Unburdened by Vance PitmanSample

The Discovery That Changed My Life

God set me free by using two crucial keys to unlock the bars of expectations that formed my spiritual prison. The first was my own spiritual brokenness. I eventually got to a place where I was humbled on many levels. God used a number of difficult circumstances to reveal my desire to perform as a Christian. After years of struggle, I’d finally reached a place of complete surrender.

The second key was an incredible mentor God brought into my life named Clyde Cranford who helped me discover a spiritual truth that forever changed my life. This truth forms the foundation of my life and is essential to what I want to communicate this week: the Christian life is not me living for Jesus but Jesus living His life in and through me.

Let me unpack this idea into two separate thoughts. First, the Christian life is not me living for Jesus, meaning, it’s not about the expectations, the dos and don’ts, the need to make it seem like I have it all together. The emphasis on me getting it right or me contributing to the efforts of Christ has no connection to what it means to follow Jesus.

Second, the Christian life is Jesus living His life in and through me. Since following Jesus has nothing to do with my ability or strength, but everything to do with His ability and strength, I am freed. That was the lesson I desperately needed to learn: Jesus never asked me to push and strive my way into spiritual effectiveness. Instead, He wanted me to pursue Him intimately, so in His own power, He could demonstrate His very life through me.

Believe me, what I’m talking about goes way beyond semantics. This isn’t just another way of saying something; it’s the difference between practicing a religion and pursuing a relationship. Only one word can express what I felt when I finally grasped this reality: freedom! The burden of religion was removed, and I was free to follow Jesus with a simplicity and joy I’d never experienced.

That’s what I want for you. Specifically, I want to show you how three simple relationships—your relationship with God, with other believers, and with the world—lead to what Paul called “the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:3). Understanding the importance of these three relationships is absolutely essential for experiencing the abundant life Jesus promised.

What would it mean to think of your relationship with Jesus and think FREEDOM?