I was once asked, Who is Jesus Christ to you?

On one hand, it’s a simple question. On the other, it’s fairly complex.

How one answers it really reflects how they view Christianity, God and their faith.

David Lose recently wrote that since we believe in a God that we don’t see, our experience of this world may ultimately shape our view of God. For example, because we live in a world that is violent, we may view God as a violent God on a quest to eliminate and eradicate unfaithful people. Because our culture subscribes to quid pro quo, we may believe that in order to find God’s favor, we have to do things for God first.

Who is Jesus Christ to me?

Throughout a good chunk of my life, I believed that Jesus was my savior. I believed this because that’s what everyone told me.

As I grew older and as my views of God, Jesus, and faith evolved, I begin to feel that referring to Jesus as just my savior felt insufficient. I had been made to feel that the goal of life is accepting Jesus as my savior. I did. Now what? That couldn’t be the end of my faith journey, right?

What I’m learning is that the novelty of “being saved” eventually fades away.

New Christians have a passion and enthusiasm for Christ that is enviable for those who’ve been on the journey for a long time. But eventually that fades some as time passes. We hit a roadblock. We run into the longtime Christians who seemingly are passionless and tired. Or our lives take unexpected turns that rattle our newly built foundation in Christ.

Sometimes, in the midst of our storms, barriers, obstacles and brokenness, we look around and ask, “What exactly am I saved from?”

When we’re in that spiritual rut, we may try to replicate that feeling that we felt when we first accepted Christ. I’ve known so many kids in youth ministry who got saved over and over again.

In my tradition, we've usually had a summer retreat and a winter retreat. Pretty much six months between salvation experiences. The kids would be disappointed if they “felt” like they didn’t get saved this time around.

I was one of those kids chasing the high of being saved. And in the beginning stages of being a youth pastor, I was the youth pastor that tried to manufacture such moments at each retreat. The retreat wasn’t successful unless the majority of the kids accepted Jesus as their Savior. Who cares that it was the fourth time that Jae accepted Jesus as his Savior? Maybe this time it’ll stick!

One year our winter retreat was coming up and one of the regular kids hadn't registered. I asked him why he wasn’t going this time and he said, “I’m just tired of getting saved every year and nothing changing.” That's when I realized our ministry was dropping the ball. It dawned on me that my relationship had to be more than Rescuer and rescued.

Yes, Jesus Christ is my Savior, but more importantly, Jesus is my Lord. And if Jesus is my Lord, I should focus my life on doing his bidding, and not try to have Jesus do mine and fit into my world. I think this is why Wesley Covenant Prayer resonates with me, “I am no longer my own, but thine.”

So, with Christ as my Lord, I now live my life for him. Ideally, where Christ goes, I follow. Where Christ decides to send me, I go. What Christ wants me to do, I do.

But, I fight. I can’t lie, I fight and resist. But in the end, Jesus’ love wins me over. Because Jesus is a Master full of love and full of grace. That’s who Jesus Christ is to me. He is the one who looks into my eyes and says, “Child, where are they? Has no one condemned you?… Then neither do I condemn you.”

But he's also the one who gently adds, “Go now, and leave your life of sin.”

That's why when we accept Jesus as our Savior, Lord and Master, we're no longer the same. Because we're handing our lives over to him, and his grace and love is so overwhelming that it begins to change us from the inside out. We can’t remain the same when we start living for Jesus’ purpose and no longer our own.

And living for Jesus’ purpose, cause and mission — living with Christ as our Lord — that is where we find true freedom.

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Joseph Yoo is pastor of St. Mark United Methodist Church in Santa Barbara, California. He is the author of Practical Prayer and Encountering Grace. He blogs at JosephYoo.com.