Love of God - Jeremiah's Vow

Lent 2023 | Day 31: The Gospel’s Yearning

Jesus is the embodiment of the message of the Gospel. The Gospel points to Jesus because Jesus is what the Gospel is hoping we all surrender to.

When I was planning this series, I began with the simple idea of the ABCs of the Gospel. With that in mind, I began to try and find a word that began with every letter of the alphabet. Since Lent has 40 days in it (not counting Sundays) I decided to abandon that theme. However, today’s focus is one of the ideas that I had in that initial brainstorming session.

Now that you have a little background, it would be helpful to explain what I was thinking. The Gospel’s yearning is not trying to anthropomorphize the Gospel. I am not trying to give it emotions or treat it like a person. At least not in an artificial way.

I believe that the Gospel is a message about Jesus. I believe that the message about Jesus is designed to invite sinners into fellowship with God. But there is another reality about the Gospel I think we should consider. I believe that Jesus is the Gospel.

By virtue of his incarnation, the Logos of God, the Word of God became flesh. That is the witness of John. One of the fundamental implications of this reality is that Jesus is the Gospel in the flesh.

Again, I am not trying to blur the lines of what the Gospel is or who Jesus is. I am trying to show a connection that we too often miss. Jesus is the embodiment of the message of the Gospel. The Gospel points to Jesus because Jesus is what the Gospel is hoping we all surrender to.

So, while we have been looking at the message over the last few weeks, today I want us to look at the person who is the Gospel.

And if Jesus is the Gospel, then there is a very real sense in which the Gospel has a yearning. Jesus has a desire for those who are lost. How do we know this? Because Jesus said it himself.

³⁵Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. ³⁶But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.
Matthew 9:35-37 NKJV

And again in Luke, as he approached the city of God on his way to his crucifixion.

³⁴“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under herwings, but you were not willing!
Luke 13:34 NKJV

But there are many other places where the Scriptures share that Jesus had compassion on someone (cf.: Matthew 14:14-21; Mark 1:41; Luke 7:13; Matthew 20:34).

God desires for “all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4). Jesus shares that desire. And the Gospel is the manifestation of this desire.

We may feel a little uncomfortable describing God or Jesus as having a yearning. But we should not think of this as being some kind of deficit in God. Rather it is an expression of his love for those who bear his image.

God’s love has reached out to us in Jesus. And the Gospel is the message that continually reminds us of this love.

Lent 2023 Series

Lent 2019 | Day 7: The Heart of Grace

The heart of God is on full display in the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.

The God of all the things. The one who spoke the universe into existence and who sustains the worlds in their orbits. This God has shown his love for sinners in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

There is nothing that can capture the magnitude of this kind of love. How could there be? Even as a father, my love for our children pales in comparison to the love of God for those he sent Jesus to save.

We see grace in Christ, but what drives this grace to express itself in our fallen and sin-sick world? It is the heart of God to redeem and to save. The heart of God is on full display in the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. The heart of God is heard in the simple proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus.

A holy God has stepped out of heaven and called all sinners to repentance. And, if we put our faith, hope, and trust in Jesus, the Messiah of God, we will be adopted and saved from the just penalty of our sin! Our trajectory will have been diverted from hello and eternal separation from God and set toward heaven and eternal joy in God.

I will probably never know what motivates the God described in the Scriptures. But I have no doubts about his love. I have no doubts about his mercy. I have no doubts about his grace. I have seen too much. Experienced too much. Learned too much to turn my back on him.

The Penetrating Sight of God

In 1 John 1:5-10 we are confronted with a rather alarming reality. John tells his readers that if they claim to be in the light there should be a distinct difference in them from the world. There are three characteristics in a person who declares a relationship with God.

First, if we have a genuine relationship with God we will walk in the light. The metaphor of light and dark in John’s writings point to a new knowledge about who God truly is. The implication is that when the darkness of our lives encounters the light of God’s being we are, possibly for the first time, confronted with what is truly wrong with us. And as a result we live according to the truth we have been exposed to.

Second, if we have a genuine relationship with God we will not live in self-deception. John articulates this by saying, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves.” When the light of God’s character and God’s words is shown on us we have two choices. We can deny what we see or we can accept what has been revealed. If we choose the former we begin living in denial and self-deception. If we choose this path, John makes it clear that we not only have made ourselves a victim of a lie, we cannot claim to have any truth within us.

Third, if we have a genuine relationship with we accept that our brokenness can only be healed by the Gospel. In verse 10 John takes the idea of sin one step further. Before, John was saying that if we deny sin at all we are deluding ourselves but, if we take it a step forward and assert that we have not sinned, in other words, if we say that there is no brokenness in us, we are making the testimony of God regarding our sinful natures out to be a farce. Our sin, our brokenness, is the clearest evidence that God’s efforts for redemption are essential for us to experience any healing whatsoever.

As my pastor was preaching through this passage this past Sunday he said something that, on the surface, sounds obvious. However, when we consider it for fully it sparked a deeper love for God and a greater appreciation for God’s grace. This is what he said.

“God is light. Therefore, God hides nothing and nothing is hidden from God.”

Until we acknowledge and accept the range and scope of God’s ability to see all things, the longer it will take for us to know that God is not surprised by our sin. There is nothing past, present, or future that God does not already know about you and me. There is nothing that escapes God’s perception or awareness.

God not only knows all things, he has seen all things. This means that if God, with this knowledge, still decided to send Jesus to earth on a mission of salvation, there is no reason for us to run from God when he calls. We may be ashamed of our sin. We may regret the choices we have made. We may find it hard to escape the weight of the consequences of what we have said and done. But none of these things are severe enough to separate us from the love of God.

God has seen it and he still loves us. The truth that John points to–that God is light–is both terrible and terrific. I cannot hide from God. And, he does not want me to hide from him. Nothing is beyond the penetrating sight of God.

King David said it best when he said,

⁷ Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? ⁸ If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. ⁹ If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, ¹⁰ even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. ¹¹ If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” ¹² even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. (Psalm 139:7-12 NIV)

Stop running from God. There is no place to escape from him. Run to him and experience the fullness of joy he has promised to all who seek him. Begin today to see that he desires to be found.

Chrysalis Journey #15 | Just when you thought you knew…

Just when you thought you knew what God was up to He demonstrates that you have no idea whatsoever. One of the most amazing things about this weekend was that God is not in a hurry. We might be, but not God. God is able to work out His plan on His time without any help on our part. On the first night with this group I began to “size up” several of the participants. In general there are two types of people that end up at these kinds of retreats: Those who think they need it and those who think they don’t. The first will find the weekend to be refreshing and memorable. These are the ones that are hungry for something more than than the stale bread of religion. They will be fed by the living bread of Jesus. These who are thirsty for the living waters to spring forth and will be satisfied beyond measure. I am continually surprised at how God is able to do this over and over again.

The second group, however, can sometimes fail to see the point in everything that happens. These are the ones that one wonders about. These are the ones that one looks to God and says, “God, I don’t know how you are going to get through, but I hope that you do.” The weekend is drawing to a close and you find yourself just standing in awe of how God subtly and softly moves in, on and through people. And then all of a sudden, the wave of God’s power crests and the dam of stubbornness is broken. In the end this is what it is. “I don’t need this,” or “I know what’s missing. And this isn’t it,” attitudes are just ripped right out and you begin to feel God’s presence for the first time.

You see I was among the second group. I was a “professional Christian.” How was this weekend going to be any different than all the others? What was I going to find that I didn’t already know about God? You see, that’s the problem. This weekend wasn’t about getting to know or learn something else about God. No, it was about knowing God as He is. We all who are a part of this journey of faith must battle the attitude of Job within us. It is not enough to have heard of God. For when we see God for the first time, that moment will imprint itself within your mind, heart and body. You will yearn for it. You will seek it, for you will understand that only in the presence of your maker is life to be found.

The beauty of God’s hand stripping away every conception that is not in line with His character, purpose or plan is freedom. That is what Paul said to the Galatians, “For freedom Christ has set you free” (5:1). God sets us free so that we can enjoy the freedom that He provides! For it is only then that we are able to truly enjoy God.

Just when you thought you knew… God shows up!

Chrysalis Journey #15 | Exposure is the Key

The power of God to change the life of men is found in exposing those very same hearts to the love of God in the form of renewed believers. Any heart that encounters service that emerges out of an awakened life, a life that has been touched by the love of God manifested in the body of Christ, doesn’t stand a chance. Over the course of three days, the body of Christ in the form of the Heart of Georgia Emmaus Community served with one purpose in mind – to let Christ shine! This is the only reason that serving God makes sense. The love of God broke through into the hearts of his chosen sons. Sixteen young men encountered God this weekend (July 15-18, 2010). If they failed to see God is was their fault, for He was in our midst.

One of the dangers that comes with retreats like Chrysalis is that we may think that God now desires for us to do good works. God is not interested in our works. They do nothing to make His glory, love and grace known. Look at what Paul says in Ephesians 2:10:

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (ESV)

There are three things Paul reveals in this verse.

We are God’s workmanship
What we are and what God desires for us to be is not something that we can make happen. We are clay in the hand of the divine Potter. Whatever it is that God would have for us to be is His to determine! The goal of every follower of Jesus is to practice yielded obedience. As the Holy Spirit moves we are moved by His influence. We do not fight; we do not grumble; we do not challenge God’s authority in the matter. We are God’s workmanship and He puts us on display or hides us in the cupboard as He chooses.

Created in Christ for good works
The ground for any of our “good works” is found in Christ. We are new creatures because of Jesus, and because of this new state of existence we are now put in a position where we can do something that pleases our Father in heaven. If it were not for Jesus whatever we put our hands to would fail and be counted as nothing (Philippians 3:7). Every follower of Jesus must surrender their desires to please God on their own terms, for they are unable to do so apart from the life and righteousness of Jesus.

The Works are God’s
This is potentially the most liberating truth in the bible. Everything that we do, under the power of the Spirit’s enabling and because of our position in Christ are God’s works and we just get to walk in them (Colossians 1:29). What this means is that God’s work will never fail, as long as we are surrendered to the power of God in our lives. Any deficiency, any failure, any shortfall, any angst reveals the point or points of disconnect that we have with the Father. Success or failure in any task is not measured by results. This is man’s standard. God judges success by the length and breadth and depth of our faithfulness and devotion to Him. So, to the extent that we live in intimate relationship with the Father do we see the fruit of God’s presence.

The unmistakable reality of this weekend is that exposure to God’s love in the form of His redeemed people allows God to do His work.

Thanks be to God who is still at work in our day! He is to be forever praised. Amen.

The work of God is not something that we initiate or even imitate. No, the work of God is God’s work that we get to witness. These feeble hands are not capable for carrying the train of God’s glory, we simple bring other pilgrims to God’s presence and wait for God to do what even we thought would never happen.

There were several of those young men I thought would never get it. But our God is rich in mercy, even breaking the heart of the most obstinate hearts. I told those young men, whether they new it or not, this past weekend was a set-up. God had something to show them and He did.

Oh, God you are more amazing than even the heavens can declare. Amen.

+Victor

Romans Series (Pt. 11) – Romans 3:25-26

Christ our Propitiation (3:25)
In verses 24 and 26 Paul puts us to the test by making us think about some very difficult words. It is important to not skip over difficult words, especially in Paul’s writings. These words have specific purposes and meanings and uses in Paul’s thinking and understanding of God, salvation and sin. Let’s look at them here.

REDEMPTION:
The purchase back of something that had been lost,
by the payment of a ransom.

The Greek word so rendered is apolutrosis, a word occurring nine times in Scripture, and always with the idea of a ransom or price paid. The work of Christ is a work of redemption. We are lost in sin and God has sent His son to find us and “buy” us back. The purchase was made when Jesus offered His blood as full payment for our sin.

The second word is:

PROPITIATION:
Covering; atoning sacrifice.

This is not an easy word to grasp, but it is important to try if we are going to understand Paul’s argument and thinking. In propitiation the wrath that God should let loose upon the sins of men is absorbed by the Son. Jesus is our covering because He has bought the right to do so on the cross. In this ministry of covering and absorbing, the judgment that should rightly fall on us is taken on by Jesus. John helps by providing for us some further insight to what Jesus is doing for us in heaven when He executes this propitiatory work. As we grow in our understanding of these concepts we can begin to grasp the depth of God’s grace and work toward us in Christ. The cost of grace illustrates the depth of love.

This aspect of Christ’s sacrifice in propitiation is something that should be properly understood.

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 2:1-2, ESV)

God is both Just and the Justifier (3:26)
Verse 26 contains an interesting phrase: “It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”

So how does God remain just and still justify a sinner? God remains just because he demands and receives payment for sin, but that payment does not come from me. The payment comes from Christ, the perfect sacrifice, and so God is able to fulfill both roles and still remain holy and just. God’s righteousness nature demand compensation for the offense of sin. But God’s nature is also described by God’s ability to love perfectly and completely.

Only God could manage to do both without violating any principles needed for either side. God’s character demands justice and grace, but in order to provide both God had to stand on both sides, and He does. God executes judgment for sin upon His very own Son. There is no great evidence of the love and grace of God than this.

Matt Maher | “Hold us Together”

I came across this song and wanted to share it with you. Love is what will hold us together. Love is the truest truth of the human experience. It can’t always be explained, but it can hardly be denied when it is experienced. When we fail to love as God loved we miss out on the opportunities that God has provided for us in this life. I pray that we as the church would learn to extend the love of God to the world in better ways.

Matt Maher’s explanation of the song.

The song.