Last week, on another blogger’s post about chasing dreams, I made a comment. I really liked his post, but I don’t want to chase my own dreams anymore. I seek to find out what God’s dreams are for me. It has not been an easy road, but it has been much for fulfilling than anything I’d dreamed up on my own.
To me, that is what Jesus means in Luke 2:49 (AKJV). Even at a tender age, Jesus knew His purpose was to chase His Father’s dreams, complete the family business. In the process, He enabled us to become part of the family. He showed us how to live not only life eternal, but the eternally fulfilling life.
He talked about that a lot and made it clear how we can be about God’s business. He did it through “if, then” statements. Sometimes He hid them in analogies, but at others He comes right out and says “If you do this, then this will happen.”
In John 8:31-41, Jesus makes three different if, then statements. The first time, He tells those present (and those yet to come) if we obey what He says, we will be free; free to have joy in every circumstance. The IVP New Testament Commentary says,
The freedom in view is not a freedom to do whatever we wish according to the dictates of our own fallen selves, but a freedom from our fallen selves and the power and guidance to act in accordance with God himself, the source of all goodness and life.
If we hold to the truth of who Jesus is, then we will be freed to know the truth of who we really are.
The second time, He uses the cultural analogy of being freed from servitude or slavery. If The Son, who has the authority of The Father as the head of the house – frees you that can never be taken away. When you receive The Son, you get The Father and the promise of Isaiah 54:17. Your freedom is absolute and in unity with what The Lord desires for His Creation. Nothing can stand in the way of that.
The third time, Jesus contrasts His life giving freedom to what the Jews thought they already had. The Jews claimed freedom through the promises of Abraham, but as Jesus points out, their actions didn’t mirror their words. If they had, they would have understood that Jesus was what Abraham looked forward to in faith – the ultimate reward and promise. But they didn’t get it and as a result, they were under the boot of the Romans, wandering in darkness, away from God.
Romans 12:1-2 is a Pauline “if, then” statement. He is saying that if we surrender our desires to live as we see fit from an earthly perspective – then we will be transformed and able to know what is really good, right and pleasing to God. This should be our highest desire – for nothing completes us more than God working His will in us.
There is always more to offer, a deeper level of obedience, a new way to experience life lived in Christ. That is not only how we are freed for the life Jesus came to give us, but how our dreams are achieved. That is how we can always be about our Father’s business.
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