Category: Salvation

The Toad and the Lawnmower

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As my husband was out of town, I decided to mow the lawn. Up and down the rows of grass I went, mowing and thanking God for the day and the health to work. As I ducked under a low-hanging branch of our plum tree to avoid entanglement, I saw movement on the ground to my right. Upon further inspection, I recognized a little toad – no more than an inch-and-a-half long. He no doubt hopped as a response to the vibration of the ground because of my mower. When I reached the end of that particular row of grass and turned the mower, I thought, “I have to keep my eyes peeled for that little toad which will now be to my left.”

I began cutting the new row – toward the plum tree again. And sure enough, the toad was hopping in the grass to the left of me. Then he stopped. Maybe he froze in fear; I don’t know. But what I do know is how I instinctively responded to the situation. Without a second thought, I stopped cutting, bent over, and pushed the toad out of the way of the mower’s deadly blade. I think I even said aloud, “Hey, little buddy, get out of the way and be safe.” Imagine! I talked to the tiny amphibian and pushed him to safety!

I realize not everyone may have done such a thing, and I certainly pass no judgment on that. Toads come and toads go in this world, and they are not generally pets. However, as a side note, I would like to point out the basic principle of God’s Word regarding animals that “belong” to us, “The godly care for their animals, but the wicked are always cruel” (Proverbs 12:10, NLT).

Now, back to my toad/lawnmower encounter … This incident stopped me in my tracks in more ways than one. As soon as I pushed the toad aside to save it from a cruel death by lawnmower blade, I stopped my mower a second time beside that plum tree and thought to myself, “Shelli, you will pause and make the effort to reach down to a tiny amphibian to save it from death, but how many times do you refuse to reach out to unsaved people who are right in your path and present the Gospel to them – their escape from the danger of eternal death?”

I was horrified at the thought of my negligence of caring for the eternal souls of people when compared to my compassion for the earthly life of an animal. God used this situation to grip me – to shock me back to the reality of the unseen realm. He sharply reminded me of the spiritual world in which exist eternal souls – and an eternal Hell. A lawnmower blade is nothing compared to isolation from God forever and the misery of eternal guilt without hope of relief. Even Jesus cautioned His disciples, “And do not fear those [the devil, people] who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him [God] who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28, ESV).

God, please help me. Help me to take seriously the eternal souls of my fellow human beings. Assist me in reaching out to people and saying (in effect), “Hey, buddy, Jesus is the way to safety from sin and Hell! Let me help you go His direction.”

Remember Romans 10:13-15 (ESV) when you think of the toad and the lawnmower. I am sure my little amphibian friend liked the look of my feet in the grass that sunny morning!

    “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”

Confident Conscience

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A tormentor and murderer of believers. A man so fixated on his own, false religious zeal that he despised God’s own people and threw them into prison. This was the apostle Paul in his early days. So, if anyone had reason to bear a guilty conscience and be left in the misery of regret, it was Paul.

I think about the real man, Paul, as he sat chained in an underground Roman prison. The tables are turned, and the redeemed Paul is now the one being persecuted for his faith. He knows his execution is near, and he is left with his thoughts and his God in the dark, damp, disgusting dungeon.

If Paul was a human like you and me – and HE WAS – then his mind had to have drifted back a few years to Stephen, the first martyr of the Church. After Stephen witnessed to the crowds of God’s love in Jesus, the crowd rushed at Stephen and stoned him to death. And guess what leader was there approving of Stephen’s execution? Paul! In fact, as Acts 8:3 (ESV) details, “But Saul [Paul] was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison.” With all this in mind, we can only surmise that Paul had to be pondering the irony of his situation. The persecutor has become the persecuted. The murderer is about to be murdered.

Now we might conclude that Paul’s psychological position at this point would be one of weakness. Feeling sorry for himself, he might have thought, “Well, I deserve this.” If I were Paul, I would have been tempted to believe the worst – that because of all my sin, I was finally going to get what I had coming to me. God’s care of me might have been seriously clouded by my own guilt. Could I even call on Jesus now to help me … after all I’ve done? Why should God deliver me from circumstances exactly like those to which I had sinfully committed other people? Why should God help me, when I had been so evil?

Miraculously – and I mean by the actual miracle of God’s grace – Paul’s psychological bent at this point in his life was one of strength … and a confident conscience. Against all odds of human tendency, Paul penned the following words from his dungeon soon before he was beheaded, “The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen” (2 Timothy 4:18, ESV).

Can you believe it? Paul was not drowning in guilt or pity. He believed God would rescue him from every evil deed – despite the evil he had done. Paul was fully convinced that Jesus had already taken the hit for his sin when He died on the Cross. Paul – even in his last days – lived by the truth of the full forgiveness we find through Jesus Christ. The blood Jesus shed was truly a healing salve for Paul’s guilty conscience, broken heart, and haunted mind.

Jesus gave to Paul not only a clean conscience, but a confident conscience. Jesus enabled Paul to live above both the physical and psychological circumstances that would seem to hold him down. History upholds the execution of Paul under Emperor Nero. He did not recant. His head was placed on the chopping block, but his conscience was unbroken. At the moment of his death, I wonder if Paul was recalling the words he had written in Romans 5:1 (ESV), “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ”?

Personal Reflection Questions:

1) For what sins should your conscience be broken and guilty?

2) Have you really trusted that the substitution of Jesus enduring the wrath of God on your behalf has cleared your guilt before God?

3) Will you, as Paul, trust God today for a clean conscience through Jesus AND a CONFIDENT conscience for all the future holds?

Can You Be Sure?

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Belief in a vague idea of Heaven and Hell is one thing, but confidence in the place to which you are personally headed is another, as I experienced in a recent encounter.

God never meant for our destiny to be unclear in the least. He intends for us to have assurance of the outcome of our lives, and I believe that is one reason the devil tries frantically to steal from humans a true understanding of their eternal condition.

Have you ever heard someone say falteringly, “I hope I make it to Heaven” or “I’m trying to be good so I can go to Heaven”? Those who say such things demonstrate a hesitance to declare with boldness a truth about their future … and their present.

After getting a refill on my iced tea at a local restaurant, I paused at the table of an older gentleman with whom I have tried to have several conversations about Jesus. This dear man struggles with guilt about many things – including his service in Vietnam. In the past, I have assured him that we are all on equal ground as sinners and that I am no better off before God than he is. We all have selfish hearts and are corrupted at the core. The only difference is that I have trusted Jesus to be my righteousness for me, because He bore the penalty of God’s wrath against me at the Cross.

On one particular afternoon, this man was sharing a conversation he had just had with a cardiac nurse who was trying to discern whether or not he understood the seriousness of his condition. He told me that he proudly declared to her, “I am not afraid of dying; everyone has to die.” Then he said to the nurse, “The only thing we have to be afraid of is where we go after we die … and no one can know that ahead of time!”

Wow. This confused gentleman actually had the first part of his idea correct to some degree; for Jesus said, “And do not fear those who kill the body [Satan and his followers] but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him [God] who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28, ESV) Obviously, there is validity to a healthy fear of our soul ending up in Hell.

It is the second part of this man’s thought that I had to immediately and gently confront, for it was way off base. His real fear was in the not knowing that he could know where he was headed.

I looked at him, addressed him by name, and said, “Yes you can know where you are going. I know. I know because I believe in Jesus and trust His sacrifice for my sin.” I could have added, “And I have trusted His life for my living”! However, my hurting friend soon changed the subject – still not ready to deal with the main issue of his soul.

The Bible is unequivocal in its assertion that we can know our destiny. The Apostle John proclaims I John 5:12-13 (ESV), “Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.”

Notice – amazingly – that our assurance of our place after death is directly related to our current status of life. Those who are certain of Heaven in the future have that confidence based on the reality of Jesus’ life in them presently. If a man, woman, or child has the Son of God as the source of their forgiveness and hope, then that person already has life. Eternal life is a continuum. It begins with true, life-changing belief in Jesus (not simply mental assent) that continues drawing us closer to Him and His will, and then it culminates in the reality of Heaven.

Do you have the Son of God? Really have Him? For you who want the promise of Heaven, He cannot simply be a mental concept or a part of your life. He must be your life. That life He gives you is eternal. He gives it now, and He sustains it past your death and into an infinite future. Amen!

47th Greatest Invention . . .

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Though the printing press was deemed the number one innovation since the invention of the wheel by The Atlantic magazine’s group of scientists, historians, and technologists; it was number 47 on the list that caught my eye. Don’t get me wrong, we as Christians understand God’s hand in the development of the printing press, for God chose to reveal Himself through a book! However, check out the succinct description of the 47th greatest breakthrough since the wheel according to The Atlantic: “The nail, second millennium B.C. ‘Extended lives by enabling people to have shelter.’ -Leslie Berlin”

Wow. The nail enabled people to have shelter. Though Leslie Berlin was probably thinking of the physical shelter nails help to provide when they are pounded into wood and concrete, my mind went immediately to the spiritual shelter we find because of the three nails used by Roman soldiers two thousand years ago. And actually, those three nails were in the “hands” of God the Father, who willingly sacrificed His Son so you and I might find shelter from the justly deserved wrath of a Holy God. The ultimate effect of my own sin cannot rain down upon me, because I am under the shelter of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on that old, rugged Cross.

The Atlantic says that nails “extended lives by enabling people to have shelter.” Again – no doubt – the extension refers to earthly years. Physical life could go on longer because our bodies were better protected from the elements, wild animals, and enemies. But we as children of God apprehend the measureless value of spiritual life. No matter the year or day of our physical demise, salvation ensures eternal life. As Peter so beautifully records, “You have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable” (I Peter 1:23, ESV). The nails that pierced the body of Jesus on Mount Calvary have brought to us an endlessly extended life!

Just as those nails of long ago punctured the physical body of Jesus, they will also help bring to our physical bodies the new and glorified existence we shall enjoy forever and ever. I Thessalonians 3:20b-21 (ESV) proclaims, “We await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body.” The crucifixion of Jesus – aided by nails – ensures our safety in an incalculable and everlasting sense.

A thank you to The Atlantic for reminding us of the importance of nails. We take much for granted. And the biggest thank you to our God who gave humans the capacity to invent the nail, which He knew would be used to crucify His own Son. No doubt, God was thinking of sheltering us when He created trees and inspired the invention of nails.

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the LORD, ‘My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.'” (Psalm 91:1-2, ESV)

Reference: Fallows, James. “The 50 Greatest Breakthroughs Since the Wheel.” The Atlantic. Nov 2013. 56-58.

Do Babies Go To Heaven When They Die?

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This question is one close to our hearts. As the Bible does not spell out the answer in any particular manner, I will render my opinion based on the “big picture” of God’s revelation.

First, we understand that no circumstance is unused by God; He “works all things according to the counsel of His will” (Ephesians 1:11, ESV). Therefore, we trust that even the tragedy of the death of King David’s little child had many purposes. One reason, I believe, is for countless people to glean hope regarding the death of children. After praying and fasting that His child not die, David arose and ate upon hearing of the death of his son. When criticized by his servants for rising and eating, David explained, “While the child was alive, I fasted and wept, for I said, ‘Who knows whether the LORD will be gracious to me, that the child may live?’ But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.” (II Samuel 12:22-23, ESV, emphasis mine)

King David certainly knew the depths of God’s mercy and salvation. The Holy Spirit has chosen to reveal through the situation the fact that David believed he would one day go to his child. The man of God was obviously convinced that he would be reunited with his son in an actual way. In David’s heart, there existed a comfort in knowing the reality of a place called Heaven and his child’s location and safety there.

Second, in the New Testament we catch the heartbeat of Jesus when children were brought to Him to be prayed for and to have the Son of God lay hands on them. The disciples rebuked people for bothering Jesus with children, but our Lord proclaimed, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 19:14, ESV)

The Greek word for “children” here includes little ones and infants. Jesus made one thing abundantly clear to both his disciples and the broader public – God wants children coming to Him! He even speaks metaphorically of the need for people of all ages to trust and be vulnerable as children, for this represents the heart of those who enter the Kingdom of Heaven. In terms of the issue at hand, we see – most importantly – that Jesus is very much for children coming to Him and against their being held back from His presence.

Third, Romans 1:18-20 concisely explains that people are without excuse before God because they knowingly suppress the truth that is before them and refuse to acknowledge the existence of a Creator to whom we are accountable, in light of the evidence of the created universe. How could infants and small children possibly apprehend the truth revealed in creation and the attributes of God made evident by what He has designed? How could babies suppress truth? We logically begin to see that small children could not fit into the category of those “without excuse.” For that matter, nor could the severely mentally challenged people of the world. And although God does not go on to explicitly outline a sub-category for infants and those without sufficient mental capacity, we catch glimpses of His heart elsewhere.

For the three main reasons outlined above, I believe we will be joyfully reunited in Heaven with the people we have known here on earth for such a short period of time because of their death in infancy or childhood. Ultimately, we stand on the words of Abraham in Genesis 18:25 (NIV, 1984), “Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?”

Jesus, Why Did You Let Your Friend Die?

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“Lazarus has died, and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe.” – John 11:14 (ESV)

Some of the most difficult words in the Bible to wrap our minds around are these words of Jesus Christ to His disciples, “Lazarus has died, and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe” (John 11:14, ESV). Yes, Jesus actually implies here that He was pleased that Lazarus died before Jesus went to him to heal him. In fact, the word Christ used for “I am glad” is the same word translated as “rejoice” in Philippians 4:4 (ESV), “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.”

Jesus purposefully allowed Lazarus to die – to cross that dark chasm between this world and the next – and to face his earthly body’s demise. We ask, “Why did you do that, Lord, when the sisters of Lazarus both told You he was ill?” They sent word directly to You. They turned to You. They asked You to intervene. They even reminded You, Jesus, of how much You cared for Lazarus when they said, “Lord, he whom you love is ill” (John 11:3, ESV). And God, You confirmed Your love in John 11:5 (ESV), “Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.” So, why? Why the seemingly disturbing words of John 11:6 (ESV), “So, when [Jesus] heard that Lazarus was ill, [Jesus] stayed two days longer in the place where he was”? God, why did you hesitate? Knowing a man you loved was suffering and about to die, why did You not run to Him? Or why did You not heal him from a distance as You did the official’s son of John 4:46-54? Lazarus was clearly Your friend, but You allowed him to suffer and be put in the grave.

In God’s economy, something is obviously more valuable than immediate healing or relief. In His scheme of things, Jesus deemed His hesitation to heal more valuable than the expected answer to prayer. He saw a greater glory. He looked beyond what eyes can see and what minds tend to perceive. He calls us – in this situation – to look to a place much deeper than comfort or human expectation. God calls us to an economy of souls and eternal realities. Christ made clear two reasons for His refusal to heal Lazarus before his first experience with death: 1) the increased belief of His disciples, and – more broadly – 2) the glorification of God and the Son of God.

When all was said and done, we discover that many people came to believe in the Son of God as a result of Jesus finally raising Lazarus from death. In fact, some of the people who came to a place of belief were the very Jewish friends who had gone to the tomb to weep with Mary and console her (John 11:31, 45). In other words, the people who had been carefully brought by God to a place of grief and somber reflection were now face-to-face with the Giver and Re-Giver of Life! Would these mourners have been receptive to healing from sickness only (as Jesus had performed many times)? Or was it their confrontation with the finality of death and its icy grip that was necessary for eternal belief? When Jesus decided to delay His arrival at the home of Lazarus, was it really because He knew an encounter with death was the only way for some to behold the Author of Life? Was it really Christ’s love for the eternal souls of men that drove Him to allow His beloved friend, Lazarus, to pass through the veil of death?

You see, only if the Son of God is glorified – or seen for Who He really is – will men and women find eternal life. God’s glory is our salvation! While some mistakenly believe God to be selfish for demanding to be glorified, He is actually working in our best interest. We were designed for real life beyond the grave. We were made to be resurrected at the Return of Christ and to live forever on the re-created earth and in the new heavens. At the time of the sickness of Lazarus, perhaps Jesus had in mind to walk with these Jewish friends of Mary someday in a place vanquished of mourning, pain, illness, mistreatment, separation, misery, and death. Perhaps Jesus knew that His dear friend, Lazarus, could handle illness, disappointment, and earthly death because Lazarus valued eternal life the most. Perhaps Lazarus is in Heaven now rejoicing with all the men and women who entered their eternal home because of his first encounter with death and subsequent resurrection. Perhaps both Jesus and Lazarus reckoned temporary suffering linked to saved people as more profitable than temporary relief linked to lost people.

Here is something to think about: though Lazarus was raised from the grave on the fourth day after dying, he still had to die an earthly death again. For him – as for us – eternity is the real hope. So, when Jesus says to your request, “I will wait a little longer,” what will your response be? To be desperately disappointed? Or to realize He is working a plan aimed at His glory so that human beings can be given what we do not deserve – forever to thrive in unmitigated perfection?

Two Bloody Robes Tell the Story

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And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him. – Matthew 27:28 (ESV)

He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. – Revelation 19:13 (ESV)

The scene immediately preceding the crucifixion of Jesus is heartbreaking and gruesome. It ought to be deeply pondered by every person to let its reality sink in. And then, one incident in particular needs to be tied to its victorious outcome. The scene at the end of God’s Word – in the book of Revelation – is both a fitting, glorious conclusion and a sobering, devastating reality. To those who truly apprehend and order their lives according to real faith in Jesus Christ, the theme traced from the first century to the end of earthly history is one of mystery and majesty. To those opposed to the Christian Gospel, the theme – while perhaps scoffed at – is, in truth, the greatest reality with which one must deal.

Let’s travel from the first century to the end of time using one, simple thread. We shall see things quite easily as we stick to one part of both accounts – a robe. Though countless details exist, let us focus on this one component in order to cut to the heart of what is both similar and different about two historical events, one of which is yet to take place.

In the first scene, Jesus has been arrested, Judas has committed suicide, and Pilate has delivered Christ to be crucified. After Jesus was beaten, the governor’s soldiers began a mockery of Jesus. Matthew 27:27-31 (ESV) records the grievous details:

    Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters, and they gathered the whole battalion before him. And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head. And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him and led him away to crucify him.

Note with me, please, the first action of scorn the soldiers pursued: the placement of a scarlet robe on the beaten, bleeding body of Jesus. This robe was part of a greater scheme to belittle both the Person and the claim of Christ. The main point of contention here is the perception by some that Jesus was the King of the Jews. The soldiers would taunt Jesus concerning His real identity. Apparently believing Him to be a fool instead of royalty, they gave him a robe, a crown of thorns, and a reed for a staff. Then they knelt before Him in disdain, mockingly calling out, “Hail, King of the Jews!”

Can you imagine Jesus Christ, bleeding on his back and sides beneath that robe and bleeding on His head from under the crown made of thorns? Can you envision Him holding a reed for a scepter as the soldiers spit on Him and rail at Him in hatred? Poor Jesus! How our human hearts ache at the thought of the misery and shame He endured. And yet, what makes this event most amazing is its display of the unimaginable patience of God. How could the Son of God – who is equipped with the power to calm the seas and able to raise men and women from the dead – how could He now restrain Himself to bear the unjust cruelty of these moments? He could – and He did – because of the power of His mercy. Jesus knew what He had to experience on our behalf so we would not have to bear the punishment of our own sin. He withstood the wrath of God and the weight of our sin for us. All of the suffering and scorn He went through was in order to take our place. We deserve to be taunted by Satan for our sin, but Jesus endured the ridicule of Satan, even though He had never done a thing wrong.

Amazing love is what restrained the arms of Jesus so that He did not tear off the scarlet robe and destroy the soldiers in one flash of justified wrath. In boundless compassion, Jesus restrained the full revelation of who He is and chose not to cast off the crown of thorns to show the world His real power. Jesus wore the robe, soaked as it was with His own blood, from the beating He took. Christ wore the robe, though it was placed on Him by those who refused to believe he deserves a real, most regal robe.

Fast forward to the end of time. Plough ahead to the return of Jesus to this earth a second time. We have the privilege of looking to an historical event before it happens, because our timeless God recorded it for us in His word. Hear the words of the apostle John in Revelation 19:11-21 (ESV):

    Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he called to all the birds that fly directly overhead, “Come, gather for the great supper of God, to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, both small and great.” And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army. And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh.

Perhaps all that can be said after a careful reading of this account is, “Wow!” Understand, friend, that the One on the white horse, with eyes as fire, with a sharp sword proceeding from His mouth, and wearing a robe dipped in blood is none other than Jesus Christ. He does not sound like the Jesus who bore the ridicule of Roman soldiers. No longer are people kneeling before Him to make light of His claim to kingship. No! All the forces of evil and followers of Satan are being slain by the sword Jesus now wields from His mouth. His robe now rightly declares His true nature – as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

And before anyone should think this scene is too gory, recall what our perfectly Holy God endured on and around the cross. The Righteous One restrained Himself and carried the due punishment of unrestrained, unrighteous humans. In those moments, God displayed His mercy. All the while, though, God remained just. For all His attributes exist in perfect balance at all times. He was able to display mercy in the most real way because His divine justice is also real. At the end of history, we shall witness the fullest revelation of His justice in much the same way we witness the fullest revelation of His mercy at the Cross.

Jesus will then rightly wear a robe that John tells us is “dipped in blood.” What a fitting reminder! Jesus once wore a robe soaked in the blood from his undeserved punishment. Now He wears a robe dipped in blood as He judges and makes war. No more restraint. Evil must be banished. All those choosing not to submit to the plan of righteousness must be judged so that goodness may prevail forever. And as our Jesus rides His white horse to the final battlefield with the armies of Heaven following behind, He is adorned with a robe to remind us of the reason we get to be part of the victory – the first, dismal robe He once wore! His loving restraint during the season of His suffering results in our sharing in the victory of the final dismissal of evil from the universe. None will mock Him then! The full revelation of His kingship is here!

Whether the blood of this second robe is representative of Jesus’ own blood shed for us long ago, or it is representative of the blood of His enemies who are now being judged, one fact remains: the Jesus of mercy is also the Jesus of justice. He makes all things right.

What must He have thought that day the soldiers put that pitiful robe on His bleeding back? Was He envisioning the robe He would one day wear as He rides the white horse to the final war against evil? Was He looking at the soldier and the crowds thinking, “I will wear this robe so you have the chance to be saved from the wrath my second robe will bring?” We don’t know exactly. We only know He loves us and promises to bring justice in the end. Either I put my sin at the Cross with Him at the time of the first robe, or I endure the punishment of my own sin starting with His wielding of the sword as He dons the second robe. He is the same Jesus; I must make a choice. Which robe?

Why Did Jesus Say, “My God, My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me?”

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And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” – Mark 15:34 (ESV)

Jesus is God. In fact, Jesus is the active agent in the creation of the universe. John 1:1-3 (NIV) says of Jesus, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.” At one point in human history, Jesus stepped into the world He created and “made his dwelling among us.” (John 1:14, NIV) The main reason He did so was to die on the cross for our sins. That event presents a seeming mystery.

The question is, “If Jesus is God, why did He cry out on the cross before His death, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Since Christ is the second person of the Trinity, why did He – at the very least – feel that God had forsaken Him? How does this make sense?

We need to remember the main purpose of His death. Although Jesus died so that we can have eternal life, the reason we gain that inheritance is because our sins are taken away from us. The main mission of Jesus Christ on the cross was to pay the price for our iniquity. II Corinthians 5:21 (NIV) says it beautifully and precisely, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” Did you catch the depth of this miraculous statement? God made Jesus to be sin on our behalf! Christ took upon His own body the sins of the world. 1 Peter 2:24 (NIV) declares, “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness.” Clearly, Jesus became a sin offering so that He could bear the weight of our wrong.

Now let us consider the main consequence of sin – separation from God. We, like our progenitors, Adam and Eve, are naturally driven from the presence of God when we stand opposed to His righteousness because of our sin. After disobeying the Lord, Adam and Eve “hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God and among the trees of the garden.” (Genesis 3:8, ESV) In the same way, each one of us – as we stand in our sinfulness – is separated from the Only One who gives us true joy and meaning. Colossians 1:19-20 (ESV) proclaims, “For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.” The purpose of Jesus shedding His blood on the cross was to cure our main problem – being separated from God. Jesus came to reconcile us with our Creator. Every human heart desires ultimately to be at peace with God, and that is exactly what we receive through Jesus and His cross. The apostle Paul reminds us, “We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 5:1)

Before we get back to the mysterious cry of Jesus on the cross, let’s bring home to our own hearts the theology discussed above. In a very real sense, true Christians discern the awful nature of sin. When we break God’s heart by sinning, we can hardly stand the weight of our own guilt. We know the pangs of conviction that remind us just how serious it is to defy the Almighty. And with the knowledge of the devastation of our own transgressions, can we begin to imagine what the weight of the collective sins of the world would feel like? Every wrong thought, word, and action of all sinners combined was placed on Jesus when He hung upon the cross. If my own sin produces such a terrible feeling, how must have the collective sin of the world felt falling on one Person, Jesus Christ?

Though He is God, Jesus also took on human flesh. Walking this earth as 100% God and 100% man, Jesus knew the pangs of fleshly emotion and distress. So, as He hangs on the cross being the sin offering for the whole world, He experiences on our behalf the outcome of sin – separation from God. His human nature endures a tragedy beyond description – the bearing of the penalty of the sins of the world. Suffering the separation we deserve, Jesus Christ calls out in deepest spiritual pain, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

For that unimaginable, paradoxical cry I am grateful beyond words. The truth is that I should have to wail, “My God, my God, you have good reason to forsake me.” But instead, perfect Jesus cries to His Father because of us. He willingly chose to be our sin offering so that we never have to know what it is like to be forsaken by God!

The barrier between us and God was torn when Jesus died. Mark 14:38 (ESV) “And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.” That old, thick curtain that stood between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place was ripped in half by God! I imagine He could not wait to get His fingers on that which stood between us and a full, unhindered relationship with Him. With joy, He tore that curtain, for Jesus had borne our separation so we could come close to our God!

Sin Brings Death: Does That Make God Mean and Selfish?

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For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans 6:23 (NIV)

The consequences of sin are not the result of a mean God who delights in making miserable those who oppose Him. The consequences of sin are the result of human opposition to the definition and parameters of the only genuine life available. God created the universe out of nothing at the beginning of time. As much as we may or may not like the fact, God made it all and logically defines it all. Every bit of meaning and every operational standard for the world flows from its Creator. When we rebel against that rightful intention and those uniquely plausible standards, we shun the only life that can make sense and bring authentic joy.

For too long the church of Jesus Christ has allowed the world to think God is simply bossy and unreasonably selfish. It is time we proclaim that God is the Definer of Reality. If we go against His plan, there is simply no other plan to which we can turn except a corrupted version of the real system. God made all reality; there is no other existence outside of Him. Evil is a perversion of His good. Satan is a created being who rebelled. Therefore, when we reject God’s plan, the only option is to become miserable and purposeless. There exists no separate created order where we can define the ways of life and righteousness. We are in God’s cosmos.

Think of it in terms of the simplicity of an automobile. When I drive one, I must operate the vehicle according to the designer’s thoughts. For instance, I will be in big trouble if I say, “Instead of the brake pedal, I choose to use the left turn signal to stop the car.” A severe crash may ensue. Similarly, I won’t be going anywhere if I decide, “I don’t care what the manual says; I am using the radio volume control to accelerate the vehicle.” We find we must operate the automobile according to the designer’s plan if we want a chance of effective driving. When it comes to effective living, we must operate according to the plan of the Grand Designer, the God of the Bible.

Death is the result of sin because God is the Giver of Life. If I go against the Creator, there exists no other life to which I can turn. Death is the only other option. It reminds us of Peter’s response to Jesus’ question when many disciples were walking away from the Lord because of His hard teachings, “You do not want to leave, too, do you?” Peter replied, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:67-68, NIV). In other words, Peter was clearly stating that there exists no one else to turn to for true and everlasting life. If we walk away from Jesus, we walk to destruction.

The Good News is found in Romans 6:23 (NIV), “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” After we have turned away from God and die spiritually, that death can be overcome by God alone. Only He can make dead people live. Sick people may have a chance at helping themselves get better, but dead people can do nothing to bring back life. It takes God to restore spiritual life. That is precisely why God put on human flesh and came to our world. As a human, Jesus could pay the price for the sin of people; as God, He can give life back to us. The turning away from God is resolved by turning back to Him in the Person of Jesus Christ. Look to Jesus today. He can forgive your sin and give you a new chance to live according to the only plan that works.

A Warning with an Astonishing Promise

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We simply do not have forever to seek and find God. The implication of His straightforward message is clear, “Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near” (Isaiah 55:6, ESV). Obviously, then, there is a time that He may be found; but that time has an end point. Likewise, He remains near in His willingness to receive sorrowful people repenting of sin; but He stays close in this way for only a season. Two future time frames appear on every human horizon: 1) a person’s own death, and 2) God’s full revelation of His final wrath. Since we can escape neither event, we must be prepared for them. The only and glorious provision for safety is seeking God while He is ready to be found. If we need to cry out in repentance, now is the time to call. More important than clean dishes, a televised sports event, completed homework, a dusted dining room, dinner out with friends, a brisk walk, or any other impending task is the responsibility of calling out to our God who – for this moment at least – can still be encountered as One ready to receive us.

And do not be afraid to seek Him now. For this is His promise, “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon” (Isaiah 55:7, ESV). How beautifully the words ring out that a wicked person – one who is guilty of sin – and an unrighteous person – one who is troubled by his vain pursuit of sinful ways – can both return to the Lord to find compassion! We expect our treachery has no cure, and we fear the reaction we so commonly find in other humans. But, no! When we forsake sin and turn toward God, He covers us with mercy and tender affection. Moreover, He welcomes us back in such a manner that the Bible describes as “abundant pardon.” The Hebrew root of the word pardon is forgiveness backed by the idea of “lightness” or “lifting up.” The burden of guilt is removed, and we are once again raised up by God. We can walk freely with a spiritual and emotional spring in our step, for God has forgiven us.

He pardons us abundantly, not sparingly or with a grudge. The same word used here for “abundantly” is used in Genesis 1:22 to describe the multiplication of sea creatures in the ocean and birds in the sky following God’s initial creation. Can you imagine? Can you picture the innumerable fish in the depths of the sea? The untold amount of microscopic plankton filling the waters? The countless little birds and butterflies in the skies above us? Those realities are to remind us of the amount of forgiveness – enough to cover every sin – which God offers to those who cry out now.

Does the compassion of God to us sinful people seem incomprehensible? It surely may be to us, but this does not negate its reality. When you think it’s too good to be true, you need to read God’s reminder to us, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9, ESV). Yes – it is true – I do not understand the depth of His forgiveness. My mind cannot wrap itself around such an offer of hope. Yet, there it is. The reason I don’t quite “get it” is that God’s thoughts and ways are infinitely higher than mine. He is altogether perfect, the Definer of what is. I will trust that what I cannot understand remains real, for the Maker of human reasoning capacity is greater than human reasoning.

Seek Him now; call upon Him while He is near, because the opportunity will not last forever. He will abundantly pardon. It seems too good to be true, but is is not. It is the way of God.

Most Bosses Don’t Listen, But . . .

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If you had a general suspicion that bosses tend not to listen, your suspicion was confirmed by a recent study reported by Good Morning America on September 19. It seems the more power someone gains in an organization, the less likely they are to listen to the people under them. While this is, of course, a generalization (for we can cite great exceptions, e.g., my boss), we sense the frustration of the study’s main point.

In our ordinary experience, we often find that people with the most power, resources, and ability to effect change are those who are least likely to care about “average” people. Those among us who are hurting many times feel abandoned. The inflated confidence of bosses, the blatant disregard of less influential people by those with fame and fortune, and the sheer inability of the powerful to connect with the ordinary person all present obstacles to genuine help for regular people. The problem is that the recent study of bosses who don’t listen is limited to the realm of the natural. What about God? Can He – does He – intervene?

Read the beautiful, comforting words of Psalm 113:4-8 (ESV):

    The LORD is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens!
    “Who is like the LORD our God, who is seated on high,
    who looks far down on the heavens and the earth?
    He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap
    to make them sit with princes, with the princes of his people.”

The irony of this passage is that the most powerful being who exists is the One who reaches down the lowest to lift up the helpless and heartbroken. Influential humans tend to ignore the needy. The most exalted Lord of the universe fixes His eye upon the disadvantaged. I especially enjoy verses 5 and 6; God is seated on high, but He is looking far down to see who wants rescued. His majesty does not deter Him from helping; He is the God who “raises the poor from the dust” and “lifts the needy to sit with princes.”

Flying in the face of corrupt human nature to grow bigger and care less, God’s promise is to lift us up with His own hand – though he is in charge of everything and owns everything. I fear that many people cannot conceptualize of a God like that because we are so accustomed to human failure. Remember, God stands outside the universe; He is transcendent. He is not simply the biggest or most powerful among us; He is completely other than we are. He is not the most compassionate human you have ever known; He defines compassion. We cannot allow our experiences with humans to taint our understanding of God. We must take Him at His Word.

Psalm 138:6 (ESV) succinctly proclaims, “For though the LORD is high, he regards the lowly.” Will you believe that today? God alone stands as the power over all things, and He is also the One who cares about those who are brought low by life, sin, and circumstance. Unlike the human tendency to care less as we become more elevated, God cares the most even though He is the holy, exalted Creator. Please call out to Him now, and picture His mighty hand reaching down to hold you and lift you up. Do not allow human failure to cloud your view of God. Take Him at His Word.

Earlier in this article I spoke of the possible “sheer inability of the powerful to connect with the ordinary person.” Jesus Christ shattered that obstacle! Jesus is God, and in Him God put on the flesh of an ordinary human in order to connect with us for salvation and eternal life. God is the highest and actually became the lowest two thousand years ago in order to bring the lowly to the highest place! Through Jesus, we are lifted to God. Our voice is heard. Our heart is observed. Our need is met. Our future is secured. The Highest reaches to the lowest, defying the recent study bosses!

Dingy Socks

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Sometimes I read statements in the Bible that strike me as particularly odd and make me smile. So was the case when I recently read Mark 9:3 (ESV), “And [Jesus’] clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them.”

The longstanding market for laundry bleach testifies to the fact that we humans like things clean and bright. If socks are meant to be white, then – generally speaking – we would like them to stay white and new-looking as long as possible. Something about white “whites” makes us feel good. That sounds fitting, for God made us with both a desire to be right and a hope for newness.

How down to earth Mark is when he pens Peter’s observation of the transfiguration of Jesus. Mark tells us in straightforward fashion that the clothes of Jesus became whiter than any launderer could possibly bleach them. We are told the clothes glistened in a way no human product or effort could ever make them sparkle.

And so it is with God! No human product or effort can produce the results only God alone can bring about. Our innate desire to shine and remain new is answered only in the work of Jesus. How wonderful it is for God to assure us of our hope in simple fashion. On an ordinary day in Israel two thousand years ago, Jesus was transfigured before the eyes of His closest friends: Peter, James, and John. Jesus chose to have His clothes gleam exceedingly, and we are gently reminded of His supernatural power to accomplish effortlessly what we struggle to do. The brilliance of Jesus is our comfort. I have no majesty of my own; I am fading, and I am sinful. Worse yet, I cannot muster any radiance for myself. I, instead, look to my Jesus.

Strange as it may seem, dingy socks may be a great reminder for us that only Jesus can bring the righteousness and newness for which we long. His blood cleanses us when nothing else can. His resurrected life gives us new life that will one day be completed with a new body that never grows old or worn.

Dingy socks and the smell of bleach will never be the same to me.