A Storm of Peace

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the Law… the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. (Rom 3:21-22)

If the Apostle Paul were an artist rather than a writer, if he had applied brush strokes to canvas rather than pen strokes to parchment, the early portions of the book of Romans would paint a very dark scene indeed. Paul opens his letter with a beacon of hope as he proclaims the Gospel to be “the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes,” (Rom 1:16) but ominous clouds quickly form on the horizon – and on the canvas – as Paul describes the human condition – the reason why everyone must believe.

The wrath of God will be poured out against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men (Rom 1:18). Through a well-crafted series of arguments the conclusion sounds forth: All are under the condemnation of sin. Before a holy and perfect God, no one will be able to stand. Every mouth will be stopped, every would-be attorney and strategy of defense silenced, as the whole world is held accountable to God (Rom 3:19). Accountable to the God who will judge not only actions, but also the secrets of men (Rom 2:16). Silence will reign. Like the calm before a storm.

Wednesday morning’s broadcasts brought more news of tragedy and painful images of destruction as violent twisters swept through Tornado Alley once again. In Chickasha, Oklahoma, an entire neighborhood was leveled in a matter of moments. What man had spent years of toil constructing and maintaining, a storm summarily destroyed in seconds.

A news crew on the early morning scene showed a family rummaging through debris that, only hours before, had been Home Sweet Home. The home that had once provided a sense of safety, security and well-being was now a flattened mess of two by fours, dry wall and household goods strewn as far as the eye could see.

In contrast to the tempest-ravaged home, an intact storm shelter lie just a few short paces from the debris pile. Here four adults and three children had taken refuge from the storm. In the face of nature’s fury they wisely abandoned a large, well-constructed home for a tiny underground chamber. As warning sirens blared and winds picked up, they placed their faith in something tried and true. They took shelter where shelter could be found.

Like the skies in Chickasha, the scene on Paul’s canvas had been growing dark. As menacing clouds increased their threats and hope seemed to fade to black, Paul declares a break in the weather. “But now,” he writes (Rom 3:21). Two small words that make a big difference. Two words that represent the work of Jesus Christ on our behalf. Two words that represent the change in atmosphere brought about by his sacrifice.

This “But now,” is no small break in the clouds. It is a storm of peace. A wall of blue skies rushing in from the east. “But now.” Where destruction once threatened, peace now reigns. Where darkness once loomed, the Son now shines.

"But now" the free gift of righteousness through Jesus Christ, the free gift of reconciliation with God, has been proclaimed to the world (Rom 3:21). “The righteousness of God for all who believe.” Man need not depend on his own righteousness, the record of his good deeds over his bad deeds, because the righteousness of Jesus Christ is now offered to all. Freely. As a gift. Through faith in Jesus Christ. Not the calm before the storm. But the calming of the storm.

Paul says that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift.” Justified. How are we to understand this gift? How do we remember what “justified” looks like? “Just-if-ied” is God treating me "just-as-if-I’d" never done anything wrong. "Just-as-if-I’d" never thought anything wrong or wished anything wrong. God treating me and you "just-as-if" we’d never sinned at all. That is justification through faith in Jesus Christ.

The judgment of God that will be poured out against ungodliness and unrighteousness is in fact just. His perfect justice and even our own sense of justice demand it. Yet God sent His Son to take the wrath for us. What we could never earn or do ourselves, God has done for us in Jesus Christ – bringing a storm of peace and blue skies of reconciliation between us and God.

Where darkness once loomed, the Son now shines.

“In Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. So we are ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal through us. We beseech you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2Cor 5:19-21)

The Good of Good Friday

I don’t know about you, but I generally do my best to avoid pain and suffering. I don’t even like the way those two words go together so smoothly… pain and suffering. Pain. Suffering. They are seemingly effortless. And unavoidable. Distasteful realities of the human condition. Realities that most of us wouldn’t wish upon our enemies.

Someone may boast a “No pain, no gain” philosophy in reply, but that speaks not of true pain, neither of true suffering but rather of a mentality of meritorious hard work. True, it may involve some degree of physical pain and even a type of suffering, but always at a level that the individual can withstand and always with the ability to make it stop. Those who extol this philosophy would likely see their pride extinguished when presented with an opportunity to truly suffer – like chronic hunger and malnutrition for a lifetime, or the sudden loss of the person closest to them, or a debilitating disease that brings a slow and agonizing death. No one chooses these things. Rather they seem to choose us – with their limitless levels of pain and no “Off” switch in sight.

It is in our DNA to avoid true pain when at all possible. Even a newborn infant expresses her displeasure at the slightest pain with the most insistent cry she can muster. And those cries continue right through old age when aches and pains manage to dominate a person’s thoughts and talk about the weather gives way to discussion of the latest and greatest analgesics.

Fifth graders know something about avoiding pain too. I observed them closely this past Sunday as we discussed the arrest and trial of Jesus in Sunday School. A few winced at the abuse and humiliation Jesus endured at the hands of the Sanhedrin – as they mocked and beat him (Mk 14:64-65; Lk 22:63-65). More recoiled at the description of the scourging Jesus would have endured prior to his crucifixion (Mt 27:26; Mk 15:15). But all eyes opened wide as their teacher produced a thorn-laden branch like those in the crown of thorns that was pressed into Jesus’ head (Mt 27:29; John 19:2). The branch made its way around the room, being passed from student to student with the utmost care. The passing student steadied the branch while the receiving student carefully selected a hold among the menacing thorns. More than twenty students handled the branch. No piercings. No bleeding. Mission accomplished.

Yet Jesus defined success very differently. Before the foundation of the world, pain and suffering figured prominently in his purpose statement. From the very moment he left heaven, they had their sights set on him. And when the crown of thorns came his way, he neither summoned ten thousand angels nor sought to find a safe hold, but rather grabbed on with both hands. His suffering and our salvation were inexorably linked. He achieved one by means of the other, grasping the thorns and his cup of suffering with both hands as they nailed him to the cross. There would be no other way.

Pierced. Bleeding. Despised. Rejected. Stricken. Afflicted. Wounded. Crushed. Cut off. Oppression. Grief. Sorrow. Judgment. “It was the will of the LORD to crush him.” (Isa 53:10).

“For all we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned – every one – to his own way;
and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” [Isa 53:6]

Mission Accomplished.

It is in the picture of Jesus’ suffering that I am reminded of the ugliness of my own sins – all of them. Sometimes we trade in ugly sins for prettier ones. Unacceptable sins for acceptable ones. And blatant sins for veiled ones. But even the prettiest of sins is a thorn in his crown. A whip on his back. A nail in his wrist.

Why do we remember Good Friday and the suffering of Christ? What is the purpose of this graphic image of pain and suffering? Why grieve ourselves by remembering it? As the Apostle Paul wrote, “godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret.” [2Cor 7:10]

Salvation without regret. I don’t know about you, but I have enough regrets in my past – I don’t need any in my future. When I stand before Christ I long to hear the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant… Enter into the joy of your Master.” [Matt 25:21]

I pray that this Good Friday would be a reminder of the One who grabbed on with both hands because of the enormity of his love for us. It was for the joy set before him – bringing you and me back to himself – that he endured the cross (Heb 12:2). Oh, the wonders of the cross!

And I pray that we would be reminded of the ugliness of even our “pretty” sins. May the Holy Spirit unearth the sins we have quietly allowed back in. And may our sin grieve us for a godly grief that leads to repentance and salvation without regret.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,
let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely,
and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us...

...looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith,
who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross,
despising the shame, and is seated
at the right hand of the throne of God." [Heb. 12:1-2]

Grab on to Jesus today. With both hands.

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If music speaks to your heart, take a few minutes to meditate on the words of this song by Sidewalk Prophets.

Planned Parenthood

[An audio version of this blog post is also available - click here to listen]

“The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit
that we are children of God.”
Romans 8:16

The conversation was what I would call semi-planned. I knew it needed to happen soon, I just wasn’t sure when I was going to take the plunge.

It was apparent that our son Jacob (age 9) was getting some sex education from his schoolmates. Schoolmates who apparently weren’t very well-educated themselves. Someone needed to set the record straight.

So, one Fall Saturday morning, Jacob and I had the proverbial “birds and the bees” discussion. Only there weren’t any birds or bees in this discussion. Just moms and dads and marriage and commitments and Scripture and God – along with the proper anatomical equipment.

The discussion was good. I think it was helpful.

But the responses belonged on a Mastercard commercial. They were priceless!

“So you and mom did that?” he asked with a combination of shock and disgust.

A few moments later he added, “And you did that four times?” (Apparently a common question since Elizabeth asked Heather the same thing a few months earlier.)

“Yes, Jacob,” I responded glibly, “we had to do it four times.”

I explained to Jacob that, believe it or not, there would come a day when he actually wanted to do that.

But there would be plenty of time for that.

It’s interesting now that I consider it. It seems that Jacob assumed he was wanted. The fact that his mom and dad had done what “makes babies” told him that his mom and dad must have wanted a baby. His parents wanted a child and a child is what they got.

That’s not the case with all of us though, is it? Some of us go our entire lives wondering if we were ever really wanted. By anyone.

Somewhere inside every heart, inside every soul, is a desire to be wanted. By someone. By anyone. But especially by our parents.

As a teenager I owned several editions of a book called Truly Tasteless Jokes. I remember one joke quite clearly.

Question: What do you call a couple who uses the rhythm method of birth control?
Answer: Parents.

So, it seemed quite appropriate that some twenty years later my wife and I would become parents for the fourth time while “practicing” the rhythm method.

We had been thinking and praying for some time about whether or not to have a fourth child. We wondered if we could handle another set of shoes to pick up. Whether we could manage to find one more jacket while herding kids to the car.

I jokingly blame my wife for praying that God would “make the answer clear” without specifying that she still wanted a choice after that. I asked if the “+” sign on the pregnancy test was clear enough for her. : )

The blessing is that we both wanted that child. We wondered, and still wonder occasionally, what special thing God may want to do in his life since his conception was not so much by our choice as it was by God’s.

You want to know something beautiful? Something heartwarming and reassuring? God doesn’t have any children that should have been named “Oops.” Or “Afterthought.” Or “The one that snuck through.”

As a matter of fact, there is no Hebrew word that even resembles “oops.”

Because God doesn’t make mistakes. And he doesn’t acquire children by mistake either.

In the first chapter of the Gospel of John we find these words:
“But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:12-13)

Can I elaborate a bit? John is saying that you and I didn’t become children of God by some simple exchange of body fluids, or because a man was filled with sexual desire, or because a woman decided she wanted a baby. Neither chemistry, nor lust, nor human will had anything to do with our becoming a child of God.

Rather, we were offered the family name because the creator of the universe wanted us!

God wanted you. Before you were born. After you learned to walk. Even when you sinned. He wanted you. And he still does.

God looked around the world and decided that the world wouldn’t be quite right without you. And he also decided that you wouldn’t be quite right without him. So he sent his son to bridge the gap between us and him.

You are wanted. In Christ, God gave you the right to become one of his children. And God’s children are always wanted.

“In love he predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ,
according to the purpose of his will,
to the praise of his glorious grace,
with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.”

Eph 1:5-6