True freedom, Jesus proclaims, is found in embracing our identity as beloved children of God and living in alignment with His will for our lives, for He is the one who created this life for us, and when we trust this life to him, he promises to make it last forevermore. In embracing Jesus’s teachings on true freedom, we find a gentle path toward healing, wholeness, and genuine liberation. It’s a journey guided by love, grace, and compassion—a journey that leads us to deeper communion with God and greater freedom to live authentically and abundantly. Jesus’s profound declaration, “I am the resurrection and the life,” encapsulates the essence of his divine nature and the promise of eternal life for those who believe in him. In these words, he not only offers hope beyond the confines of physical death but also reveals his identity as the source and sustainer of life itself. When Jesus declares, “I am the resurrection,” he is asserting his authority over death and the grave. He is declaring that he holds the power to conquer death and to bring forth new life. This assertion is not merely a promise for the future resurrection of believers but a present reality that transforms our understanding of life and death. Through faith in Jesus, we experience a spiritual rebirth—a resurrection from spiritual death to new life in him. When Jesus declares, “I am the life,” he is proclaiming his role as the source of all life, both physical and spiritual. Jesus is not merely a giver of life but life itself. He embodies the essence of life in its fullest and richest form. This life that Jesus offers is not limited to the temporal existence we experience on earth but extends into eternity. It is a life characterized by intimacy with God. In this profound statement, Jesus reveals the inseparable connection between himself and eternal life. He emphasizes that true life—life in its fullest and most abundant sense—is found only in relationship with Him. Through faith in Jesus, we not only receive forgiveness of sins and reconciliation with God but also the promise of everlasting life that transcends the boundaries of time and space. Furthermore, Jesus’s assertion that this life must be received in this lifetime underscores the urgency and importance of responding to his invitation. He invites us to embrace him as the source of life, to trust in his promises, and to surrender our lives to his lordship. In doing so, we enter into a transformative relationship with him that extends beyond this earthly existence and into eternity.When considering the impact of religion versus the significance of a personal relationship with Jesus, we encounter a fundamental distinction between the temporal and the eternal, the finite and the infinite. Religions, by their nature, often focus on rituals, doctrines, and moral codes aimed at influencing the natural world and human behavior within the confines of earthly existence. While these religious practices may bring about tangible effects and societal changes, they are inherently limited by the constraints of time and space. When we enter into a relationship with Jesus, we are not merely engaging in religious observances or adhering to moral guidelines; rather, we are connecting with the source of all life and existence—the one who holds eternity in his hands. Through this personal relationship with Jesus, we experience a transformation that extends far beyond the temporal realm. Our lives are infused with meaning, purpose, and a sense of belonging that transcends the transient concerns of this world. We become participants in God’s eternal kingdom, where our actions and relationships have lasting significance and eternal ramifications. Moreover, the impact of a personal relationship with Jesus extends beyond our individual lives to touch the lives of others and influence the course of history. As we embody the love, grace, and truth of Jesus in our interactions with others, we become instruments of his redemptive work in the world. Our words and actions ripple outward, creating waves of change that echo throughout eternity. In essence, while religions may offer guidance and structure for navigating the complexities of human existence, it is only through a personal relationship with Jesus that we can experience the fullness of life and make an everlasting impact; all other impact would be materialistic and/or finite.It is indeed intriguing how the passage of time often reveals the limitations and flaws in our previous understanding of science, medicine, and mental health. What once seemed cutting-edge and revolutionary can later appear primitive and misguided. In hindsight, we may find ourselves chuckling at the quaintness of old beliefs and practices, wondering how people could have ever thought they were effective. Yet, as we reflect on this phenomenon, we must also recognize a parallel tendency in our modern society—a complacency born from the belief that we have already attained the pinnacle of knowledge and understanding. In our confidence in the advancements of science and technology, we may have become somewhat stagnant in our pursuit of wisdom and truth. We may have stopped questioning, stopped seeking, and stopped exploring the depths of knowledge that lie beyond our current understanding. In turning away from God, the ultimate source of all wisdom and truth and the giver of all life, we risk losing sight of the deeper mysteries and complexities of existence. We may overlook the spiritual dimensions of life and neglect the profound insights that come from faith and revelation. The very things that once held such promise for improving the human condition may now seem to lack the depth and understanding that we hoped they would provide.Faith and revelation are seen by some as outdated, even irrelevant, in our modern age. Yet, when we neglect the spiritual dimensions of life, we are left with an incomplete understanding of the human experience. Spirituality, once a guiding force for many, is increasingly viewed as something secondary or unnecessary in the face of scientific progress. And yet, as we look around, we can see a growing hunger for meaning that cannot be satisfied by technological advancements alone. People are turning to alternative forms of spirituality, seeking answers in crystals, rocks, astrology, and other practices that attempt to fill the void left by the absence of a deep, meaningful connection to the divine. Though people have always done this, the number of new stores promoting this type of spirituality has incredibly increased in recent years.What’s more, when we consider the history of humanity, we see that while the specific beliefs and practices may differ, the essential nature of humanity remains unchanged. In our present age, it’s easy to look back at history and view past generations with a sense of superiority, assuming that the struggles they faced were somehow simpler or more “expected” than the challenges we face today. We may think of the hard, physical labor of coal miners or factory workers, imagining that the grueling work was just something they “had to deal with” and that they had no choice but to endure it. In this mindset, we dehumanize the past, distorting the reality of their suffering by suggesting that their struggles were less meaningful or less painful than our own. We may think that the coal miner’s day at work was somehow easier because it was “what he expected” and that, in some way, he was resigned to it. But when we really pause to think about it, we see how misguided this perspective is.The labor was brutal, the conditions harsh, and the toll on the body was immense. If we were to step into their shoes, we would experience firsthand the suffocating heat, the backbreaking work, and the constant threat of danger. Yet, we often distance ourselves from their reality, assuming that because they were in a different time, their suffering was somehow more “normal” or even inevitable. We forget that, just like us, they were human beings with dreams, families, and aspirations—people who also desired comfort, dignity, and a better life. In dehumanizing those who lived in the past, we not only minimize their struggles, but we also fail to recognize the shared humanity that binds us all together, regardless of the time or circumstances in which we live. The coal miner’s day at work was hard, no less so than any physically demanding job today. In fact, the thought of enduring such labor might make us uncomfortable, even though we don’t often acknowledge that discomfort. We may romanticize the past, but when we do so, we overlook the depth of suffering and sacrifice that many endured. The tendency to look at the past with a sense of detached superiority reveals a deeper issue: we have become disconnected from the full reality of human suffering, particularly when it doesn’t match our own experiences or the narrative we’ve built about progress. But when we strip away the details of time, culture, and context, we see that the pain and suffering experienced by people throughout history—and even now—is remarkably similar. We are more alike than we sometimes care to admit.We’ve developed a tendency to focus on our own discomforts and frustrations, comparing them to those of others as though we have a desire for a monopoly on hardship.The world often tempts us with the illusion of freedom, whispering that rejecting Christian beliefs and embracing personal desires makes us independent and enlightened. Yet, this rejection often leads not to freedom but to conformity—ensnaring people in a system designed to sever them from their Creator. Ironically, those who see themselves as rebels by rejecting God’s truth are not rebelling at all but following the predictable path laid out by a world steeped in selfishness and pride. This is not freedom; it is a trap, a clever mimicry of individuality that ultimately serves the enemy’s goals. Imagine a society so consumed by efficiency and control that it determines a person’s value solely by their utility to the system. Those deemed “obsolete”—whether because they question the system or no longer serve its immediate goals—are cast aside, erased as though they never mattered. This dystopian vision reveals what happens when we follow the path of rejecting God’s design and adopt a worldview built on materialism and self-centered ambition.Without the foundation of divine truth, people are reduced to mere cogs in a machine, their worth measured only by what they produce or conform to. This system thrives on illusions. It tells you that autonomy is found in indulging your desires, that rejecting eternal truths leads to liberation. But in truth, it strips away individuality, compassion, and the intrinsic value God gives each of us. When humanity abandons the anchor of divine purpose, it drifts toward a society where people are expendable, reduced to their function or productivity. Christ’s message stands in stark contrast. He reminds us that no one is “obsolete,” that every life is precious and infused with purpose. In God’s eyes, we are not defined by our contributions to a system but by our identity as His children. His kingdom is not a cold, totalitarian regime but a place of love, grace, and eternal significance. To step away from this truth is to risk becoming a participant in the very system that dehumanizes and discards those it deems unworthy. We must reject the false promises of this world—a world that would make us believe we are only as valuable as our last achievement. True freedom is found not in rebellion against God but in surrender to Him and in embracing His design for our lives.
Thank you,
Will Forge
Pilgrims Ponder 