I’m sure we have all heard the saying No Pain, No gain. Or even Feel the Burn When it comes to our “daily” workout plans. I’m reminded of the times I played Football as a kid. After every practice the coach would tell us to put our entire uniform on, shoulder pads, helmets, and well anything that he could think of. After putting on our equipment we would have to “Bear Crawl” up a 40 foot hill and run back down countless times. When we were sluggish or when we had a bad practice he would team us up with a teammate of similar stature and we would have to carry each other up and down this hill (with our equipment on I must remind you) until we Couldn’t feel our legs or until we passed out, whichever came first.

Coach always chanted NO PAIN, NO GAIN. NO PAIN, NO GAIN. Nothing could have made us more upset than hearing those words as he stood at the top of the hill not moving a muscle.

This Lead me to the thought HIS PAIN, OUR GAIN. When I look back at going up that hill with that uniform on sweating until I could no longer sweat, or carrying my teammate until my legs gave out, I’m reminded of a significant occurrence that occurred at a place called Calvary. When Jesus Christ who bore all of our sins, Who Healed the sick,, Who changed the course of Life, was beaten beyond anything we could ever imagine. Spit on, Cursed, made a mockery of, He put that Cross on his back and walked up a hill bigger than any of us could “bear crawl” up.  It was His Pain and his suffering that Lead to Our Gain. The Pain that Jesus Christ went through to give us our Gain.

Through the Works of the Cross We are made New. Through the Nailing on the Cross, “ALL things are Made possible for us”. Romans 5:19 “For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.” Though he never sinned, Jesus Gave it his all and died for Each and everyone one of us. For every sinner to come to repentance and to know Him.

Jesus Didn’t Go halfway up that Hill and call it quits. He didn’t drop the cross and turn around and go back down the hill. He went all the Way for us until “It was Finished.”

All I see nowadays are people living lives Half way, Barely getting the Job Done. This is not Why Jesus died for us. He died so that we can LIVE LIFE, AND LIVE IT ABUNDANTLY. John 10:10. It is Time for Us as Christians to Step out of the Boat, to Live Lives Set Apart, to live Holy, and to take back what the enemy has taken away. THE VOLENT TAKE IT BY FORCE. It is time to use the Authority that has been given to us through the Suffering of Jesus Christ and to Live a Life Pleasing to God.