June 10

Jesus Plus Nothing

For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!  ––Galatians 2:19-21

We are born into transaction. From the moment we enter the world, we learn that when we cry, we are fed. As we grow, we quickly realize that in order to survive, we need to speak up. Toothache? Tell mom. Stomachache? Tell mom. Hungry? (You get the picture.)

As we reach adulthood and enter the real world, we quickly realize that everyday life is driven by transaction: work for money = money for food, housing, clothing, etc. Even under the Old Law, transaction was the spiritual paradigm: atone for your sins through blood (or other) sacrifices and thus reconcile with God. After the Fall, that’s how things went—and they went poorly, because we (humankind) were very good at messing up the deal we had with God.

Our Father has always demanded atonement for our sins. Every millennia or so after the Fall, God would clear the board and start over—give His people another chance; a do-over. The Flood? Do-over. Abraham and the new nation of Israel? Do-over. As much as He loved us, however, He realized that more was needed.

Enter a screaming baby born on a chilly night in a backwater town in the Roman province of Judea. A perfect man born into a brutal, bloody, transactional world. Jesus’ perfection was radical, confounding, revolutionary, and rebellious. He asked His followers to bring nothing to the table—and everything. Leave behind your old life in exchange for the new. A do-over. His message? As straight and clean-cutting as a legionnaire’s gladius:

I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. No one comes to the Father except through Him.

––John 14:6

Jesus plus nothing.

But wait … nothing? What about our efforts? No, not for salvation. What about James 2:26 that says faith without works is dead? Read it again: We lead with faith; the works follow. Grace—a free gift. Mercy—a free reprieve. Mary got it; Martha learned it. Discipleship and hard work for the Kingdom? Yes. But first…

Jesus plus nothing.

Man of God, what extra stuff are you trying to bring to the table of faith? Bartering with God? A transactional—read, worldly—approach that says if you are kind enough and good enough you can scrape together enough spiritual currency to slip through heaven’s gates?

It’s Jesus plus nothing. Which means we give Him everything.

Father, reveal to me the transactional baggage I’m trying to use to justify or rectify my sins, rather than simply receiving Your grace. Help me “Marie Kondo” my spiritual life and retain only those elements that spark joy in You.