Be That Guy!

Pexels photo by Altamar

By Rev. Lowell Avery

PPL Board Member

“For you, O God, have heard my vows; you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name. ... So will I ever sing praises to your name,

as I perform my vows day after day.”

Psalm 61:5-8

What an amazing Savior we serve! Jesus is greater than all who came before Him or since. Greater than any angel. Greater than any religious leader or king, even those appointed by God. In fact, He Himself was and continues to be the fulfillment of all the Jewish religious traditions given by God to picture what His saving life would be in reality. Plus, as the only human ever to live a sinless life, He was the only being able to reconcile us sinners to the Holy, Almighty God forever through His sacrificial death. No one else can do what He did. We can’t “be that guy.”

However not only did Jesus Christ die for us, but by His Holy Spirit He now lives in all who have faith in Him. Like those who lived by faith before Christ fulfilled their hopes, He wants us to “walk” by faith as His disciples, as long-term, ongoing demonstrations of the new, eternal, abundant life He has given us, not yet perfect but made adequate by His life in us.

“... but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher,

which is why I suffer as I do” 2 Timothy 1:8b-12a.

As those compelled by Christ’s Gospel and committed to championing human life at every stage, we are well aware of the challenges we face and the opposition we have to overcome in this broken, foolish, and self-centered world. Roe v Wade has been overturned, but the culture of death is still at work and will only be overcome through changed hearts. That is the road Jesus traveled, and we are following Him. Thankfully, Jesus not only showed us, but also the Spirit told us how to complete the course well:

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely,

and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated

at the right hand of the throne of God” Hebrews 12:1-2.

As Jesus removed the weight of the Jewish ritual traditions, He wants us to stay free from any religious or worldly traditions (cultural, familial, or personal) that would sap our time and energy and slow us down by entangling our ability to run freely. As Jesus overcame the power of sin, He wants us to let Him transform us into those who have died to sin and are living for God in Christ.

There are many ways to champion human life, but sin keeps us from seeing the opportunities Jesus sets before us and understanding how to seize them. So, strip down and focus on Jesus, running where He would run, serving where He would serve. And do so joyfully, even if mocked by this world. Like Him, we know that the Spirit gives us the fruit of joy when we are aware that we are doing God’s will.

The road is long and the walk is a race because fulfilling the task is both important and urgent. Accordingly, Christ directs us to fix our eyes on Him and run with a daily renewed endurance. He enables us to “be that guy.”