Jesus Is Life

As I stopped at a red light today, a banner featuring Bear Grylls adorned a fence outside an Anglican church.  It read, "My Christian faith is the backbone of my life."  It is wonderful when famous people freely proclaim they follow of Jesus Christ.  Being a born-again Christian myself, it made me think.  Is my Christian faith the backbone of my life?

The backbone (or spine) is the central part of the skeletal system.  Through the center of the spine runs the spinal cord which connects to the brain and together comprise the nervous system.  For human beings, the spine and spinal cord are a fundamental necessity of life.  The term "backbone" does not only relate to anatomy, but is used to describe someone who is true to their principles.  For me, Jesus is my life.  Without Him, I would be dead in sins and doomed to eternity separated from God in hell.  I agree with Bear Grylls:  Jesus has given me life, principles, and the power of the Holy Spirit to walk uprightly.  Christianity is not rules, but the personal experience of repenting from sin, trusting in Jesus, and receiving His love, grace, acceptance, and forgiveness.

It is faith in Christ which makes Christians, but my faith is not the central "backbone" of my life:  it is Christ.  To prevent this misunderstanding if I was printing posters, I would say Christ is the backbone of my life - or even simpler, Jesus Christ is my life.  This is not to say that I am perfect, or that I don't make mistakes.  Sometimes my faith falters and I forget to focus on Jesus.  But the only reason why I am alive in this body and born again with the Holy Spirit is because of Jesus.  It is His shed blood which has cleansed me, and by grace His righteousness has been imputed to my account.

Keep following Jesus, Bear Grylls.  Thank you for using your voice to promote your LORD and Saviour who has died so all might live through Him!