Do you know people who are secretive about their best recipes?

Perhaps they have a killer brownie recipe that everyone covets. Or a special formula for making lasagna that is simply to die for.

But they won’t share the recipe with anyone, not even their best friends. Their famous dishes are their hallmark, and they’re quite proprietary about them.

Many companies are the same. They have closely guarded recipes for their top products, whether it’s the ingredients for Coca-Cola or the coating mixture for Kentucky Fried Chicken.

I can understand them wanting to keep the recipe under wraps: after all, it’s the secret to their success.

But Christians have a recipe that we want to share with everyone:

It’s the recipe for a fulfilling life through belief in Jesus.

We don’t guard this recipe jealously. It’s not a proprietary formula that is exclusive to a select few.

Rather, we want everyone to know about it. We willingly share the blueprint for receiving forgiveness of our sins and for living an abundant life through Christ.

We want the whole world to experience the same joy and fellowship with the Lord that we have!

So we disseminate the recipe as widely as we can. The Bible calls this “The Great Commission”:

“And then he [Jesus] told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone.” (Mark 16:15)

There’s another aspect to the “recipe” of Christ that makes it wonderful: it’s not just for everyone, it’s for everywhere.

Let’s say you go to a restaurant that is famous for certain dishes. Their boeuf bourguignon is so superior to that of other restaurants that you keep coming back. If you want to eat that dish the special way they prepare it, then that particular restaurant is the only place you can go.

But what if the restaurant publishes their recipe for that dish online or in the newspaper? Why, then you can prepare the same meal at home. You can enjoy it wherever you are, and are no longer limited to eating it at their location. (See brownie recipe below for an example.)

Something similar happens when we accept Christ into our lives.

In ancient Israel, to encounter God you had to go to the temple. It was the only accepted place to perform the rituals that ensured a continued fellowship with God.

But when Jesus came, the old rules went out the window. Now, you are the temple: the Holy Spirit comes to live within you when you accept Christ.

“Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God?” (1 Corinthians 6:19a)

You’re no longer limited to being in a particular location to experience closeness with God.

Christians still gather together at church to worship corporately, of course. But church isn’t the only place to commune with God: we’re all walking temples of the Holy Spirit.

Whoever you are, wherever you are, you can experience the joy of knowing God personally and communing with Him. The recipe is found through belief in His Son Jesus.

The secret is out—pass it on!

Brownes Bistro Brownies

This scrumptious recipe was generously shared by the talented chefs at Brownes Bistro in Toronto. It appeared in a fundraising cookbook called “The Chef’s Table,” and was published in the local newspaper for all to enjoy.

1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa
2 cups dark brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
4 eggs
3/4 cup butter, melted
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups chopped pecan pieces
6 oz semi- or bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a 13-by-9-inch pan with parchment paper.

Sift flour with cocoa in large bowl. Stir in brown sugar and salt.

Whisk together eggs, melted butter and vanilla in separate bowl. Stir in dry ingredients until moistened. Stir in pecans and chocolate. Pour into prepared pan, spreading evenly with spatula.

Bake 30 minutes or until top is firm to the touch and cake tester comes out clean. Cool in pan for at least 10 minutes before cutting into squares.

Serve warm or cool. Makes 15 to 20 squares.

© 2021 Lori J. Cartmell. All rights reserved.