Keep Your Eyes Upon Jesus

For the saved, Christ has broken the chains of our bondage that have held us back, and He's set us free by giving us a new life in Him. "He has given us the empowering Spirit. So run! Make a break for it. Pursue Him and Him alone, with force, oomph, and passion" (Jared C. Wilson & Matt Chandler in To Live Is Christ to Die Is Gain, Kindle loc. 1037).

The Apostle Paul admitted that he still struggled with some issues and was not perfect, but yet he pressed on toward Christ (see Philippians 3:12). Even after being saved, we'll be tempted and struggle with worldly things, but there's a right way and a wrong way to handle this. The wrong way is to try to take care of it on our own, thinking we can handle it with will-power and discipline. The right way is to depend on the Lord,

knowing that He's always sufficient, always more than enough. Conversion doesn't suddenly transform us into the person we should be, the one who resembles Christ, but it starts the process. Paul reminds us that, by focusing on Jesus, we're transformed by degrees into His image.

"But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord" (2 Corinthians 3:18).

The traditional hymn gives good advice when it says, "Turn your eyes upon Jesus; look full into his wonderful face, and the things of the world will grown strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace."

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