How Does Jesus's Life Change Mine?

Jesus created everything in our universe, including you and me, John 1:3, "All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made." We should be in awe of Him and what He has done, Philippians 2:9-11, "Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." How, then, does He change our lives?

We have a choice; we can do life the way we want to, or we can do life the way Jesus, the Creator of all things, designed it to be lived, John 10:10, "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." Jesus tells us He came to give us an abundant life. To do that, He had to sacrifice His life for us, John 10:11, 15, "I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep... As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep." 

Why does Jesus have to lay down His life for the sheep? Without Jesus, the sheep would wander and be lost. The sheep will be at the mercy of the thief who comes only to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection make a way for the sheep to escape from the thief, John 14:6, "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." and Acts 4:12, "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." How could there be any other way, for He is the creator of all things?

Following Jesus is the only way to that abundant life, Matthew 19:21, "Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me." We cannot follow Him when we prioritize the things of the flesh, Matthew 6:24, "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon." We cannot serve Jesus and the thief; we have to pick one of them to follow.

Following Jesus means we live this life the way He created it to be lived, Romans 8:28, "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." This means we live according to His purpose and in a way that produces good for everyone. We might think this would be difficult to do or to even understand. But Jesus kept it very simple, John 13:34-35, "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." All we have to do is love everyone the way Jesus loved us when we walked the earth.

We can read the Gospels to learn how Jesus loved; Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. What did He think, say, and do in those Gospels. Jesus kept it simple, go and do the same, He is our example. He wants us to treat each other as if we truly love each other. Stealing from someone is not loving. Sleeping with someone else's spouse is not loving. Hitting people is not loving. I don't have to go on; we all know how we want people to treat us, go and do the same, Matthew 7:12, "Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets." It doesn't matter how they are treat us, Romans 5:8, "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Love them anyway, Matthew 5:46-48, "For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." Even if we suffer for doing the right thing. Remember, Jesus suffered for doing the right thing so that we could choose His way and live an abundant life for eternity.

Jesus's life changes mine when I 'go and do the same,' love everyone.

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