“What was the fruit like? Unfortunately, no one can describe a taste. All I can say is that, compared with those fruits, the freshest grapefruit you’ve ever eaten was dull, and the juiciest orange was dry, and the most melting pear was hard and woody, and the sweetest wild strawberry was sour. And there were no seeds or stones, and no wasps. If you had once eaten that fruit, all the nicest things in this world would taste like medicines after it. But I can’t describe it. You can’t find out what it is like unless you can get to that country and taste for yourself.”

A quote from “The Last Battle” by C.S. Lewis. This is after they enter into the land going toward what they call “Aslan’s Country.”

I was thinking of this in the context of my relationship with Christ. Though not exactly the same, I realized, I have had this kind of experience with God. I have tasted the goodness of God. I have seen the power of Him in my life and the joy and freedom it brings. Because of this, it is something I will never be able to forget, but it’s also something that is almost impossible to describe to others.

When unbelievers look at the Christian life, the tendency is to look at it as something constricting. Something that limits you to certain rules and regulations to follow. Almost like you can’t live life joyfully here because you always have to make sure you’re following some weird rules.

Christianity isn’t a rules-based religion

Paul is very clear that Christianity isn’t about what you do or don’t do.

“For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. – Romans 5:6-11

This is perhaps what separates Christianity most from all other religions. As a Christian, it’s not up to us to do something to save ourselves. The work has already been done by Jesus. We simply have to believe in this truth. It’s not, “do these 10 things, live a good life, and pray 3 times a day and you shall go to heaven.”

That is a rules-based religion – what most religions are.

Christianity isn’t a non-religion

The reverse side is taking this to the extreme. “Because there aren’t rules to follow, I’m going to do whatever the heck I want and still go to Heaven.” Paul talks about this too:

“What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. – Romans 6:1-4

It’s not that there are rules that if we follow, make us go to Heaven.

It’s a relationship, not a checklist.

God created us. If God created us, he probably has a pretty good idea of what’s best for us. That’s what he puts in scripture. It’s not these things that bind us, it’s the opposite. It’s these things that set us free from the bondage of the world.

What is the bondage of the world?

This might be what’s most shocking to people outside the Christian religion (and even to some who are “in” it). True freedom is not doing whatever you want. There is a fleshly desire in each of us that craves and desires things that we think will bring us joy and contentment. Money, success, sex, popularity, minimalism, loving yourself…and the list goes on. There are so many things that we seek after because they seem like such good things.

But what if your flesh were actually not on your side? It seeks after all of these things, but in the end, it knows that they are going to leave you even more unhappy and depressed than when you started? Your flesh is not on your side. In fact, your flesh wants to kill you. Maybe not physically, but spiritually and emotionally. It goes after things that seem like good things but in the end, bring despair.

True freedom is not in pursuing these things. Pursuing them is slavery to the world and to the flesh. True freedom is pursuing Christ, because in him, we have a road map and the ability to live a life free from the temptations of the world and the flesh. Or I should say, not free from the temptations, but it gives you the ability to resist these temptations and go after true joy and contentment. Unless you have this relationship with Christ, you have no ability to resist. You may for a short time, but unless you have something to replace it with, it will always come back in and take over your life.

The goodness of God

The goodness of God comes when we begin a relationship with him. When we see the freedom that comes from living outside the bondage of sin and loving the things of the world. It’s something that is almost impossible to describe because while you love the things of the world, you are blind to what life outside of these things could look like. You think you are in the best life, you think you are free. But behind this supposed freedom is a prison that holds you captive from the true freedom that is possible.

When you taste the freedom that comes from fully pursuing Him and giving up the things of the world, you can never escape that feeling. There are times that you may get distracted from it. Times where you temporarily rebel from it, but in the end, you remember and know the freedom that came when you pursued Him fully.

I hate using this comparison, but in some ways, it’s similar to a drug. Once you live fully for Christ and experience what it feels like to give everything to him, you can never forget that feeling and freedom. It’s something that you will always be craving.

I have tasted the goodness of God.

I still get distracted and at times fall away from Him, but I never lose sight of where I know I truly belong.

You can’t help but spread it

When you have experienced this, it’s something you can’t keep to yourself. It’s so powerful and you hate to think that anyone else is living without the freedom that you have experienced. It’s not that you want everyone to come to your way of thinking, it’s that you want everyone to have the joy and peace that comes from giving up the things of the world.

I know, though, having at one time been in love with these things how hard it is to pull away from them. Everything in my flesh wants to pursue after them at any cost. I share with others so that maybe, through the grace of God, He reveals to them the truth that comes after seeing through the emptiness of the world.

I can’t help but share this truth, and if others tell me I’m crazy or think I should stop, I’m afraid I will never be able to because I know the truth and how can I say I love others without doing whatever it takes, even to the point of begging, to try and help them believe?

“So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.” – Acts 4:18-20

I have tasted the goodness of God and just like in the story C.S. Lewis tells, I can’t fully describe it, but I cannot help but share what has set me free.