Is Jesus Worth the War ?

How can that question be answered unless the benefits of knowing Jesus, of being in relationship with Jesus, are clearly stated, accepted, and believed ?

The Christian recognizes that great eternal benefits exist in knowing Jesus and being in a dynamic living relationship with Jesus. The Christian recognizes that God's promises of forgiveness, new life, and eternal salvation center in Jesus, and that in relationship with Jesus the Christian receives the benefits of God's promise of forgiveness, new life, and eternal salvation. Thus the Christian knows that a relationship with Jesus is of greatest worth. The Christian recognizes that the kingdom of heaven is found in living in a dynamic personal relationship with Jesus. It is truly of greatest worth since it is now and forever.

[Jesus says], "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it. [Mat 13:44-46]

The question is... do we personally see Jesus and Jesus' Word (the Word by which we know and have a relationship with Jesus) as having the great worth the two people did in Matthew 13 ? If we don't see Jesus and His Word as of great worth, then we will certainly compromise Jesus and his Word, for whatever we believe is of greater worth ! The acid test which reveals what we really believe in our heart is revealed in what we do.

Jesus works to help us see the truth of what we personally believe when he says in Matthew 10:37-38, "Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.

Certainly Christians, above all people, are to love and care for their parents and children. (I.E. Exo 20:12 "Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you. and 1 Tim 5:8..."If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.")

Yet no one is to have greater importance in the Christian's life than Jesus. (In Acts 5:29 Peter and the other apostles replied: "We must obey God rather than men! and in Matthew 10:32-33 Jesus says, "Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.")

The rub comes when someone else does have more importance in our lives than Jesus. How is that possible?

It happens this way--When we 'respect' someone or 'honor' someone so much that we will not clearly speak Jesus' Word of Law and Gospel to them because we fear 'offending' them... or fear getting moved off their 'most favored list'... or when we won't speak the truth to them because we don't want to face the conflict, have a wall thrown up between us, live with the stress, etc....

Speaking the truth to those we care about is without doubt tough business. This is tough for you and its tough for me, personally and as a Pastor.

This business tears at your guts. It can get in bed with you at night. It can bear down on you during the day. It can make your hair gray. But this is our call as Christians... to reflect the "light" of truth, God's Word, in the world. [Mat 5:14-16]

Taking up this business (God's business) literally involves taking up our "cross" and "following" Jesus. [Mat 10:38] To do less is to "disown Jesus before men" [Mat 10:33]. To do less is to cover up the Law & Gospel of Jesus' Word which points to sin, calls sin-sin, demands repentance of sin, effects confession and a turning from sin, and then beautifully grants in relationship with God, God's forgiveness, new life, and salvation.

You see what is really at risk in voiding the Law part of God's Word and cutting it short... is that we also void the Gospel part of God's Word and cut it short. It may appear that we may temporarily benefit by following a strategy of avoidance, compromise, and capitulation... but Jesus says, that "Whoever finds his (physical) life (in this way) will lose it (his spiritual life-his relationship with Jesus), and whoever loses his (physical) life for my sake (in pursuing this work) will find it (his spiritual life-his relationship with Jesus)." [Mat 10:39]

The bottom line is that we can't deny Jesus as Lord in the important relationships of our lives on earth, and still have a viable personal relationship with Jesus. If Jesus is truly Lord of our lives, he is above all people and things, and he must come first continuously, without reservation. If we just deny Jesus is Lord in one part of our life, we have just denied Jesus as Lord of all of our life. Lord means Lord.

Is Jesus worth the War ? He felt we were ! He went through hell for us in order to gain the eternal treasures of heaven for us. It seems like now we could go through a little discomfort in this life for him ! Believing this the way, the Psalmist writes, Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. (63:3-4) Living by his great grace, let us do the same.