We’re slaves to our ego. And Gandhi felt that Christianity provided a way for us to overcome our enslavement through Christ. But it was in this way. It was by way of example. That Jesus Christ came, and he said he was the great example of living a selfless life, an egoless life. That Jesus showed us how to be freed by forgiving others, by loving others, by serving others, even dying for others. And Gandhi basically said, if you follow Jesus You’ll be free. The problem is it doesn’t work.
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Pastor Mark Willey
Excerpt taken from “The Life Jesus Gives You”
Video Transcript:
Jesus Christ provided a way that people could be free from the enslavement of sin in its penalty and its power. Now the interesting thing is almost every religion of the world perceives humans as in Enslavement, I remember reading of gandhi talking about this and he was actually commending.
christianity Even though he, he, he was a practicing Hindu. But he, he talked about how Christianity really helped with the enslavement of people. And by that he was saying, you know, he said both Eastern and Western religions agree at this point. That there is this enslavement. We’re slaves to selfishness.
We’re slaves to our ego. And Gandhi felt that Christianity provided a way for us to overcome our enslavement through Christ. But it was in this way. It was by way of example. That Jesus Christ came, and he said he was the great example of living a selfless life, an egoless life. That Jesus showed us how to be freed by forgiving others, by loving others, by serving others, even dying for others.
And Gandhi basically said, if you follow Jesus You’ll be free. The problem is it doesn’t work. Matter of fact, the more you come alongside of Jesus Christ And look at his life and say the man was not ruled by selflessness of selfishness The man wasn’t ruled by self absorption and pride and unkindness and ego It doesn’t make you say therefore.
I’ll be that guy. It makes you feel I can’t be that guy it actually reveals How enslaved we are. We don’t find liberation from our enslavement. By looking at the life of Jesus, we see it by embracing the death of Jesus. What liberates us is what He did for us in His death. That He paid the penalty for us.
He redeems. He adopts. And countless other blessings are provided to help the child of God see God has been about this process, even from eternity past, to place you in this new standing in Jesus Christ. See who you are. See what you have. See the life, the blessings. So how do you know if you have received this life?
It’s an interesting phrase that’s mentioned in verses 3 through 14. As the person is looking at these blessings that have been provided for us, Paul keeps saying this at the end of each section, to the praise of God’s glory, to the praise of God’s glory. You see all of this with The lens that Paul did, if you have embraced Christ as your life.
You don’t just believe in grace, you’re stunned by it. You are enthralled by grace. You know you are getting what you don’t deserve in grace. You know that you are enslaved, separated. Set apart from God, you know it’s your own fault and your own sins. But the story of someone sacrificing themself for you is mesmerizing.
Because it’s not earned or deserved, it’s to the praise of His glory. Within us there is the awareness that such action is the greatest expression of love and grace. There’s no more powerful moral messaging, no more impactful story than to hear of someone loving others enough to die for them. Someone like Harry Potter’s mom, Lily, who gave her life to protect her boy and then later when Harry is talking to Dumbledore and saying, why can’t the enemy Voldemort, why can’t he destroy me?
And he says, your mother’s love rescued you. You’re reading through the book as a 60 year old and say, yeah, that’s right. That’s right. Desmond Doss was a conscientious objector in World War II. They made a movie about him called Hacksaw Ridge. Great movie, actually. And it’s the story of a guy that was a conscientious objector, but he felt compelled to go to World War II.
And he ended up getting in a company, which is a company of 130 to 150 soldiers. Captain is over it, and as a conscientious objector, he was unwilling to carry a rifle, certainly would not use a rifle. And so he went in the medical corps, but they still wanted them to carry rifles, and he would not. And so, everybody in his company were angry with him, were frustrated with him.
Even his captain, the one that was over the company, was constantly belittling him, because he thought, this is not the guy that’s going to have our back. He’s a wimp, he’s not strong, he’s fearful, and all these things. And Desmond Doss stood his ground, and they actually went to the island of Okinawa, and it’s a true story, the movie depicts it.
There was a cliff called Hacksaw Ridge. It was almost straight up and down, and on top of it was a plateau where the enemy were encamped, and they had to take the plateau because it gave them, elevated ground for all of the areas on the island, so they had to take this ridge. So the company was taken up, they were, they were on the ridge, and they were decimated by the enemy.
They were just overwhelmed. And so the ones that could escape back down the ridge got ropes, but many of them had been riddled to pieces. And one of those that was still there that could have escaped but did not escape was a guy named Desmond Doss. And Desmond Doss, Corporal Doss. began to go after soldiers that were wounded and incapable of getting to the edge, getting some of them hundreds of yards in.
there was enemy fire all the time. There was mortar fire. And he went back and would drag people, as some he carried on his back. He would take them to the edge, he was the only one ambulatory at the moment, and he got 75 soldiers over the course of 12 hours, that he got to the edge of this large precipice, tied him with a rope, dropped him down, and then they would bring, he would bring the rope back up and do it with another one.
At the end of the 12 hours, he, he finally went down. He couldn’t find anybody else. His body was riddled with wounds, shrapnel from mortar fire. And one of the guys that he saved was his captain. We look at a story like that of a man that is willing to rescue others at the cost to themselves. We say this is the ultimate picture of, of, of, of human beauty.
sacrifices oneself for others. What Paul is saying to us is this, Jesus Christ did that for you to secure for you eternal glory and love. He does not ask you to renovate your life or earn his grace. The life he offers is to those who say, I see my sin, my guilt, my rebellion, my pride. I see my brokenness. I see my connection to Father Adam.
I’m no different from him. A rebel living apart. I see myself lying on the battle torn plateau and I see my rescuer come. I don’t know where you are this morning, but I really felt prompted this morning as we start this series that is going to present in such beautiful, a beautiful portrayal of the Christian life as it is designed.
The life we’re given in Jesus to say to you these realities, this life that Jesus offers to people. Is found for in those that have turned from being in Adam separated from God and have embraced Jesus Christ and seen I’m a broken soldier on the field, helpless to earn my way out to get away from everlasting destruction.
My rescuer came for me. Embracing Jesus Christ moves one in a moment of time from in Adam separated. To in Christ, eternally blessed by His grace. When I received Jesus Christ as my Savior in college, was the easiest thing I ever did, and it was the hardest thing I ever did. Easy because it’s a gift, right?
I don’t have to do anything. It was offered to me, but Jesus Christ did it all for me. But I had to say, God, I come to you with, with empty hands. I come with brokenness. I come with desperation. I come as a sinner, separate. I come as one who needs a rescuer. One who would adopt me into his family. One who would, Pay the price for me to be delivered from my captivity in my lifestyle and brokenness I don’t know where you are today We’re launching into a really cool series in a really cool book
But the messaging here is ultimately for those that are in jesus.