The Christian's "Secret Stuff"

You know a blog post from a 90s kid, in the midst of Last Dance fever, would have to include a GOAT analogy, right? In the 1996 cinematic masterpiece Space Jam, Michael and the Looney Toons are getting stomped at halftime by the roided-up-with-NBA-talent Monstars. Bugs Bunny crafts a water bottle full of "Michael's Secret Stuff" at halftime for the Looney Toons to drink before returning to the court. Spoiler alert, MJ does his MJ thing, surrounded by a rejuvenated supporting cast, and the Toon Squad comes back for an improbable victory. What was the "secret stuff" that fueled Mike? The Toons never found this out, but it was regular old water.

This one goes out to all my brothers and sisters in Christ who struggle in the grind of your Christian walks. Do you ever feel like you're just missing something? Is there some kind of "secret stuff" you need to be drinking to really get the "victories" you need as a Christian? Over sin, sadness, frustration, numbness, incompetencies, etc.?

I don't think I'll ever forget something that happened during this quarantine. One week I had 5 Zoom meetings scheduled, with each of the young guys in my discipleship group. The objective for each was the same: an in-depth Bible study of my favorite single verse in all of Scripture.

"For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." -2 Corinthians 5:21

We did our normal thing. Read the verses leading up to it, flipped over to some cross-references in Galatians and Romans, read a little bit of commentary, and sought to personally apply the living Word of God to our lives. What I saw happen time and time again was the weight of the basic Gospel message just sit on the heart of these young Christians.

Jesus really stood as "cursed" by God in my place? He really was treated as if he were the sum total of all his people's sins, standing in front of the holy wrath of God on full blast? I kind of know myself, and that's terrifying thinking of my sinful self before a righteous God. He knows me in full, and he really took ALL of the punishment for me? I am not only pardoned of all my sin but also stand fully righteous before this holy God by faith in him? He fully kept God's law, and that is credited to me as if I did? I will never fall out of this favor?

The applications just flow from the pen at this point...
  • "How can I possibly not continually have Jesus on my mind and heart?"
  • "How can I be ok with any present sin in my life, knowing what it cost?"
  • "How can I not share this Good News with everyone I know...the only solution for the guilt they're under and the peace they long for?"
  • "I can now immediately turn from my sin and trust CONFIDENTLY in God's grace, knowing that ALL the price has been paid and the work accomplished...once for all!"
  • "Love, joy, and peace should just ooze from me."

There's just something about when the Gospel hits you afresh, that you realize the "secret stuff" really is no secret at all. It's the message that saved you the hour you first believed - the message that lets us drink Living Water! Like the desperate Toon Squad, perhaps what makes this "regular old water" taste so sweet is when it really touches what we know we need - that specific sin that feels so heavy. Perhaps what has empowered Christians for love and service to God, more than anything else over the centuries, has been this "basic" message coming alive in fresh and heavy ways in their hearts.

The "secret stuff" we need as Christians? Maybe it's hearing that old, beautiful, weighty message over and over again.

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