What was the purpose of Jesus coming to earth, dying, and being raised from the dead? Was it only so that we could have a ticket to heaven? We’ve already said, in previous posts, that there is much more to the gospel than that. Jesus declared to the people, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10, ESV). Jesus came so that His sheep would have life. What did He mean by that? What kind of life has He promised those who trust in Him?

It’s not a life where all of our troubles vanish.  He told His disciples, “In the world you will have tribulation” (John 16:33, emphasis added). It is, however, a life where we learn to joyfully see Him work in us and others in the midst of our tribulations. In our old life, before we were saved, we lived for ourselves; we managed our own lives. Like a child trying to be independent, we often said, “I do it myself!” That, more than the outward behaviors we often focus on, is really the heart of the sinful nature. We went through life trying to avoid the pain of life, or at least to minimize it. To admit we felt pain was seen to be weakness to our stubborn independent heart. That was the old life.

What has changed since Christ rescued us? We often have the same struggles. We still feel the pain of life’s hurts. The difference is that Christ now invites us to turn to Him in those struggles instead of trying to live independently. In the midst of those struggles we can have peace and joy, as we learn that He is really that good, that He would give everything to have us. We see the depth of our own sinfulness and then look into His eyes and still see that welcoming gaze. And as we receive His gaze, He invites us to allow Him to cleanse and change us.

Like many concepts in the Bible, eternal life is twofold:  now and then. Eternal life certainly means that we will no longer be separated from God and will spend eternity with Him. That is the then. However, eternal life is also for now. Eternal life speaks of the quality of life that we experience here. Eternal life, however, is not characterized by a trouble-free life (at least not until we are home). Jesus said we would have trouble in this life, but He also told us not to worry (Matt. 6:25-34). Is it possible to have unshakable peace, unspeakable joy, and unwavering faith in the midst of life’s problems? Absolutely. But to experience those things, we must experience life’s problems. We are going to experience them anyway, with or without Christ. Personally, I prefer to do so with Christ.

What does it mean to turn to Christ in the midst of trials? Are we supposed to be passive, as in the phrase “let go and let God”? Christ never calls us to passivity. The gospel is never against effort. It is, however, against earning. There are things that we do, and then He does what only He can, just as when He turned the water in to wine (John 2:1-11). On the other hand, it is also not a case of “God helps those who help themselves” (no, it’s not in there, for those of you looking for it). The Lord is drawn to those who are humble, weak and needy, not those who can “help themselves.”

What He desires most of us, however, is that we trust Him with ourselves. Turning to Christ means that we place ourselves at His feet and listen for His voice. He has told us that He is in control, that He takes care of His people, and that He is good. We acknowledge that, and do as He directs. While it is tempting to try and pray our way out of a problem, our real prayer should be that He does His work in us. He will bring us through it in His time as we allow Him to do so. 

As we experience His presence, peace, and joy in the midst of trials, that is the life that Jesus came to give us. He wanted us to have it so much that He gave His life that we could have His life.