Kim and Loraena tagged me for one of the best memes I’ve seen going around–5 things I love about Jesus. I am going to list five things I love about Jesus and then tag five other bloggers (if I can find some who haven’t already been tagged for this one!). I’ve read so many great lists from other bloggers so far…it’s hard to think of something that hasn’t already been said. Here are the ones I’ve read recently:
Kim
Kim
Loraena
Lisa
Mrs. M

My reasons are all pretty personal, and I haven’t been able to write this post without crying, deleting, and starting over. Kim tagged me late last week and I haven’t been able to get it out of me. I thought about just letting it pass…then, Loraena tagged me. So, here goes.

The very first thing that comes to mind is that I love Jesus because He is the way to the Father. And I so desperately needed (and still need) a Father. Through high school and college, it meant so much to me to be able to go to Him as my Father, my Daddy, if you will. For a girl whose parents played favorites, divorced, and then a dad who just wasn’t there, it means more than I can express.

John 14:6, 11, 18 I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me…Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me…I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”

Ephesians 1:4, 5 In love he predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ…

Jesus is my family.

I love Jesus because He is my purity, my righteousness. To think that it pleases Him to take on my sin and give me His purity and holiness is staggering to me. He calls me clean…

Ephesians 5:25-27 Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.

2 Corinthians 5:21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

I love Jesus because he is Truth. I lived under so many lies for such a long time, in terrible bondage to sin. Life is really different on this side of things…the renewed side.

John 17:17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.

John 8:31 If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.

Romans 12:2 …be transformed by the renewing of your mind…

These last two go together. I love Jesus because He has secured victory over sin and death. He has helped me to live in victory over sin and He is helping me to live in victory over sin. The battle has become more intense in many ways. It has moved from more external behaviors to dealing with the heart issues that produce the externals…and it ain’t pretty. And yet…Jesus has awakened my heart and mind to beauty and grandeur and HIMSELF so that I can say “no” to sin. I can look to or think of Jesus and say with honesty that He is better than any pleasure I could get from sin. I want to be able to say with David that the steadfast love of the Lord is better than life!!

I think about death and Heaven probably more than is normal and healthy…not sure why…I just do. It’s inevitable. I will lay this body down. My husband will die. My children will die. My closest friends and relatives will all die. I am dreading the passing of my sweet grandmother like you would not believe. Yet I have no reason to fear nor dread!

1 Corinthians 15:54-58 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:

Death is swallowed up in victory.
O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

Thanks for tagging me, Kim and Loraena. I needed to do this one. It has done my soul much good to meditate on Christ.

I’m tagging: