Finding Freedom in Christ

One question I am often asked by people is what it is like being a pastor in Utah. I love getting this question because it gives me the opportunity to share about our church. I am able to tell people that our church is a place that offers a third way for people here in Utah. Anyone who has lived here very long knows Utah is polarized. Everyone is identified by their relationship to “The Church.” Some people look at the “The Church” and just see a bunch of rules that are forced on you. Other’s look at “The Church”  as the only foundation for morality and family values. 

 
And what Jordan Presbyterian provides (and any historic Christian church here does as well) is a third way, a way of the cross. And perhaps what most marks this third way is freedom. More specifically, freedom in Christ. Freedom in Christ means that we are a people who have stopped worrying about trying to make our relationship with God right. We finally acknowledge there was nothing we could do to make it right in the first place. God took every law that stood against us and nailed it to the cross with Jesus, silencing it forever. Freedom in Christ then means that we do not let others judge us by what we eat or drink. (Col 2:13-16) And so at Jordan we strive to be a people who live our lives out of that freedom we have. We are free to worship God out of joy. We are free to love others selflessly. We are freed from the burden of wondering whether we have done enough to please God. 

If you are asked what it means to be a Christian here in Utah how do you respond? One way I've found helpful is to say that being a Christian means have true and lasting freedom. I’ve discovered that is something that is exciting to share with others.