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A Shocking but Enlightening View

A Shocking but Enlightening View

WARNING: Portions of this story will be shocking and unpleasant.  While just a story, I believe it to be an accurate representation of God’s truths and the immensity of God’s love for us, and therefore, I pray, also enlightening.  Finally, (and as always), I pray that these words are spiritually encouraging … as unsettling as some of pictures they portray may be.

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Being a Christian shouldn’t be this difficult!  Yet Benjamin was struggling.  He knew God was real, and he believed Jesus was his Savior.  But “the devil was in the details.”

When was he converted?  Was he fully converted?  How did it happen?  Had he personally done enough to cross over the sacred line of faith?  Was there more he needed to do? 

How could he know with conviction the answers to any of these questions?

Ben was an avid reader of theological books and an eager listener to Bible preachers, teachers and pod-cast speakers.  And the input he was getting supplied different answers.  They all sounded knowledgeable and convincing, yet they drew different conclusions!  Who was right?  Whose “take” should he take to heart?

Being a conscientious guy, Ben struggled to find peace.  He knew the Lord desired … even promised … peace to him.  Yet it was elusive.  Repeatedly he begged, “Lord, give me the peace you promised.  I long for it!   I need it!”

After yet another prelude of agonized prayer, tossing and turning on his bed, Ben’s exhausted body finally fell into a troubled sleep.  In the deepest recesses of the darkness, as his mind settled slowly into the heavy mists of slumber, a gentle, soothing voice called out to him. “Benjamin.  Benjamin.”

Ben’s befuddled brain slowly cleared, and his awareness heightened.  He recognized he was still wrapped in sleep, yet he was fully conscious.  “Benjamin,” the voice called again.  “Dear Benjamin.”

“Who is calling me?”

“It’s me – Jesus.  I am here to give you peace.”

Ben was incredulous.  Overwhelmed.  Was the Lord really speaking to him?

“Yes, Ben, I Am.  And I’m really speaking to you.”  There was a brief pause.  “Do you recognize what I just did there?” Jesus asked with a smile in his voice. 

“I do,” Ben answered merrily.  The Lord had put him at ease so easily.

“Good for you!” Jesus continued.  “Well, Ben, I’m here to bring you the peace you have prayed so earnestly for.”

A flurry of emotions swarmed Ben.  Astonishment.  Awe.  Joy!  A bit of trepidation.  A surge of hope.  But remarkably, no fear.

“I have something to show you, Ben,” Jesus stated.  “It will be one of the most disturbing experiences you will ever endure.  But you must take it in.  All of it … for this is the way to peace.”

Ben hesitated.  “Can I handle it, Lord?”

“I will never give you anything you can’t handle, Ben.  And we will be with you.”

“We?”

“My Father, my Spirit, and me.”

“Of course!  I’m sorry.”  Ben was embarrassed he didn’t make the obvious connection.  “I will trust you, Lord.  Show me what I need to see.”

A slight breeze began to nudge the shadows past him.  They carried an odor on their currents – the unmistakable stench of death.  It began as just a whiff, but rapidly increased in intensity until it became almost unbearable.  At the same time the view became clearer; the murk dissipating and Ben’s focus becoming more fully defined.

He wasn’t prepared for the scene before him.

A rotting carcass lay face down on the grassless soil – the decomposing body leaving a slimy film of liquid leaching into the dirt around it.  The body was unclothed, and seemed to be subtly writhing, appearing almost as a hologram.  But then Ben realized with horror that the movement came from thousands of maggots consuming the flesh.  The stench was overpowering, and Ben gagged and retched. 

Intuitively he knew that the body was his.  “O no!  I’m dead!  I’m dead!”  Ben was nauseated not only from the sight and smell, but from the ramifications.

“Yes, Ben, that was you.  And you were dead in unbelief and sin.”  Jesus paused, then continued.  “But now observe.”

For a moment nothing changed.  Ben found himself riveted to the macabre scene, unable to look away; his horror escalating.  Then movement caught his eye as a figure slowly approached the grisly corpse, walking forward from a position previously behind Ben.  “Watch out!” he shouted, concerned the man would inadvertently stumble over the rotten mess, though it would be nearly impossible for it to go unnoticed. 

But the person continued easing closer to the body, undaunted and unwavering.  He knelt in the liquidy slop near the head.  “No! No! No!” Ben moaned.  He wanted to turn away, but couldn’t. The kneeling man turned toward Ben with a loving smile.  It was Jesus!  Then he turned back toward the reeking carcass and leaned close.  The maggots wriggled frantically away as Jesus’ face drew near. 

Then he kissed the dead Ben’s cheek as the observing Ben gasped.  “I love you, Ben,” Jesus stated softly, as he lifted his hand over the decaying Ben’s head.  A vibrant red drop of blood formed under the wound in that hand, gradually growing larger until it separated and cascaded downward, landing with a splash on the deceased’s forehead. 

Meanwhile, a gleaming white dove circled closer and closer to the body, trailing a fluorescent wake.

Then another voice, rich and full and resonant, announced, “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.  I will put my Spirit in you and you will live.  Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it.”  

Simultaneously, the dove plunged into the corpse, which immediately began to twitch and spasm and glow.  Then the transformation began in earnest.  The white, writhing maggots grew still, turned brown and then shriveled black, finally disintegrating altogether.  The liquid pool around the body was drawn back into the frame and the sallow, sagging flesh firmed up, taking on a healthy tone.

Jesus flipped his extended hand over, his fingers splayed wide.  There was a flash, and a brilliant robe of white enveloped the body – a purple sash encircling its waist.  The ribcage rose and fell as breath filled the lungs.  Previously opaque eyes began to glimmer; eyelids blinked; a grin formed, followed by a gleeful laugh.

Formerly dead Ben lifted his head, pulled his arms and legs underneath him, and pushed himself up to a kneeling position.  Jesus gripped his arm and helped him to his feet.  At that moment, the observing Ben’s viewpoint changed; suddenly he was seeing through the eyes of the newly quickened Ben.  And he was looking at the joyous face of Jesus.

“Do you understand now, Benjamin?  You were spiritually dead; there was nothing … absolutely nothing … you could do to change your condition.  But we brought you to life.  Your spiritual life and your salvation are not dependent upon you, but upon us.  Totally upon us!  It is our gracious gift to you.  So do not get too caught up in the words and views of people; immerse yourself in our words.  The truth is magnificent, yes – but it is also simple.  We have done it, so it is done!  Be at peace, Ben, and live in joy for us.”

The Lord embraced Ben, then held him at arm’s length.  “You now live, Ben.  And you are always loved.”  Jesus released him, smiled once more and then disappeared. 

Ben woke with a start, his eyes rocketing open.  He sat up and reflected on what he had just experienced.   “That was wonderful,” he thought.  “But was it real?”  (It sure seemed real.)

He became aware of something in his right ear.  He reached up and plucked it out.  It was a blackened, dried maggot.  As he stared at it, it dissolved. 

Tears flooded down his cheeks as he poured out his thanks to the Lord who loved him and had given him life.  A glorious peace filled his heart; the gracious Lord had done great things in him … and for him!

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Ephesians 2:1-10
As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath.

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions — it is by grace you have been saved.

And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Ezekiel 37:1-14
The hand of the LORD was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry.

He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” I said, “Sovereign LORD, you alone know.”

Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! This is what the Sovereign LORD says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD.’ ”

So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.

Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’ ”

So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet — a vast army.

Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’ Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. Then you, my people, will know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves and bring you up from them.  I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the LORD have spoken, and I have done it, declares the LORD.’ ”

Ephesians 5:14
This is why it is said: “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

Isaiah 26:19
But your dead will live, LORD; their bodies will rise — let those who dwell in the dust wake up and shout for joy — your dew is like the dew of the morning; the earth will give birth to her dead.

John 1:12-13
Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God — children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

Romans 1:16
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes …

Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

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Even Me?

Even Me?

This is a post I shared a few years ago.  I thought I would dust it off and share it again.  I pray it blesses you!

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We humans have the capacity of character to demonstrate extraordinary things.  And especially Christians!  Things like courage, kindness, commitment, compassion, dedication, selflessness, love. and so much more!

We can even forgive others who have wounded us deeply … whether physically, emotionally, or both.  The Gospel can heal our heart and time can ease our pain to the point where we can perhaps pardon even those who have hurt us most and move on with our life.

It’s extraordinary character indeed, and a wonderful gift of God, to be able to mentally maneuver beyond the wrong someone has done to us and settle in a better place!

But many of us, (even Christians, who should know better and do better!), often have one drastic flaw in our makeup.  We might be able to forgive horrible wrongs others have done to us, but often enough can’t bring ourselves to forgive the wrongs we ourselves have done.

We forget to forgive ourselves.  Probably more accurately stated; we refuse to forgive ourselves.  The mistakes we have made are inexcusable … at least in our own minds.  We consider them deplorable, indefensible, unmentionable and unpardonable.

We know Jesus has secured God’s forgiveness for us.  (At least we as Christians should know this, because that’s the recurring theme throughout God’s Word!)  The Scriptures tell us, “… everyone who believes in Jesus receives forgiveness of sins through his name” (Acts 10:43).  This is clear Christian doctrine – the heart of the Gospel and the heartbeat of our faith!

Yet all too often we struggle to forgive ourselves.  And if we struggle to forgive ourselves, the next logical step is to struggle to recognize God has forgiven us too.

To which I ask … how did we get bigger than God?  When did we take over the “allocating forgiveness business?”  Are we somehow and suddenly the king or queen of grace?  The answers are: no, we didn’t … no, we haven’t … and no, we aren’t!  Spiritual forgiveness is God’s territory.  Always has been; always will be.

When God writes to us, “Dear children, your sins have been forgiven on account of Jesus’ name” (1 John 2:12), he is writing as the ultimate authority on forgiveness, and he was referring to you and me and all who look in faith to Jesus as their Savior.  That’s full forgiveness, fully provided by God and fully effective!  Signed, sealed and delivered by Jesus … according to the Lord himself.

I’m convinced that our gracious God supplied us with so many vivid illustrations of his forgiveness in his Word because he knew that our “drastic flaw” would be forgiving ourselves.  Guilt would linger in us and harass our hearts; shame would discourage us and foster despair in our souls.  So the Lord was determined to provide us with concrete metaphors of his forgiveness that would be cemented in our psyche.

How does God describe our forgiveness in the Scriptures?  God calls it “forgiving our debts” (Matthew 6:12), “blotting out our transgressions, and remembering them no more” (Isaiah 43:25), “hurling all our iniquities into the depths of the sea” (Micah 7:19), and “removing our transgressions from us as far as the east is from the west” (Psalm 103:12).  Not to mention the oft-repeated pictures of redemption (bought back), justification (declared not guilty), and sanctification (made pure). 

Sinner, take these lovely pictures to heart, cherish them and pull them out repeatedly to gaze at their beauty yet again!  In Jesus, you are forgiven!

The simple point is this:  God has worked our forgiveness; it is accomplished!  God has spoken our forgiveness; it is fulfilled!  It is what our God and Savior has done and said that matters, and not our point of view.  We might try to conclude that we are forever tainted.  Thanks be to God; he says we are eternally clean!

It is time for us to stop crucifying ourselves; Jesus was crucified for us.  That is more than enough – even for you and me!

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When Red Makes White

When Red Makes White

As I type this, the snow is gently falling outside.  The light carpet of white over the green grass in the late hours of the day means that technically we experienced a rare white Christmas in Tacoma this year. 

While “gently falling” sounds innocuous enough, the expectation is that it will continue to “gently fall” through the night and into the morning.  Which means that everything will be thoroughly white in the morning … including the streets! 

Certainly beautiful!  But around the rolling topography of western Washington, also treacherous.  Especially since the temperatures are forecast to remain below freezing. 

Which means that our worship service in the morning will almost certainly be cancelled.  So I share this special post in place of the message I planned to share personally in church.

Contemplating the lovely white that is gradually accumulating overnight, I recalled the striking words of Isaiah 1:18: “Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.”

If one pauses to consider the Lord’s words, they seem to offer a strange contrast.  Red sins becoming white?  Why those choice of colors?

The comments in the preceding verses offer some clarification.  Through the prophet Isaiah, the Lord is sharing some harsh but crucial criticisms to his people.  He informs his supposed followers that their many sacrifices to him hold “no pleasure” for him (1:11).  Their offerings to him are “meaningless,” their incense “detestable to me,” their assemblies “worthless” (1:13), and their religious festivals “I hate with all my being” (1:14).

If that wasn’t severe enough, the Lord goes on to state, “When you spread out your hands in prayer, I hide my eyes from you; even when you offer many prayers, I am not listening.  Your hands are full of blood!” (1:15).

Now the contrast between red and white becomes clearer.  God’s own were following God’s instructions on how to worship him, but “their hearts were far from him” (Isaiah 29:13).  Consequently, their hands were red with the blood of pointless sacrifices, and their hearts and lives full of iniquity … including the blood of fellow humans who suffered through their loveless actions.

To which the Lord in love offers an incredible offer: “Turn to me and I’ll settle this matter – I’ll make your scarlet sins as white as snow!”

Of course, many (most even) disregarded the Lord’s merciful proposal and continued to simply go through meaningless motions in their worship and their lives.  But some took God’s words to heart and rejoiced in his loving and graceful promise.

Yet the faithful couldn’t begin to understand how the Lord would bring it about.  They didn’t realize that all those countless lamb sacrifices God commanded pointed ahead to God’s own ultimate Sacrifice of his Son – Jesus, the Lamb of God.  Jesus would offer his holy life as the all-atoning Substitute for the sins of sinners on the altar of the cross.

Jesus bloody birth in a barn was his first step to the bloody cross.  His life on earth began in blood and ended in holy blood … so that he could remove the unholy blood from all of our hands and our lives. 

Thanks be to God for the red blood of the Savior which turns our hands and hearts and lives clean and white!

Yes, the snow is lovely.  But not nearly as lovely as pure souls.

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Summarizing the Incomprehensible

Summarizing the Incomprehensible

How does one put it into words?

God himself, existing in absolute glory and worshiped by throngs of angels, willingly left the wonders of heaven to dwell on a very unglorious earth.  That’s astounding enough.  But he didn’t come down just to live on earth, to hang out a while and teach us some important truths, and then quietly extricate himself again.  Jesus arrived here with the express purpose of dying here.  And not simply dying a quick death, but a slow, excruciatingly torturous one!

The Apostle Paul describes this wonder with these words:  “Christ Jesus, … being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.  And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death — even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:6-8).

Why?  Why would Jesus do that? 

Well, first of all because he loved us that much.  And secondly, because the Lord realized that there was no other way sufficient atonement for our transgressions could be made, and no other way that sinners like us could transition into heaven one day.  Only his perfect sacrifice would suffice.

So Jesus entered our world to accomplish what only he could accomplish – the saving of sinners.  It was an act of boundless love, but it cost him dearly.  It was a price he was willing to pay.

Jesus’ birth led to his death; his death led to his resurrection; his resurrection led to his ascension, when he returned to his rightful home in heaven and resumed his proper seat on a throne of glory.

Paul continued his summary of Jesus’ life and death in Philippians with these words: “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9-11)

The Apostle summarizes the incomprehensible quite well, doesn’t he?  Which set me to thinking; how would I summarize the events of “Holy Week” in a few words?  Here’s a few attempts:

The perfect example of love demonstrated by the Perfect Example of Love.

The greatest love story ever told.

The most significant week in the history of the world.

The culmination and focal point of the entire Bible.

The Gospel put into the profoundest action by the Lord himself.

A sacrifice too great to give, but given anyway.

Events beyond belief.  (But believe them anyway!)

No greater carnage; no greater blessing!

The Holy One became “unholy” so the unholy ones (you and me) could become holy.

The Lord experienced hell so we could experience heaven.

How the wrongs were made right again.  That is, the Second Adam (Jesus) undoes the damage of the first Adam.

An unpayable debt … paid in full.

Holy Week: an occupied cross and then an unoccupied tomb.

“It is finished!”

Clearly I’ve only scratched the surface; there is so much more that could be said.  How would you summarize the incomprehensible events of this week?  Please share.  I’d love to hear your thoughts.

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Boundless!

Boundless!

This week my wife and I were able to spend a few days out at the coast.  What a blessing!  And really, there is nothing quite like the ocean.

Here are a few fun facts about the oceans:

Approximately 70 percent of the planet is covered with ocean, and 97 percent of the earth’s water can be found in our oceans.  In fact, the oceans contain 328 million cubic miles of water.

The average depth of the oceans is more than 12,400 feet. (That’s over two miles deep!)

The deepest and longest “valley” in the world is in the western Pacific Ocean.  It is called the Mariana Trench, and stretches over 1,500 miles long with an average width of 43 miles.  The maximum known depth of the Mariana Trench is over 36,000 feet.  (About 7 miles deep!)

In addition, the longest mountain range in the world (the Mid-Oceanic Ridge) is also under water.  This chain of mountains runs through the middle of the Atlantic Ocean and into the Indian and Pacific oceans.  It extends more than 35,000 miles and it makes up 23 percent of the Earth’s total surface.  Some of its peaks climb higher than those in the Alps … except that these heights exist below sea level.

Humans have explored less than 5 percent of the Earth’s oceans, which obviously means that 95% of the ocean is unexplored.  In fact, scientists own better maps of Mars than of the ocean floor.

But this post is not about the amazing wonders of the oceans.  Rather, it is about the amazing God who created the amazing wonders in the ocean. 

As mind-boggling as some of those ocean facts may be, what I find amazing about the ocean is a bit simpler.  The ocean waves never ever end. 

If you have been fortunate at some point to stay at a place along the ocean, you know that the roar of the ocean never stops.  You can shut the sliding doors onto the deck and close all the windows.  You can even turn on the fireplace or dial up some soft music.  You can be eating your breakfast in the morning, sitting on the coach in the middle of the day, or wake up in the middle of the night. The roar of the ocean waves is always there; it never ends. 

That’s because the ocean waves never stop rolling onto the beach.  Those 328 million cubic miles of salt water just keep lapping up on the shore.  The stronger the wind, the greater the whitecaps, but even on the stillest of days the thunder of the pounding waves continues.  They never cease.

And so it is with our Lord.  His mercies and blessings never stop rolling into our lives.  God’s goodness and love are as immense and unfathomable as the water of the ocean, and as unending as the waves of the ocean.  In a word, boundless.

The prophet Jeremiah was inspired by the Holy Spirit to write these words:  “Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.  They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness, [O Lord!]”  (Lamentations 3:22-23).

The Lord and his mercy are like the unending waves of the ocean.  His great love for us keeps him from consuming us.  His compassions never fail, but are new every morning.  Like the waves of the ocean, the Lord’s loving actions toward us are continually rolling into our lives every day all day.  They never end.

The prophet Micah shares a powerful illustration with us.  Speaking to the Lord, he writes, “You will again have compassion on us; you will … hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea” (Micah 7:19).

Instead of keeping a record of our wrongs or mounting our iniquities on permanent display before him, the Lord hurls all of our sins into the depths of the sea.  The Lord throws our mistakes into the middle of the mighty ocean.  All those transgressions plummet down 12,000 feet to the ocean floor. 

No!  Even better than that! The Lord casts our wrongdoings down to the bottom of the Mariana Trench – 36,000 feet down – and buries them there where no one can see them or reach them!

How can this be that our sins are buried in the fathoms?  Because of this nearly unfathomable truth: Jesus, the Son of God, suffered for us.

How awesome is our God!  How gracious and merciful!  How incredibly loving!  How patient and kind and good!  His compassions never fail; they are new every morning.  And so are God’s mercies, faithfulness, forgiveness, and his blessings; they are like the ocean waves.  Boundless!

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Finished?

Finished?

I know it’s strange, but I enjoy mowing the lawn.

Earlier this week I mowed our yard for the first time this year.  Those of you who live in other parts of the country won’t have to worry about that particular task for a while yet, but here in the Pacific Northwest spring arrives early.  The daffodils are starting to bloom, and the grass is beginning to grow in earnest.  Which means lawns need to be mowed. 

Fortunately, I enjoy mowing the lawn.  Well, technically I enjoy viewing the mown lawn afterwards.  I don’t mind mowing the lawn, but what I really appreciate is seeing the finished product.  And especially if I trimmed along all the borders!  When the job is completed, the grass blades are all nicely snipped off at a uniform height.  The lawn looks like a lovely, living green carpet … delightful to the eye! 

If I’m able, I celebrate the completed job from my deck by reclining in a deck chair where I can soak in the view and drink in the smell of the cut grass.  The appearance is extremely satisfying!  There is nothing quite like a manicured lawn to foster contentment in a job well done.  There on the deck I bask in the knowledge that the lawn mowing is finished.

But the lawn mowing isn’t finished.  In just a few days during the height of growing season the fine, finished appearance morphs into a rather untidy view.  Even when the grass transitions to dormancy in the winter months, the spring brings new life again, and the mowing resumes.  (Case and point: me mowing the lawn earlier this week!)  The sad reality is that the lawn mowing is never finished.

And that’s how it is with so many things, isn’t it?  The house repairs and house cleaning, the car maintenance, the work responsibilities, even our relationship adjustments are never, ever finished.  Restocking the pantry, washing and folding the laundry, paying the bills … also never finished.  Gleaning insights, becoming wiser, learning and growing into a better person is a life-long venture and is never completed.  Indeed, the list of unfinished business is a long one.

Which can be a rather depressing thought.  Wouldn’t it be nice if something worthwhile could truly be finished once-and-for-all?

Well, there actually is something wonderful that is finished.  Totally, completely, irrevocably, once-and-for-all finished!

No, it’s not taxes.  Not bills either.  Neither is it work or life-struggles.  Nor shady politicians.  Or aging ungracefully.  I’m sure we could make a lengthy list of issues that we would like to see brought to an end, but which won’t truly end until we die.  (And that’s an altogether different finish!)

Unfortunately, this aforementioned “once-and-for-all” finish isn’t an end to our sinfulness either.  Our faults and flaws will remain with us until, well … our ultimate finish, the moment we die.

So then, what is this thing that is totally, completely, irrevocably, once-and-for-all finished?  It’s not our humanness, our frailties and mistakes, or our utter sinfulness – but the atonement for our sinfulness!

That atonement was procured by God’s holy Sacrifice.  By Jesus, “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world”  (John 1:29). 

It wasn’t pretty.  It didn’t catch the eye and elicit a lingering gaze like a newly mown lawn.  People had to look away in horror and revulsion.  The very Son of God hung naked, beaten and bleeding on a Roman device of torture and death.  He had done nothing wrong; committed no crime.  But he bore all our wrongs and was punished for our countless crimes; crimes that were committed against him.  (Consider that concept a moment.)

Jesus didn’t miss a one.  There wasn’t a single sin we have tallied that he did not cover completely.  Not our secret sins.  Not our horrible sins.  Not our repeated sins.  Not those sins we are most ashamed of now.  All were included in his all-sufficient sacrifice. 

How do we know?  How can we be confident of this beyond a shadow of a doubt?  Because he said so himself!  “It is finished,” proclaimed our Savior from the cross.  (John 19:30)

When he announced, “It is finished,” Jesus wasn’t speaking about his suffering being over or his life being finished by death, though he died shortly after uttering those words.  No, what was finished was the payment for our transgressions.  It was a debt that was fully paid; a spiritual lien that was completely removed from our record. 

It was a job that wasn’t presumably or partially finished, or finished temporarily, but completely and certainly finished.  That is, finished finished.

How incredible!  How wonderful!  There really is something that is completely completed!  We are redeemed and restored through Jesus. 

“Is the payment for our sins really and truly made?” we timidly ask.  To which the Lord Jesus answers assertively, “Yes, it is finished!”

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Covered versus Removed

Covered versus Removed

As I write this, a winter storm rages outside.  The snow is piling up at a rapid pace.  For those of you who reside in other parts of the country, you shrug your shoulders and reply, “So what?  Been there; done that … nearly weekly all winter long!”

But for us in Western Washington, significant snowfall is cause for significant attention.  It rarely happens here.  When blizzards occur, or are expected to occur, they dominate the news.

For some, snow is a four-letter word, and one of the very worst words on the list!  Snow is cause for fear and trepidation among many.  Perhaps even panic, if driving is necessary.  The panic is due in part to the lack of snow removal plows available locally and partially because of the inexperienced winter drivers who live here.  But mostly the unease stems from the many hills in the area, some of which are steep and become treacherous with just a skimming of snow.

For others, lowland snow is a delightful novelty, and something to celebrate and experience.  Those many hills in the region that make driving dangerous also provide makeshift toboggan runs … even if one doesn’t own a taboggan.  Trash can lids make handy-dandy sleds; large boxes broken down will work too.  Anything that provides a little “slide” and a place to sit will do!  And usually one doesn’t need to journey far to find a hill to scoot recklessly down.  Meanwhile an army of snowmen is raised to try to hold off the attack from the warm rain that typically invades a day or two later.

Snow in the Pacific Northwest is a novelty both welcomed and dreaded.  And a bit of both for many folks.

When a healthy amount of snow accumulates, there is an obvious result.  It covers everything outside.  The house, the deck, the grill, the garage, the vehicles, the streets, the trees, the shrubs, the lawn … everything is draped in a beautiful blanket of white.

Which means a great many blemishes are covered over.  Aging shingles on roofs.  Rust and dents on vehicles, as well as cracks in the windshields.  Potholes in the streets.  Dead limbs on trees and weeds in the lawn or flowerbeds.  Garbage in the alleys.  Even dog doodoo in the back yard.  Everything looks lovely under a thick layer of snow.

But looking lovely and being lovely are two completely different things. 

When the snow melts, the blemishes remain.  The flaws reappear; the necessary repairs still need to be done; the garbage and doodoo are re-revealed. 

So what about our spiritual flaws?  What about our ugly sinful blemishes?  We certainly want to cover them up with as lovely a coating as possible in an attempt to look good before God and people.  Something similar to snow would seem to be wonderful! 

Of course, God sees all.  And other people see a lot too, regardless of the efforts we make to throw a pretty cloak overtop.  And coverings like snow are temporary anyway.

Thankfully our God has provided a solution!  It doesn’t sound as lovely as a layer of snow, or seem to be as attractive or appealing, but it is far more effective.  God’s solution to our sin-debt?  Covering us in the blood of Jesus, the holy Son of God and our Savior.

I recognize this is anything but a pretty picture.  However, don’t shrink from the illustration; embrace it!  Because Jesus’ blood not only covers over believers’ transgressions; it removes them completely!  As the Holy Spirit made clear when he had John write, “The blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

This is a recurring theme throughout Scripture, both in the Old and New Testament.

In Leviticus 17:11, the Lord states, “For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life.”

Years after Jesus crucifixion and resurrection, Peter writes this: “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect” (1 Peter 1:18-19).

The snowfall is gorgeous; gorgeous as it falls and gorgeous where it lays.  But it only covers.  Even more beautiful is the blood of Jesus which covers and removes our ugly flaws in the eyes of our Lord. 

How to Interact on This Blog

To Comment – Please share your thoughts!  (Commenting is the fun part!)  To do so, click on the “Comments” tag under the title.  I, and many others, would love to benefit from your insights!

To Subscribe – Go to the “Follow This Blog Via Email” column.  If you don’t immediately see that box, click on the “Comments” tag under the title, and scroll to the very bottom.  You should find it there.

Goodbye Garbage

Goodbye Garbage

There are times when the garbage just has to go.  Spoiled casseroles that got buried behind other leftovers in the refrigerator until it was too late.  Fat or grease that festered in the wastebasket over the course of a several hot Summer days.  The smelly remains of our fish dinner from last evening’s meal.  Overflowing baby diapers left to ripen.  Kitty-litter.

We’ve all been there.  Rank odors waft from our disposal containers signaling it’s time to transfer the putrid mess to a more removed location.  So, holding our breath, we whisk the offending material away.  What a relief it is to drop that bag in the trash barrel in the alley!  Even better when on “trash day” the trash truck arrives, tips up the barrel, flips it over and shakes the smelly contents out, swings the empty barrel back in its place and then rumbles away.  And just like magic our garbage is gone!

Each of us generates trash every day.  The EPA estimates that the average American produces almost 6 pounds of trash per day.  If recycling is factored in, the amount drops to about 4 ½ pounds of pure waste.  Even so, the typical person racks up over a total of 29 pounds per week and 1,600 pounds of garbage in just one year!

The estimate for the annual weight of the garbage that all humans worldwide generate is 2.6 trillion pounds.  (This doesn’t include industrial waste or commercial trash.)  The United States is the top producer of “municipal solid waste” in the entire world, generating about 268 million tons yearly.

Where does this heaping mound of garbage go?  Over half (52%) ends up in landfills.  26% makes its way to recycling centers, and another 13% to waste-to-energy plants.  9% is composted.  While we probably don’t reflect on its destination much, we certainly are delighted when our rotting and reeking refuse is gone.

Hard as it is to fathom, we all produce garbage even more noxious than the bags we transport to the alley at arms-length.  Our lying and cursing tongues; our coveting, lusting and hating minds; our detestable pride or lingering despair; our countless sins of action and inaction; our incessant idolatry; and our neglect of God and the good, raise a sickening stench to the holy Lord.

The logical conclusion was for God to discard our smelly selves far from him.  But the Lord had a different plan.  Instead of disposing of us in entirety, he determined to simply dispose of our stench, (our sin), and keep the rest of us.  So the Lord Jesus came to dwell among us, to love us and in love to let us crucify him.  He took our place, wearing our sin-stench and bearing our sin-punishment. When he exited his tomb on Easter morning, he cast death behind him and our sins far from him (and us!).

How far has our unholy reek been removed?  The Bible provides some impressive pictures to illustrate the distance.

“Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives transgression?  You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy.  You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea”  (Micah 7:18-19).

Just for reference, the deepest depression in the earth is in the Pacific Ocean.  It’s known as Challenger Deep, a portion of the Mariana Trench.  It dives to a depth of more than 36,000 feet.  That’s almost 7 miles deep; a significant burial indeed for our sin! 

Or how about this concept?  The Holy Spirit inspired David to write these lovely words:

“The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.  He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.  For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us”  (Psalm 103:8-12).

Saying goodbye to our sin garbage is the best goodbye of all, which makes our gracious God the best Trashman of all!  Thank you, Lord!