Jesus Freaks by Martin Wiles

Series: Living a Life of Excellence

Jesus Freak. A term of the late 1960s and early 1970s referring to a countercultural movement and used pejoratively for those affiliated with the Jesus movement.

Freak, along with any adjectives modifying it, was actually a neutral term used to describe the specific interest of any counter-culture member…even acid-freaks. Eventually the term was employed to describe the hippie and back-to-the-land movements which focused on universal love, pacifism, and the radical nature of Jesus’ teachings.

Jesus freaks didn’t fit the bill in attire or belief for what fundamental believers deemed appropriate for a Christian, but they were Jesus followers nonetheless. And many were godly-a requirement for spiritual excellence and freakiness. And knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness (II Peter 1:6 NLT).

Godliness is born out of a relationship rather than rote rituals as Jesus informed a pious religious leader named Nicodemus. He and his peers imagined that God accepted people because of routine obedience when in reality it was the relationship that produced the freak.

Godliness is only achieved by a lifetime of practice called sanctification. I’m not automatically godly just because I choose to be a Jesus freak. What molds my freakiness is my willingness to behave and think like Jesus and also my readiness to do it consistently.

Choosing to be a Jesus freak also brings with it the prospect of being misunderstood by strangers, friends, and family and the possibility of persecution. Jesus was and said I should expect it too.

At the final accounting, I’ll be rewarded for my trek toward Jesus freakiness (godliness). I’ll hear Christ commend me for a job well done in serving him and for obeying his commands. So it really doesn’t matter what others think about me being a Jesus freak…just what God does. How freaky are you?

Prayer: Empower us, Righteous Father, to live holy lives so others will see Your good works in us and be drawn to You.

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