He Looks Upon Me
He looks upon me,
With angels at His side,
In a place of supreme joy,
Where sufferings cease.
He looks upon me,
Creator of all;
Gives rain to the daffodil
And wind for the falcon’s flight.
He looks upon me,
Knowing my inner thoughts,
Aware of every passion
And all he carefully wrought.
He looks upon me,
And what does he see?
To my joy, nothing!
Except His son on the tree.
How the Story of Jonah Could Have Ended
Have you recently read the book of Jonah? It has a really weird ending. Jonah is sitting, watching the city of Nineveh and waiting for God to destroy it. After hours of waiting, Jonah gets mad at God and God corrects Jonah. That’s it. We have no idea how Jonah reacts to God’s message.
So, I took the liberty to make up an ending to the story. It may be a tad comical and modern, but it’s all in good fun. You may have to watch Finding Nemo to understand some of the jokes. Enjoy!
____________________
Jonah is now sitting against a boulder. He’s exhausted and starving, about to faint. A man walks by Jonah and looks inquisitively at him. The man approaches Jonah.
Man: Hello. (He taps Jonah on the shoulder) Hello? Sir, are you alright?! (He shakes Jonah’s body to wake up)
Jonah: Oh… hi there. (He struggles to turn his gaze upward to see the man)
Man: Are you OK? You look really pale.
Jonah: Ya, I’m uh… I’m alright.
Man: What are you doing sitting here on this hill?
Jonah: I’m just watching the city, waiting for… something to happen. Could you keep me company? Just for a little while?
Man: Oh, I’m sorry. I’m off to the next city for a very important lamb sacrifice. (He looks apologetically to the disappointed and lonely Jonah) I’m really sorry.
Jonah: No no, I understand. No time to waste sitting next to a lunatic in the middle of nowhere. (Jonah looks down at the ground, holding back some tears) It’s just that I haven’t had much company in a while. I had to leave my home to come here, sailors threw me off their boat. The only communication I’ve had was with a big fish–and even he spit me out. (He starts to sob, making feminine sounds)
Man: You know what? I think I will stay with you.
Jonah: Really? You’ll really stay?
Man: Sure. Why not? (He sits down next to Jonah leaning his head on the boulder behind them)
Jonah: Wow, thanks. (Jonah wipes his tears and gives the man a smile)
Man: I gotta tell you, you really look awful. How long have you been out here?
Jonah: About one day.
Man: I’m surprised that you haven’t suffered from dehydration.
Jonah: There was a plant before that gave me some shade but now it’s gone. I feel like I’m going to hallucinate soon. By the way, that’s a nice goat costume you have on there.
Man: I’m not wearing a costume. (He remembers an old bottle of water in his backpack and hands it to Jonah) Here, have the rest. (Jonah chugs down the water, closing his eyes in satisfaction) You should really get yourself a bottle. But make sure it’s a stainless steel bottle, not plastic like mine. Plastic isn’t good.
Jonah: Why? What’s the difference?
Man: You’re kidding me! Haven’t you heard all the talk lately? Stainless steel bottles are better because they keep your water cold. Water becomes lukewarm in plastic bottles. (The man takes the empty plastic bottle and chucks it down the hill)
Jonah: I’m Jonah by the way (They shake hands)
Man: So what are you doing here Jonah?
Jonah: Well it’s kind of a long story. God told me to come here but I took a boat to Tarshish instead.
Man: (Interrupting) But you’re here now…
Jonah: Let me finish! I really didn’t want to come to Nineveh so I took a boat to Tarshish, the other end of the world. Any closer to the edge I would have fallen off the side of the world.
Man: Don’t you mean the Mediterranean Sea?
Jonah: Hello! The Mediterranean is the entire world. Duh! So I took a boat to Tarshish and all of a sudden a storm came and almost sunk our ship. The crew was saved only because they threw me off the boat and into the sea.
Man: Wow! They threw you off the ship? Why?
Jonah: Because I was the person who caused the storm. God was mad that I disobeyed him. But luckily for the crew they got out safe.
Man: And what about you?
Jonah: I got swallowed by a huge fish.
Man: Amazing! A fish? … You sure it wasn’t a whale?
Jonah: No not a whale, a big fish. Why would you think it was a whale?
Man: Well I thought it says “whale”… you know, in your book.
Jonah: Ha, ya right! Maybe in The New Living Translation. But look it up in the ESV or NASB, I’m talking literal translation here! It was a fish.
Man: OK, it was a fish. Then what happened?
Jonah: Well surprisingly I was OK. I was in there three days and on the third day I prayed to God and the fish spit me out onto dry land.
Man: It took you three days to realize that you needed to pray to God? What were you doing in the meantime?
Jonah: Oh, I was talking to some new friends I made.
Man: You sure you weren’t hallucinating again?
Jonah: No I wasn’t, I really made friends; fish friends. One was named Dory and the other Marlin, a clown fish. F.Y.I., clown fish are not funny at all. He couldn’t tell me one single joke that was funny. Marlin kept talking about his son in Australia, wherever that is. “I have to save him! I have to save him! P. Sherman, 42 Wallaby Way, Sydney.” He never stopped talking. And Dory kept forgetting my name. In fact, she kept forgetting everything. At one point, she tried to talk to the fish, telling it to spit us out. When we actually were spat out, she thought it was because of her. I tried telling her that I had prayed to God and he opened the fish’s mouth but she didn’t want to hear it. She was as atheist as they come. Fish can be really proud sometimes.
Man: (Stunned) Really?!
Jonah: Oh yea. They think they’re the greatest because they could breathe underwater. Anyways, God opened the fish’s mouth and the fish spit me out onto dry land on that shore right over there (Points to a shore in the distance). Then I came to Nineveh, told them what God had told me, that they have to repent or they’ll be destroyed. And now I’m just waiting for God to burn them up. You’re gonna want to see this. This is gonna be better than Star Wars meets The Dark Knight meets Bourne Identity. This is gonna be real action. Do you have some instant popcorn by any chance?
Man: Wait a second, you told the people of Nineveh to turn from their sinful ways, right? Did they actually do it?
Jonah: Well they started to. They covered themselves in sackcloth and everything, but there’s no guarantee that they’ll keep it up. Chances are they’ll be consumed very soon.
Man: But Jonah, don’t you want them to be saved? I mean, you’re a prophet… Probably one of the most known of the minor prophets.
Jonah: Minor prophets? What about the major prophets?
Man: Um… I hate to break it to you but you really don’t compete with the likes of Isaiah and Jeremiah. They got like sixty chapters worth of stories and prophecies… But that’s not the point. You’re a man selected by God himself to preach the word to the lost. You can’t pick and choose who you want to get saved. God had grace on you when you fled to Tarshish and prayed in the fish. Why can’t you understand that God can have grace over Nineveh as well? He shows his grace to whomever he pleases. You can’t do anything about that. All you can do is obey him.
The man gives a friendly pat on Jonah’s back, gets up and sets back out on his long trip. Jonah gets up as well.
Jonah: Thank you. (Smiling, he looks to the sea then back to the man) Do you own a boat by any chance?
Man: Sorry, can’t help you there.
Jonah: Oh… well have you seen a big fish recently? Maybe he’ll give me a lift home…
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The Gospel Saves Believers
Romans 1:16a “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes”
In his famous letter to the roman church, Paul starts out by letting them know of his love of the gospel, challenging them to not be ashamed of the magnificent truth of salvation. But Paul then justifies his boasting by saying that the gospel is the “power of salvation to everyone who believes.”
Is it just me or does Paul seem like a complete wacko? The power of God for salvation is for believers? for saved people? Aren’t they already saved? Why would Paul remind them of the gospel? Why didn’t Paul write “…to those who don’t believe” ? I’m probably not the only one wondering why Paul uses these words. The truth of the matter is North-American Christianity has evolved into a “I got saved” belief system with practically no theology to back it up. We get saved because we realize the wonder of the gospel. And from then on we do our best to follow the bible and live Christ-like lives because we got saved.
But Paul doesn’t use this language. In fact, if you read the rest of Paul’s letters, you’ll be astonished at just how many times Paul reminds his friends, the saints of the importance of the gospel in a believer’s life. Here are a few examples:
1 Corinthians 15:1-2 “Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.”
Romans 16:25 “Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ […]”
Paul says that we are “being saved.” We, believers, saints, disciples, Christians, followers of our Lord Jesus Christ, are being saved. Care to tell us, Paul, what exactly you mean by saints being saved? What do you mean when you say the gospel strengthens us? How can something that we adored so much that moment when we got saved continually strengthen us for the rest of our lives? I’ve been investigating this theme in Paul’s letters and I’ve come up with two valid reasons why the gospel does apply to Christians after their salvation:
- Faith found in justification allows sanctification to happen,
- Our justification helps us fight sin.
Here are my arguments. Read them at will.
1. I read the familiar story of the invalid being healed at the pool of Bethesda the other day in John 5:1-9. I tried my best to put myself in his shoes. This man was lame for 38 years. He had no friends (nobody helped him in the pool) and he was desperate for some help. Little did he know that the man approaching him would give him the capacity to walk once again. This man wanted to be healed more than anything else.
He stayed by the pool and waited and waited for the pool to stir. When it did stir, he tried his best to go in the pool but people went in before him. They got healed, he never did. Then when Jesus comes, Jesus tells the man to get up, pick up his mat and walk. Then, the man “at once” picked up his mat, stood and walked. He wasted no time. He believed firmly and joyously that if he obeyed Jesus, that is if he got up, he would be healed. He had faith.
There are other miracles in the gospels that involve faith. For example, the centurion asks Jesus to “say the word” and his servant will be healed. Jesus responds by saying, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” (Luke 7:9) And how about the lady with the disease who touches Jesus’ cloak to be healed. Jesus tells her, “Your faith has made you well.” (Matthew 9:21)
Similarly to the invalid, the centurion and the lady, if we have faith in the gospel and desire to be saved, then God will save us. And the same applies to our repentance. God wiping our slate clean, washing away our sins when we repent is not something to take lightly. It’s a miracle. When we repent, God applies the beauty of the cross to our sinful heart and says, “You are clean.” And we believe we are clean after we repent because of our faith in the cross and the redeeming power of Christ’s blood. And so our faith in the gospel, that is faith that we are redeemed and justified because of the gospel, applies to our sanctification every day.
2. Romans 8:3 teaches us that we have victory over sin because “God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh.” 1 Corinthians 15:56-57 uses wartime language, stressing that “The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
We have victory over death, over sin through our Lord Jesus Christ. He took care of our sins, past present and future, at the cross by his death. But even though our sin is taken care of, that is we are justified in God’s eyes, we still fight sin. In Romans 8:13, Paul reminds us that we will die if we don’t fight sin: “For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”
How do we put to death the deeds of the flesh by the spirit? In other words, how do we successfully fight sin?
John Piper can help us out on this one.
We are justified sinning soldiers making war on sin. Because of our justification, which we learn about with the gospel, we are able to be sanctified. We are able to make war on sin because we are already right with God. So, once again, the gospel applies to us now, even after our salvation.
In short, the only way we can be sanctified is if we have faith that, through the gospel, we are already justified in God’s sight. And so we do not leave the gospel back to that special night when our fresh eager minds embraced the truth of the cross and the resurrection. We remind ourselves and preach to ourselves the gospel every day because we cannot go on in our fight for joy and holiness without it.
FSW: Blessed Redeemer by Casting Crowns
To redeem: To recover ownership of by paying a specified sum, to set free; rescue or ransom.
I think this song is one of the best at describing the scene of the cross and the painful process that Jesus went through; forgiving those who were mocking him, submitting to his father’s will which meant dying for sinners “blind and unheeding”. The song is so powerful because it paints the picture for us and allows us to imagine being there at Calvary, looking on as Jesus struggles to walk to the place of his crucifixion. We see the Roman soldiers laughing at him and Mary and Joseph weeping for the innocent Messiah. We hear the screaming and whaling as the nails are hammered into the Savior’s palms and feet. The cross is put upright into the ground. Meanwhile, the soldiers continue to amuse themselves by tossing lots for Jesus’ clothes and giving him bitter vinegar to drink.
Watching all this happen, we are filled with awe and inexplicable sorrow which, with the knowledge of the whole gospel (resurrection and new life), is transformed into adoring worship for the blessed Redeemer. The last verse shows our reaction to the gospel, “How can my praises ever find end?” So listen to the song and “praise Him forevermore!”
Walked Christ my Savior, weary and worn
Facing for sinners death on the cross
That He might save them from endless loss
Blessed Redeemer, precious Redeemer
Seems now I see Him on Calvary’s tree
Wounded and bleeding, for sinners pleading
Blind and unheeding, dying for me
“Father, forgive them,” my Savior prayed
Even while His lifeblood flowed fast away
Praying for sinners while in such woe
No one but Jesus ever loved so
Dying for me
Oh how I love Him, Savior and friend
How can my praises ever find end
Through years unnumbered on Heaven’s shore
My songs shall praise Him forevermore
God Is No Dentist
I had to go to the dentist the other day to get my semi-yearly cleaning. I never fear going to the dentist. In fact, fear doesn’t set in until the assistant gets me on that inclining chair and brings the seat backward until my body is turned into an obtuse angle. At that very moment, when the rectangular adjustable lamp shines in your eyes and that first metal instrument comes out, I begin to remember how dreadful and painful an “innocent” check-up really is.
I didn’t have time between my 4pm math class and my dentist appointment to go home and eat dinner, which means I couldn’t brush my teeth before my appointment. So I left school and headed to the dentist by bus and subway having only brushed my teeth that same morning. I didn’t want to arrive with food between my gums or an excess of plaque or tartar build-up, so I scratched my teeth to remove all the gunk and I polished them as best I could with my tongue, but it just didn’t do the job. Sitting in the waiting room, I was embarrassed by my teeth and I wished I had taken my tooth brush with me to school that morning.
It’s amusing how some situations in our everyday lives can compare to elements and themes in our spiritual lives. While waiting for the bus that night, I was reminded how I sometimes am afraid to go to God in prayer because of my faults and the sins that I’ve committed, just like I was afraid to go to the dentist because of my dirty teeth.
But God is no dentist. He doesn’t judge us by our poor actions or by our sins. Dentists tell us how we don’t take care of our gums and how we never brush correctly and that we should floss more often using mouthwash afterward. It seems like whatever we do, however often we brush and floss, the dentist is never completely happy and makes sure we’re aware of his/her disappointment in our hygiene (no offense to all you dentists out there, it’s just how this patient feels). God isn’t like that. Instead of communicating disappointment and bitterness towards our imperfections, he communicates love, acceptance and forgiveness. If we go to him and present our transgressions to Him with a humble heart, He will forgive us without being judgmental.
1 John 1:8-9 “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Sin is not an exception, it’s the norm. We all have sin and we all have “fallen short of the glory of God.” Why should we be afraid to face God with sin when sin is normal? No matter how much you follow God, you will always have sin because of your human body and nature. The Lord doesn’t tell us to correct our faults before going to Him in prayer. He tells us the exact opposite. In fact, it’s only by going to Him that we can have a better chance to overcome future temptation to sin.
“If we wait around to be righteous before being bold, we will never be bold.” John Piper
Be bold by going to God and repenting. Don’t worry about your sins, they were washed away at the cross.
“How much sovever of a paradox it may seem, it is true that repentance is a sweet sorrow, so that the more of this sorrow, the more pleasure.” Jonathan Edwards
Being reminded of our transgressions through repentance may seem like a sorrowful thing, but the more we repent, the more joy we receive from God’s abounding presence in our lives. And I don’t know about you, but going to the dentist brings only sorrow for me.
My Heart Longs to Be a Heart That Longs for You
My heart longs to be a heart that longs for You,
You alone can see what my heart longs to do.
Look not at my heart’s sins, for they are countless,
Forgive them all and grant me Christ’s righteousness.
Forgive my heart’s mouth, for it rambles with no meaning
About its own poor state while resisting Your healing.
Forgive its ears, for they are not inclined
To listen to Your voice that leads the blind.
Forgive its tears that fall just to, itself, console,
And not to look above and, to You, rend its whole.
Forgive its eyes, for they have surely become blind
To heavenly treasures which, with You, I can find.
Forgive its cold shoulder which it gives to Your word,
Numerous times after Your distinct voice is heard.
Forgive its steps, for they are not quick to follow
What you have in store: eternal joy, not sorrow.
Forgive its mind, for it ponders too often
On things of earth, not on things of heaven.
Forgive its habits, for it does not loathe
That which is unwelcome in Your abode.
Forgive its grotesque attitude to glorious grace
That allows Christ Jesus to bear sin in my place.
Forgive its selfish way of viewing the cross,
Not embracing Your awesome love for the lost.
Forgive its vanity, even now, as it waits
To receive, from this piece, man’s adoring praise.
Forgive all its sins, for my heart is not defined
By its faults, but by its desire to be Thine.
My heart may fail, as it has on many occasion,
But I pray that You will forever be its portion,
For You alone can see what my heart longs to do,
For my heart longs to be a heart that longs for You.
FSW (11.26.10)
This week’s Friday’s Song of the Week (FSW) comes from a Canadian artist who is probably most well-known by his popular worship song Your Grace is Enough. His name is Matthew Maher.
Matt Maher was born in Canada but grew up in Arizona, where he studied music at the Arizona State University in Jazz Piano. Maher is very good friends with a number of other Christian artists, such as Chris Tomlin, Matt Redman, David Crowder and Audrey Assad.
His song Christ is Risen is one of revealing theological truth that impacts the listener with its biblical beauty. The first verse reminds us of what we must do to not fall into the trap of sin. So many of us feel so guilty of our sin that we forget to look to Christ and remember that he is the propitiation of all our sins (Rom. 3:23-25). It was Heaven’s will, God’s will for Jesus to die (Isiah 53:10) and by praying to his father “Not my will but thine,” he submitted to the plan of salvation that God provided for his creation. The bridge quotes word for word the wonderful reality of 1 Corinthians 15:55. And throughout the song, the joyful truth of the chorus echoes in our hearts. “Christ is risen from the dead trampling over death by death.”
Some will argue that this last line is not completely true, that Christ trampled over death by his resurrection and not by his own death. I do agree with this argument, but this small detail doesn’t change the whole and the goal of the song: Christ is risen. So come awake church and feast your eyes on no one other than Jesus.
Here is the song and the lyrics. Leave a comment and tell me what you think of this song. Would you put it on you iPod or sing it in your church?
Inside the lie of inward shame
But fix our eyes upon the cross
And run to Him who showed great love
And bled for us
Freely You’ve bled for us
Christ is risen from the dead
Trampling over death by death
Come awake, come awake
Come and rise up from the grave
Christ is risen from the dead
We are one with Him again
Come awake, come awake
Come and rise up from the grave
Beneath the weight of all our sin
You bowed to none but heaven’s will
No scheme of hell, no scoffer’s crown
No burden great can hold You down
In strength You reign
Forever let Your church proclaim
O death, where is your sting?
O hell, where is your victory?
O church, come stand in the light
The glory of God has defeated the night
O death, where is your sting?
O hell, where is your victory?
O church, come stand in the light
Our God is not dead
He’s alive! He’s alive!
Friday’s Song of the Week (FSW)
In my experience of being a Christian in North-America, I’ve noticed that many believers love God and love the bible but don’t show their love in what music they listen to. I don’t think Jesus would listen to the Beatles, Bob Marley, Taylor Swift or Jason Mraz if he were living today. Think about it. Could you imagine Jesus, the Son of the Holy God, bobbing his head to Hello Goodbye ? Please tell me that you can’t because I’m having a very hard time doing it.
I think music is a true gift of God. I’m a musician myself. I played violin for eight years up until two years ago and I now have been playing guitar for four years. Music is a wonderful gift, but we should be careful with the way we use this gift. Should we sing songs that are “not completely bad” that talk about “good things” like worldly love and friendship? Or should we sing about the unconditional everlasting free love that God offers in the magnificent story of the gospel? Would you rather listen to Teenage Dream by Katy Perry or O Praise Him by David Crowder Band? Half of My Heart by John Mayer or I Stand Amazed by Chris Tomlin?
The truth is many Christians would rather listen to secular songs than Christian songs. Therefore I’ve decided to devote a segment of this blog to Christian music. Every Friday, I will post a song that I love or that I recently discovered and I will talk about its biblical truths and why it’s such a great Christian song.
So be sure to look out for FSW posts and if you have any suggestions for a special Christian song, leave a comment.
“The best, most beautiful, and most perfect way that we have of expressing a sweet concord of mind to each other, is by music. When I would form in my mind an idea of a society in the highest degree happy, I think of them as expressing their love, their joy, and the inward concord and harmony and spiritual beauty of their souls by sweetly singing to each other.” Jonathan Edwards
Complete Hopelessness Is Our Only Hope
In his book Worship Matters, Bob Kauflin tells an intriguing story about his battle with depression early on in his Christian walk. He was waking up with “thoughts of death” every morning and he had no idea what measures to take to find healing. He sought help from a pastor he knew named Gary in a time of complete despair. They met for coffee and Bob told Gary how hopeless he was and how he had no clue what to do. Here’s the rest of it:
I expected Gary to say something like, “You’ll be okay, Bob. God is faithful. He’s working all things for your good.” Instead he looked at me with compassion and stated, “I don’t think you’re hopeless enough.”
I’m not sure what the look on my face said at the moment, but inside I was picking myself up off the floor.
Gary smiled. “If you were really hopeless, you’d stop trusting in yourself and what you can do and start trusting in what Jesus accomplished for you at the cross.”
Bob’s friend Gary reveals a disappointing truth on our legalistic view on sin and the gospel. I think we’re so caught up in our actions and what we can do to make God pleased with us that we’ve forgotten what it really means to be completely hopeless. When we tell ourselves, “You’re hopeless, man. God shows you love and mercy every day and this is how you repay Him?” we are being selfish and blind.
Meet Frank. Frank is unemployed and in his twenties. Frank lives alone and hopes to one day have a family. Frank doesn’t enjoy being helped financially or in any other way by his friends. He’s determined to figure things out on his own.
Frank has applied at a top law firm and is now waiting to be interviewed for this very prestigious job. He wore his best suit, he combed his hair, brushed his teeth about five times and brought his résumé along with information on all his former jobs and employers. Frank is ready to be interviewed.
A man wearing a double-breasted gray suit walks in the office and sits down on his brown leather office chair. The man quickly flips through Frank’s resume without reading it and hands it back to Frank with nonchalance. The man congratulates Frank and tells him that he can start his new job the next day at 9am.
Frank is puzzled. He’s not used to this kind of interview. Almost every interview he’s had he’s been drilled with questions, but not this one. Frank has no idea what to think.
Frustrated with the man in grey, Frank hands his résumé back to him and insists that he read and examine it. The man refuses. Frank persists again and again that the man reads his résumé, but the man shakes his head at Frank. Frank’s head is filled with questions. “What if I’m not qualified for the job? What if I make a mess of things? How can you be sure I’m the right man for the job? Is there something wrong with my résumé?”
“Why won’t you read my résumé?” Frank finally asks. The man compassionately looks at him and responds, “Because I know your résumé shows that you don’t deserve the job. Please, just take the job and be happy.” Frank frantically shakes his head at the man, saying, “No thank you. I don’t want to work for someone who doesn’t respect people for what they’ve done.” Frank slowly leaves the room confident of his decision and ultimately glad that he refused to work for lunatics.
You see, Frank refused to not be graded on his performance. How can he not be? Everything in life is graded on performance. Kids are graded in school, athletes are graded by how many points they register, even cows are graded by how lean they are. Ever had grade-A meat? I haven’t. I’ve had grade-C meat before and trust me, it’s not a very good cut. What would the world become if we stopped grading by performance?
There’s one passage in the bible that I always found interesting
Colossians 4:3-4
“A the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison—that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.”
I’ve always wondered what the “mystery of Christ” is exactly. Why would the story of Christ be so mysterious to humans? Why did Paul care about it so greatly that he asked for prayer, the he might make it clear to those who hear?
I may be wrong, but I think this mystery has to do with our good friend Frank. The mystery of Christ, and of the gospel, is that he made a way for us to not be graded by our performance, and this indeed is a mystery to us. Sin was taken care of at the cross so that we might not have to worry about it in our life. We do acknowledge its presence and we do fight it, but we consider it no longer as a separator between us and God.
Despite God’s grace at Calvary, the problem remains how we react to such a mystery. Will we discard it as crazy talk like Frank our should we become completely hopeless, not trusting ourselves but trusting God completely as Gary told Bob?
I don’t know about you, but I prefer the latter. It is hard to become completely hopeless before the Lord. I can only count a few times when I experienced such a moment. Your heart gets flooded with humility and grace and your eyes cannot even look at the things of earth. Your whole being is transferred into God’s presence, at His feet as He sits on His throne and you are completely speechless. And perhaps, a few tears may even trickle down your cheek.
We know our saviour. We know that he is risen from the dead and we know that he is at God’s right hand seeking our hearts. Give it up completely and literally beat up the trust you have in your own actions. Be violent against your pride and replace it with complete humility. Only then will you experience that hopelessness.
1 Corinthians 15:55-57
“O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law, but thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
The war has been fought, the trumpets have blown, and the victory is won. Why refuse it? Why persist on fighting on your own? There is no one to fight; your sins are taken care of. Stop trying to prove that you’re worthy of the victory. Embrace it and become completely hopeless before the Lord.
The Unbroken Cistern 