We think we live in small town America. Or the big city. Or on our farm or ranch.
This world has us fooled into believing we are residents of our local municipality, citizens of our state and country, and proprietors of our homes and castles.
In a sense that’s true, if we look at it from the world’s perspective. We pay our taxes as proof. American citizenship is recognized worldwide. Zoning, boundaries, and fences tell others of what’s ours to control, and what’s not.
Yet, our lives are not found in small town America, the big city, or our farms and ranches. We are residents of the Red Zone.
We find our proof in Leviticus 17:11:
“For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life.”
We can attend church and promise God our bank accounts, our personal property, even our homes and businesses; then it is easy to walk out the door and live our lives not honoring Jesus’ death on the cross. When questioned, we might declare we’ve given him everything, but the truth can be very different.
So the question we must ask is this: Have we given him everything the world considers important, or have we given him what he asks for?
“For the life of the flesh is in the blood...”
Revelation 1:5 tells us:
“Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth...who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood...”
Jesus came to give us abundant life, and that life comes to us from his veins. He bled his lifeblood to ensure our salvation. He wants the same from us.
He wants who we are, not the things we own. Our lives are deeper than the country we live in, the taxes we pay, and the things we collect. When we come to Christ, he changes us inside. We don’t have to change our country, refuse to pay our taxes, or give away all our stuff. We’re his followers because we’ve moved from life in the World Zone to life in the Red Zone. The blood of Jesus now flows in our veins.
Let’s share who we really are with the hurting world around us. It’s what Jesus did 2,000 years ago. He would do it again if he walked with us in person today.
Life in the Red Zone. It’s how we were meant to live all along. It just takes Jesus in our hearts to help us find it once again.
When our hearts bleed for the lost, the lost will become our priority through Jesus Christ our Lord.
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Code: FGO.K.02.15.vp.esv