I stopped in the airport when I saw the cover of The Year of Living Biblically by A. J. Jacobs. The cover was fascinating! It shows a bearded guy with a linen ephod and red coat set against a background of a modern city.

The back copy said it was the story of a non-practicing Jewish man who tries to live out the Bible exactly, including dress, rituals, food, growing a beard, and all of the Old Testament traditions and rituals.

As I flipped through the pages I thought it would be an interesting read simply because a guy took the time to check out the Old Testament and live it point-by-point.

I realized that it is tongue-in-cheek, sometimes a harsh look at the Old Testament, but also that living a year biblically based only on what we wear, eat, drink, or the rules that we follow excludes the gift given on the cross.

But how many of us have made our faith, even with the cross and all that it offers, much the same?

We make it about the way we dress.

We make it about how often we show up at church.

We make it about what we drink, or don’t drink.

We make it about denominational traditions.

We make it about rules.

So what would it really look like to live like Jesus here in our real-life world? And how would that change who we are, as well as our perception about our faith?

And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. 1 John 4:1 (NLT)

It’s a question I plan to explore all week.

What does it mean to you to live like Jesus?

 

 

 

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