One of my favorite movie franchises’ is “The Fast and the Furious” series. Recently I was watching Fast 6 and thought about the scene in which Vin Diesel’s character Toretto comes face to face with the villain in the film. The villain confronts Toretto, and during the confrontation the villain makes the statement that “every man has to have a code”. For Vin Diesel’s character Toretto, his code was family.
I began to think for a moment about that statement:
“Every man should have a code”
Now a code can mean many things to many people. By definition a code is a system of principles or rules. When I think about a code in relation to principles, I think about a belief system. What is the code or belief system that you hold onto? What is it that you stand your ground on no matter what?
As believers, we really should have only one code: Faith in Christ and Christ alone.
This faith should be based on the truth found in the infallible Word of God. Not a faith based on a code of social justice, a code of a political opinion, not even a code of church or family. This is not to say that there is something wrong with holding firm and being passionate about any of those things, but when those ideas or “codes” that you hold onto so dearly affect how you perceive and handle different situations, it can be a hindrance to our walk of faith.
Jesus made it very clear as to what code we should follow in Luke 14:26: “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Paul reiterates Jesus’ point in Philippians 3:7-8 – But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ…
Now to be fair, Jesus’s words may seem harsh, but in both of the verses above, we are charged to forsake our old way of thinking and let go of whatever “code” we stood by and follow Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). Paul tells us that whatever we thought was gain in this life, is truly just rubbish, compared to what we gain from the knowledge of Christ. For those of us who haven’t walked with the Lord for a long period of time, it’s a wonderful way to understand what God is ultimately looking for in our journey of faith…TRUST IN HIM.
Jesus encourages us and let’s us know in Matthew 19:29, what it is that we will gain when we give up our code of family, finances, church, religion, politics, etc.., and live for His CODE, which is blessed…
For anyone who has left behind their home and property, leaving family—brothers or sisters, mothers or fathers, or children—for my sake, they will be repaid a hundred times over and will inherit eternal life.
Now that is a code to live by.
Be encouraged!♥
–Stephanie
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