Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Jesus Is Enough


 “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” – 2 Corinthians 12:9 



“Jesus is enough.”  A simple message that was posted on a local church sign not far from our home.  As a habitual sign reader, I can honestly say that they all come and go in passing, and rarely does a message ever stick.  However, this one was different.  I have been meditating on the message “Jesus is enough” for days upon days.  How contrary this ideal is to the message of the world.  How liberating it is to the worrying, and anxious Christian.  How powerful to the church.  Jesus is enough. 

We live in a culture where the word “enough” is not something you hear very often.  Our culture of consumption is ever learning but never coming to a knowledge of the truth.  They are ever consuming, but never full.  They ever searching, but never finding.  They are ever experiencing, but never settled.  A message, any message, is continually being broadcasted to everyone and everybody, but rarely do you hear anything about “enough”.  The idea that something is enough is completely lost.   So, it is no wonder that we would expect Jesus to be enough.  Though he is enough.  He is enough on a personal level, and he is enough on a collective level.  He is enough to save the individual, and he is enough to save the society.  The message of Jesus Christ is powerful enough.  Strong enough.  Bold enough.  Captivating enough.  It is enough to meet any and all needs.  The presence of Jesus Christ is satisfying, liberating, challenging and complete.  Jesus needs no subtraction or addition.  It can be a careful thing not to fall into the trap of performing either.  We are tempted to assume that by shrinking from the full weight of preaching the gospel, one would find it easier for the hearer to obtain the gospel.  “Don't scare people off.” Some would exhort.  Jesus is enough.  He will do the work and call the sinner up to the experience of holiness, don’t try to lower the experience of holiness to the sinner.  How dare we pervert the gospel that Christ died for?  Who are we to doubt Jesus?  Satan would have us think: “But what if the gospel is too plain?  What if it is too dull?  Too ridged for our modern minds?”  He would lead us to believe that we must dress it up with glitz and glamour.  We must adorn it with the trimmings of this world that we love so much.  Again, Jesus is enough.  The presence and power of Christ is enough to draw, convict, and captivate.  All we need is Jesus!  Jesus dwelling on the inside is forever sufficient.  There are so many shortcomings in my life (and most likely in yours).  It seems at times that there is never enough.  Enough time, enough talent, enough energy, enough money.  Stress and anxiety seem to occur when the challenges of the day are greater than the ability to perform them.  Therefore, so many people want money, because they believe that it can make up for that difference.  However, money is not enough, or willpower, or human ingenuity.  Jesus is enough.  He is meet for every situation, in every era, for every generation.  Jesus is enough.  He will be what you cannot be and keep what you cannot keep.  I don't need to worry, Jesus is enough. 

The joy of living a sanctified life is, yes, the knowledge that you are free from sin and headed for a home in heaven.  However, it is also the confidence that Jesus is enough.  His Spirit witness to your Spirit that you are a child of God, and he is a Good Father to you.  He will prove himself enough in your life, time and time again.  It is not mandatory that you understand this, only that you trust that Jesus is enough. 

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