What Are The Benefits Of Hooking Up With Jesus?

I’ve made some good decisions in my life. I’ve made some wise choices in my life. I’ve made some decisions that made a lot of money. I’ve made some decisions that have created relationships that have lasted a lifetime. I’ve made some decisions that have brought me joy. I’ve made some decisions that have brought me moments of happiness. I’ve mad some good decisions, “Falling in love with Jesus was the best thing I’ve ever done!”

I’ve made some good and quality decisions:

• To graduate from high school was a good decision, but falling love with Jesus was the best thing I’ve ever done;

• To matriculate through Jarvis Christian College, earning my Bachelor of Arts & graduate from Perkins School of Theology, SMU with a Master of Divinity were quality decisions, but falling in love with Jesus was the best thing I’ve done;

• To marry my beautiful wife, the love of my life for 25 years, was a good and quality decision, but falling in love with Jesus was the best thing I’ve ever done;

• To be become a father of my children and help to raise my nieces and nephews were good decisions, but falling in love with Jesus was the best thing I’ve ever done;

We all must make decisions everyday, but there is no decision that a person can make that carries more significance than the decision to hook up with Jesus. Hooking up with Jesus means to begin a relationship with Jesus. Hooking up with Jesus means to begin to walk with Jesus and talk with Jesus. Hooking up with Jesus means to get to know Jesus intimately, to the point where his ways and thoughts are known. Hooking up with Jesus means to draw so close to Jesus that who he begins to manifest in the individual. There is not a greater decision that a person can make than to hook up with Jesus.

Paul says it clearly in 2 Corinthians 5, in this familiar verse, verse 17. Listen to it from various translations:

• King James Version, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new”.

• New Living Translation: “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”

• God’s WORD Translation: “Whoever is a believer in Christ is a new creation. The old way of living has disappeared. A new way of living has come into existence.”

• The Voice: “Therefore, if anyone is united with the Anointed One, that person is a new creation. The old life is gone—and see—a new life has begun!”

The translations say it with slight differences, but the point is abundantly clear, being in a relationship with Jesus makes a difference. Now, there may be some of us who have heard about this Jesus, but for a variety of reasons have hesitated to hook up with Jesus. The reason could be that you’ve seen no consistency in the life of those who claim to be in love with Jesus: y’all are at the same clubs, doing the same dances, talking the same talk and living the same life. The reason could be that you’ve been disappointed in church and religion, lied to and beat upon. The reason could be that you feel sufficient all by yourself and therefore you don’t need a savior. The reason could be that you feel like your friends want understand and you don’t want to be rejected.

Whatever the reasons for not accepting Jesus or, if anyone has already accepted him, not growing closer to Jesus, I propose that hooking up with Jesus has some benefits that we just do not want to pass up. On one occasion my dad and I talked as I was looking for employment and I remember telling him about a few opportunities that were potentially becoming available. My dad listened carefully, then said, “many people accept a job solely upon the basis of how much they will be paid, but look for job that will you a good wage and has the best benefit package”. Hooking up with Jesus has the best benefits!

Paul opens this chapter with some striking words, “1We know that if our earthly house—a mere tent that can easily be taken down—is destroyed, we will then live in an eternal home in the heavens, a building crafted by divine—not human—hands”. This is the conclusion of the argument he has been presenting in 2 Corinthians 4: verse 12 he says, “Death is constantly at work in us”; verse 16 he says, “Our outer humanity is falling apart and decaying”. Also, in verses 13-14, “13We share the same spirit of faith as the one who wrote the Psalm, “I believe therefore I spoke.” We also believe and that belief leads us to acknowledge 14that the same God who resurrected the Lord Jesus will raise us with Jesus and will usher us all together into His presence”. Paul says, in essence, hooking up with Jesus gives us a benefit in death.