"The gospel is absurd and the life of Jesus is meaningless unless we believe that He lived, died, and rose again with but one purpose in mind: to make brand-new creations. Not to make people with better morals, but to create a community of . . . men and women . . . who would live in ever greater fidelity to the omnipresent Word of God, who would enter into the center of it all, the very heart and mystery of Christ, into the center of the flame that consumes, purifies, and sets everything aglow with peace, joy, boldness, and extravagant, furious love. This, my friends, is what it really means to be a Christian. Our religion never begins with what we do for God. It always starts with what God has done for us, the great and wondrous things that God dreamed of and achieved for us in Christ Jesus." - From The Furious Longing of God by Brennan Manning:
Life. Christianity. Faith. They're all about Him, the One who loved you enough to suffer the penalty that should have been yours, who endured separation from His Father on your behalf, then conquered death and daily calls out your name so that you can live in Him, free from the law, under His great grace - where life and faith begin.
He really did this for us! Wow! Thank you for the reminder.
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