Understanding the True Nature of Christ: More Than Just an Example

Living a Christian life isn't about following a checklist of dos and don'ts - it's about centering everything on Jesus. This profound truth shapes how we view our relationship with God and our daily lives.

The Christian life is first about Christ, then about our life in Him. We often get this backwards in our me-centric society, choosing churches like restaurants and treating faith as an individual pursuit. However, following Jesus was never meant to be a solo journey - we're called to follow Him together in community.

Jesus isn't simply a moral philosopher or good example - He's our Savior. While He serves as an example, He's never less than that. The early church recognized Jesus as God from the beginning, not as a later development. He is both 100% God and 100% human (the fancy theological term for this is called the hypostatic union), making Him uniquely qualified to bridge the gap between humanity and God.

Christianity stands apart because God wasn't content to watch from a distance - He became human to save us. Unlike other religions where gods remain distant, don't exist, or you can become a god. Jesus entered our world, lived among us, and died for us. This personal involvement sets Christianity apart from Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Mormonism and other belief systems.

Jesus lived the life we should have lived and died the death we deserved. His perfect obedience, where others failed, led to our redemption. The cross wasn't a backup plan - it was God's intended method of salvation from the beginning.

Everyone will eventually worship Jesus - the question is whether we'll do it willingly now or be forced to later. Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father as King, and His authority is absolute. We don't know how much time we have to make this choice.

Consider these questions this week:

• How does seeing Jesus as more than just an example change your approach to faith?
• In what areas of your life do you need to surrender control to Christ?
• How can you live differently knowing that Jesus is both God and Savior?

Challenge: Take time each day this week to reflect on one aspect of Jesus' character - His divinity, His humanity, His sacrifice, or His kingship. Let this understanding shape your decisions and interactions with others.

Remember: The Christian life isn't about trying harder - it's about surrendering to Jesus and allowing His transformative power to work through you.