Jesus and Community Service

What do you think it means to be a Christian?

Pause and reflect for a moment.

When I was younger, my answer would have had something to do with good things I was doing and bad things I was avoiding. I wasn't participating in underage drinking, and I wasn't chasing girls. Therefore, I was a Christian in my mind.

Or if I was doing enough good things, then I figured God would have to let me into heaven.

Okay, let's try another reflection question.

Have you ever been really mad at someone before? Like really, really angry?

I know I have! I've been extremely mad at countless people in my lifetime.

But, did you know Jesus equates this type of anger with murder? Check this out:

“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.” (Matthew 5:21-22)

Really Jesus? If that's the case, I'm basically a spiritual serial killer! I've been killing people in my heart for a long time.

What am I getting at here?

In Deuteronomy 32:4, it says "all his ways are justice." This means everything God does is about justice. He desires the right and fair thing to be done, all the time.

Therefore, if something isn't right, he has to do something about it, no exceptions.

Let's compare this to a legal scenario. If someone murdered someone, but then in court the Judge let them walk free with just some community service hours, would that be fair?

Of course not! That would be a huge injustice!

With that in mind, let's go back to my spiritual serial killer issue. If I've been killing people for a long time, but the Judge (God) lets me go because I completed some community service (good deeds, avoiding underage drinking, not chasing girls), would that be the right consequence for the crime?

Unfortunately for me, no. The consequence does not match the offense. That's not just.

You see, my whole life I'd been trying to do some community service to find my way to God, but it's actually impossible to do so. It'll never be enough to pay off the countless offenses I've had in my lifetime.

But, there’s good news.

God has made a way for people like me to go free despite my spiritual crimes. He decided long ago that sending his son Jesus to live a perfect life and die on the cross, this sacrifice, this service, is a fair price for the sins of not only me, but the whole world.

Yes, God will ensure justice for every offense ever committed. For those who place their faith in Jesus, the consequences of their offenses are already taken care of by Jesus’ sacrifice.

And for those who don’t place their faith in Jesus, God will repay every last offense with the proper consequence one day (Ecclesiastes 12:14).

So, what does it mean to be a Christian?

No, it’s not about trying to do enough good things to please God. It’s not about being confident in our ability to follow rules.

We will never have that ability, so we put our only trust in Jesus, the one who does have that ability and has already paid the full price for everything we can’t repay.

Trust him friends. He loves us.