Can you risk everything for love?

Have you ever been afraid that you might waste this ONE life you've been given to live? Fear, and the desire for safety, keeps us from doing what we were designed to do.

Spiritually, the Apostle Paul wrestled with this same idea. He wasn't satisfied with just being saved. He knew God had called him to something greater. He knew salvation was the first step in a greater journey... a journey towards the image of Christ.

Romans 8:29
For those He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers.

God has called us to something greater than our salvation... He'll called us to risk everything on a relationship. Today, risk is ugly concept in our culture (we live in the day of helmets and seatbelts) and a completely forgotten idea in our faith. Instead, we live in a generation where lives are dedicated to power... or work (or specifically the success that comes from work)... or wisdom... or even freedom. Honestly, in life... if and when safety becomes someone's chief goal, or need... then their life will naturally gravitate to either power, work, wisdom, or freedom as means to achieving their safety.

But here's the rub for those of us in Christ... God never called us to safety. In fact, sin took safety off the table. And truthfully, when it comes to God's plan to be in relationship with us... it was anything but safe. So let me show you the risk...
Look at the amazing imagery in...

Revelation 5:6
Then I saw one like a slaughtered lamb standing between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders.

The slaughtered Lamb (Jesus) surrounded by four creatures. What four creatures?

Revelation 4:7
The first living creature was like a lion; the second living creature was like a calf; the third living creature had a face like a man; and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle.

Lion = Power... Calf = work... Man = wisdom... Eagle = freedom

Revelation 5:8
When He took the scroll, the four living creatures and the 24 elders fell down before the Lamb.

Bowed before the Lamb... a slaughtered lamb. A lamb who was sacrificed out of love. And here's the amazing truth in the middle of this passage... One day, on this day, the most powerful, the most successful, the most wise, and the most free will all bow before the most loving. Power, success, wisdom, and freedom might be keys to safety but God hasn't called His children to be safe... He has called His children to be conformed to the sacrifice of love.