Jesus Died So That I Can Live
by Jeremy Lim, Elder
Though I’m a physical therapist, my undergraduate degree is in English literature. Bear with me for a minute as I put that degree to work. I don’t get to do this very often!
I am a big fan of the words “so that.” They begin an adverb clause that describes the relationship between two actions. More specifically, they begin an adverb clause of purpose. Their use in the middle of a sentence implies the need to clarify the purpose of the initial action in the sentence.
For example, I put soap by each sink in my house so that my kids can wash, not just rinse, their dirty hands (a reality I have to point out too often sometimes!). “So that” begins an attempt to answer the question of why the initial action is important. The purpose of the first action is fulfilled by the second.
Through the Spirit, Christ offered Himself as an unblemished sacrifice, freeing us from all those dead-end efforts to make ourselves respectable, so that we can live all out for God. Hebrews 9:14 (MSG)
As we prepare to recognize Jesus’ incredible sacrifice on the cross and celebrate His victory over death through His resurrection, I encourage you to ask the question, “Why?” Why is it so important that Jesus did what He did? Why does it matter that Christ sacrificed Himself to free us from our own futile efforts to live well?
So that…
“…we can live all out for God.” I’m still figuring out exactly what this means, but the more I understand the significance of what Jesus did and continues to do for me, the more it makes sense to live for Him in every way possible. His death has given you and me a way to fully live into His purposes so that we don’t have to face the never-ending dead-ends of our own.
Jesus died so that you and I can live–not just for eternity with Him in heaven, but truly live a life worth living here on earth. When the “so that” statements of our lives align with the purposes of God, we’ll begin to experience life as God created us to experience it!
Prayer: Jesus, thank You for loving me so that I can live life to the fullest. Sometimes it’s hard to choose to live this way, so please help me remember that living for You is simply the most rational response to who You are and all You’ve done. Amen.
