm 23:6 tells us that “surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.”  

I don’t know about you but I could never ask for anything more than that!

Father God, thank You for Your Divine Revelation that brought me into the Light and Life of Jesus.  Full dependency on Him is an awesome thing to behold and I thank You from the bottom of my heart for it.  I pray now Father, in the name that is above all name, Jesus the Christ, that you will go forth and reveal this and more to those who need the freedom of everyday addictions as I did.  Expose and exercise within us the Truth that will set us free indeed.
Amen and amen.