Are We Known by Jesus?

worth a slow cup of coffee
The sun rising directly behind a dark mountain peak, spilling gold and orange light across a layered, cloud-streaked sky, with hazy blue ridgelines fading into the distance.

In Mario, there’s a power-up he can collect called the Super Star. When Mario collects the Super Star, he becomes radiant and enters a temporary state of invincibility. Things that would normally harm him, kill him, or present some type of obstacle or frustration for him are generally rendered “harmless” for the brief moments he has that power-up. He’s able to effortlessly glide through the level. But the power-up doesn’t last for very long. It wears off (quickly). It might last 5-10 seconds (tops), and then he’s back to just being regular old Mario again.

The Fruit We’re Called to Bear

I’ve been going to a weekly men’s group every Thursday morning at 6 AM throughout the summer. Today, we were talking about love. Not the eros (passion, romantic, sexual love and desire), but the agape (unconditional, selfless, and sacrificial) kind of love from God. It also got me thinking about the other characteristics of God, and how we’re called to be like Jesus, the Son of God and second member of the Godhead. The Bible says that God IS love (1 John 4:8, 16), and we also see His other characteristics (Galatians 5:22-23) throughout the Bible as being:

  • Joyful
  • Gentle
  • Patient
  • Kind
  • Good
  • Faithful
  • Gentle
  • Self-Controlled

God is also merciful, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love, forgiving (Exodus 34:6-7), humble, and a servant (Philippians 2:5-8).

If we call ourselves “Christian,” these are what we’re called to embody. Throughout the day, all of these qualities are being tested in us. How do I respond to someone when they are inconsiderate of me? When someone asks me for last-minute help with something, and it foils my plans for the day, do I murmur internally or grit my teeth because now I won’t get to do what I wanted to do that day? When I don’t get what I want, do I pitch a fit?

Flesh vs. Spirit

We all bump up against these things constantly. And over the years, I’ve learned the difference between striving for Godly behavior out of my own willpower and gumption (the flesh), and doing it through the Power of the Spirit. And the Bible talks about this specifically. Paul addresses it with the Galatians (5:16-24):

“16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”

Historically, I’ve loved self-help stuff. David Goggins. Jocko Willink. Marcus Aurelius. I’ve been injecting that stuff into my veins for years!

“Just get in the dungeon.”

“It’s all carrot and no stick.”

“Discipline = freedom.”

“Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one.”

There’s a time and a place for all of those things, and I think there’s truth in them. But what’s our source of living those things out? Is that how we really embody the attributes of God? By just “willing” ourselves into it; striving and straining? There IS an aspect of our faith that does involve our will and striving and straining. Paul talks about this in Philippians 3:12-14:

“12 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

However, that’s only half of the picture, and if we’re not careful, it can open us up to self-righteousness if it stops there. St. Ignatius of Loyola said this:

“Work as if everything depends on you, and trust as if everything depends on God.”

It’s true that we ARE accountable for our piece of the puzzle. But even more important than just being accountable for doing the behavior, we’re accountable for the position of our hearts in doing the behavior. We can do good things begrudgingly. We can do good things joylessly. We can murmur and complain inwardly. We can do good things from a place of selfish ambition or out of a host of any other bad motives. And Paul makes it clear in 1 Corinthians 13 that if we do any good works without love (agape love, not eros love), we have nothing and gain nothing.

The Super Star Wears Off

Back to the Mario power-up analogy. Yes, I was actually going somewhere with that! I’ve found that when I spend a significant amount of time in God’s Presence (seeking and waiting on the Holy Spirit in prayer, worshipping Him, meditating on His Word, etc.), most of the good works start to feel more “effortless.” It’s like I get that Super Star “pixie dust” after spending time in His Presence, and it empowers me to actually obey the Commands and embody Christ’s Love. But it wears off. It wanes. It doesn’t usually even carry you over to the next day. Sometimes, it barely carries you past noon! Haha.

When I find that I start to get burned out and feel like I’m over-exerting myself, or becoming “weary in well doing” (Galatians 6:9), it’s because I’m spending very little time in relationship with Jesus. We easily forget that Christianity isn’t mainly about doing the stuff. It’s mainly about actually having a relationship with Jesus. Namely, spending time with Him. Talking to Him. Thinking about Him. Being head-over-heels for Him. Being enthralled by Him. Abiding in Him. Think of “abiding” as being like the word “abode.” An abode is something that you live in or stay inside of (like a home or a hut). Jesus Himself talks about the difference between just “doing the stuff” and having a relationship with Him (Matthew 7:22-23):

“22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’”

Doing vs. Knowing Him

Christianity isn’t primarily about the “doing.” The doing is definitely part of it, but it’s more of a by-product of having a relationship with our Savior. The works merely demonstrate that we actually belong to Him and that He’s not just our Savior, but our Lord. It’s taken me 20 years of trying to follow Jesus to learn this. I’m still learning it. If we want to be like our Lord, we have to spend time with Him. It’s like the saying that “we’re an average of our 5 closest relationships.” And if you have a spouse, you don’t just “know about them.” You know them. And they know you. In that passage in Matthew 7, Jesus doesn’t say, “You never knew ME.” He says, “I never knew YOU.” There are people who know Him, but aren’t known by Him.

I know all about Jocko Willink. But I’ve never met the guy in person before, and he doesn’t even know I exist. So wouldn’t it be crazy if I just walked up to him one day out of nowhere and started chatting with him like we’re best buds?

Known By Him

So how do we truly live the Christian life? We don’t do it out of our flesh. We do it by the Spirit. And how does the Spirit dwell in us? Only if we know Him and are known by Him. Jesus is Master, Savior, Lord AND friend. And He should be our best friend. Our first Love. Our biggest Love.