Gym-like Jesus People

John 8:36

“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

Recently I’ve been going back to the gym and I’ve noticed a lot about the gym that I think we Christians could use in terms of presenting Jesus to non-Christians. Yes, I know what I just said, the weightlifting and water drinking hasn’t made me delusional. If we showed non-Christians Jesus the same way a fitness trainer shows you weights, we might make some progress in evangelizing; at the very least people wouldn’t dislike the topic of God nearly as much.

What’s the first thing that happens when you walk into a gym looking at membership options? If it’s a decent one, you’ll be greeted nicely, someone will very quickly come over and begin to explain the benefits of a gym membership. They’ll probably ask questions like what are you looking to improve, any past injuries, or if there is some physical ailment that might stop you from working out. Then you’ll be taken on a tour of the facility and shown all the perks of membership; classes, sauna, pool, ect. If you’re like me, by this point I’m imagining myself fit and strong coming five days a week (this last part still has yet to happen!). Next thing you know you’ve sign up and are now free to start working out!

Now let’s flip this on over to when we try to talk about the importance of a relationship with Jesus. I am not talking about showing a church visitor all the nice parts of a building; the Church I’m referring to is the body of Christ. The first thing a non-saved person is going to be doing is evaluating the Christian, not for their deep theology (what so many Christians fear) but a simple how do they present themselves? If I’m about to tell you about the awesome, miraculous, life-giving story of Jesus and I look and act like I’m depressed, detached, angry, or even worse embarrassed; how will you take the words I say as opposed to the way I act? It’s like the gym, the person who comes out to get you to sign up isn’t an overweight, lazy slob with a Taco Bell bag on their desk; of course not, it’s always the guy/gal who placed at the CrossFit games this year. While the gym scenario is more for appearances; our appearance when talking about Jesus is also crucial, we must be earnest, not perfect, but caring. We are talking about the Savior of the world who raised us from death, the very least we can do is be happy and excited about it.

I’ve joined a few gyms over the years and one thing I’ve noticed is that they all have rules. How to put the weights on accurately, how the machines work, where to not have water, where to change, etc. Also the simple rules of not stealing, running indecent through the gym, and whatever weird scenario that could play out. When you sign up you go through paper that has contract agreements (rules), gym hours, and the like. But have you ever had a person walk up to you when you sign up and tell you everything you can’t do there? Of course not! It would be ludicrous to try and sell something by giving all the don’ts and no do’s. And yet, this is scary close to what we do when trying to talk about salvation!

Before I go any further, let me clarify; I’m not saying we should “sell” people on salvation. I’m not saying that salvation is like a gym membership, just for the few people who might read this and by upset by my comparison. Think about it, when is the last time you heard salvation being described as freeing rather than a person just hammering away at a set of rules? We urge people to get saved so they can escape hell and then proceed to tell them every rule they now fall under and how they must confess every sin (honestly, who could ever remember all of them?) ever committed. And by the way, no more bad music, change your life, stop cussing, no drinking, and absolutely quit smoking! Wow, what freedom they have just received! And we wonder why we look so down-trodden and guilt-ridden when telling others the “good news?”

Are these all things that should change in time? Of course, but the key is the change comes easier and faster when the person does it because they are getting closer to God rather than having it slapped across their face three seconds after the sinner’s prayer. Just like the gym, there are rules, they never left but they also aren’t the focus. The focus is Jesus once we understand that, the rest falls into the right place.

Romans 8:1-2, “So now anyone who is in Christ Jesus is not judged guilty. That is because in Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit that brings life made you free.” Laws are rules, in fact they are even higher than a rule; they are the standard from which the rule is made. If we, Christians must insist on focusing on the rules, let’s at least focus on the right ones. The Law (Jesus) calls us free; free to be joyful in spreading the knowledge of Him near and far, free to imperfect but also secure in Him, and free to be the people He called us to be! So let’s be real Jesus people, observant of rules but not focused on them. Instead we let His laws guide into better lives without the constraints of guilt and anxiety. Let’s be gym-like Jesus people!