Inside Out

In his address “The Inner Ring,” C.S. Lewis noted, “I believe that in all men’s lives at certain periods, and in many men’s lives at all periods between infancy and extreme old age, one of the most dominant elements is the desire to be inside the local Ring and the terror of being left outside.” We probably all remember the cliques in high school and other settings, and the practically universal desire to be seen as part of a special group with some status or power. As adults, we don’t necessarily call them cliques, but they still exist—political parties, classes, industries, and even churches and denominations. Whoever “we” are, there’s often a sense of “us vs. them.”

Dane Ortlund in Surprised by Jesus describes the book of Luke as “The surprise of outsiders as insiders.” He lists many of the outsiders who were invited into relationship with Jesus. Shepherds in Bethlehem, tax collectors, children, prostitutes, Gentiles, and sinners are “in,” while the religious elite and socially respected are “out” when it comes to the kingdom of God. How?

“Jesus went ‘outside the camp’ (Heb. 13:11-13)... Jesus became unclean... for us. He went outside the camp so that you and I, who are unclean outsiders, can immediately gain access inside — inside the only inner ring that matters: favor with God.”

As I’ve dabbled in psychology over the years, I’ve noted the many ways in which we feel “othered” by people. We have different thought processes, interests, abilities, habits, relational and cultural traits. We’ve created labels for every type of variation. Whether intentional or not, whether good or bad, each label describes who is in and who is out.

We often lose sight of the fact that God has invited everyone to belong to His inner ring. In Christ “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:28). Paul wasn’t saying that we should throw away all those designations, but that all are of equal value in God’s eyes. As the KJV puts it, “He hath made us accepted in the beloved” (Eph. 1:6).

At the beginning of His ministry, Jesus said He was sent “to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Luke 4:19). We receive God’s favor and blessing, not because we belong to some select group that lives up to His perfect standard, but simply because God chose us and we accepted His invitation into the Inner Ring. We did nothing to deserve being adopted into His family, and no one else can deserve it either. The invitation goes out to all who recognize that they don’t fit in or measure up.

May we be quick to give thanks for God’s unilateral grace and unconditional love, and may we extend that same love and grace to others who are on the outside looking in.

“But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift” (Eph. 4:7).

 

© 2024 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are ESV and all images copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

A Child of the King

In the children’s story Sara Crewe by Frances Hodgson Burnett, the young Sara lives in a boarding school and is suddenly orphaned. The headmistress begins to treat her as a slave. But Sara has a way of handling the abuse by imagining she is a princess. She tells herself:

“You don’t know that you are saying these things to a princess, and that if I chose I could wave my hand and order you to execution. I only spare you because I am a princess, and you are a poor, stupid, old, vulgar thing, and don’t know any better… I am a princess in rags and tatters, but I am a princess, inside. It would be easy to be a princess if I were dressed in cloth-of-gold; it is a great deal more of a triumph to be one all the time when no one knows it.”

As I was reflecting on the story and thinking maybe I need to try that tactic sometime, it hit me that I don’t have to imagine it—it’s already true. I am a child of the King of kings. I’ve been adopted into the royal family.

“For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba, Father!’ The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:15-17a ESV).

“He predestined us for adoption to Himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will” (Ephesians 1:5).

We all need to remember who we are. Though we probably won’t say it out loud:

• When people are abusive, “I’m a child of the King.”
• When someone says something inconsiderate, “I belong to God.”
• When the world mocks and condemns my faith, “I’m part of the family of God.”
• When suffering seems unending, “I’m loved with an everlasting love.”
• When I mess up and start condemning myself, “I have the righteousness of Christ.”
• When fellow Christians say or do aggravating things, “He or she is my brother or sister in Christ.”

I particularly like the reminder that it would be easy to be a prince or princess if everyone could see that’s what we are, but it is a challenge when we outwardly look the same as any other person. We are sanctified and matured by the process of clinging to the truth of who God says we are regardless of what the world tells us. It is a triumph of grace when we can live out of our new identity even when others can’t understand it.

I can’t end without a quote from C. S. Lewis:

“It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest most uninteresting person you can talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare. All day long we are, in some degree helping each other to one or the other of these destinations. It is in the light of these overwhelming possibilities, it is with the awe and the circumspection proper to them, that we should conduct all of our dealings with one another, all friendships, all loves, all play, all politics. There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations - these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit - immortal horrors or everlasting splendors” (The Weight of Glory).

We may not look or feel like princes and princesses right now, but if we know God as our Father that is our true identity.

“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are” (1 John 3:a).

© 2020 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated all images are copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

Sealed

I keep thinking about a Christmas letter received from an acquaintance of the family. She’s an unmarried woman who joined the Mormon church many years ago. She reported in her letter that she’d been “sealed to her parents.” I didn’t know what that meant so I looked it up. According to Wikipedia: “The purpose of this ordinance is to seal familial relationships, making possible the existence of family relationships throughout eternity.” As a single woman, she would have been limited to a lower degree of the “celestial kingdom” without this ceremony. Wikipedia also states that the sealing is “valid only if both individuals have kept their religious commitments and followed LDS teachings.”

I am saddened by the deceptions perpetuated and accepted by so many people. At the same time, I am thankful that my eternal destiny is not dependent on my parents, a spouse, or any human ceremony. In fact, it’s not even dependent on my own ability to keep my religious commitments. Instead, Scripture says that our guarantee is from God Himself.

“And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, and who has also put His seal on us and given us His Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee” (2 Corinthians 1:21-22 ESV).

This sealing occurred at the moment of salvation, and is assured from now till eternity:

“In Him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in Him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of His glory” (Ephesians 1:13-14)

God’s seal upon us is not dependent on obedience, but is motivation for obeying Him:

“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption” (Ephesians 4:30).

Eternal life is not dependent on who we’re related to on earth, but whether we’ve been adopted by God Himself:

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

Salvation is a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8-9). Freedom from the guilt and power of sin is a gift (Romans 6:6-7). Sanctification is a gift (Ephesians 2:10). Eternal life with God is a gift (Romans 6:23). When we forget that, we often turn to manmade rituals to try to cleanse our consciences and assure ourselves that we’ll be okay. But if we’re honest, even our best efforts never feel good enough. There’s a lingering doubt that can only be relieved by trusting what God has said in Scripture.

One of my favorite Scriptures is 1 John 3:19-20: “By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before Him; for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and He knows everything.” The whole letter of 1 John is full of reminders and assurances that we can indeed know that we are forgiven and that we belong to God. We can one day enjoy eternity in relationship with the One who created us, redeemed us, and adopted us into His family. What more do we need?

“And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 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” (1 John 5:11-13).

© 2018 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated all images are copyright free from pixabay.com.

Our Father

A couple verses of Scripture caught my attention while reading recently. In John 19:7, the Jews tell Pilate, “We have a law, and according to that law He [Jesus] ought to die because He has made Himself the Son of God” (ESV). Earlier John had explained, “This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because not only was He breaking the Sabbath, but He was even calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God” (John 5:18). The Jews found this to be both outrageous and blasphemous.

But notice what happens after the resurrection—Jesus says to Mary, “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, to My God and your God” (John 20:17). Jesus isn’t just claiming God as His own Father, He is also naming the disciples as His brothers and God as their Father as well! That brings to mind the Lord’s Prayer, “Our Father in heaven…” (Matthew 6:9). The Pharisees would have been appalled.

The Apostle Paul continued to break the rules throughout his letters.

“For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God… you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’ The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ…” (Romans 8:14-17, compare Galatians 4:4-7).

It’s a bit mind-boggling to consider that not only are we brothers and sisters with all believers around the world today, but also with the Apostle Paul, John, Peter, and the other disciples. And on top of that, we are siblings with Jesus. This is one area where the Catholic Church has made a mistake. They’ve encouraged praying to the apostles and “saints” as if somehow those people have greater access to God than the rest of us. Jesus, along with the New Testament writers, made it clear that our ideas of hierarchy and prestige are completely backwards. “Many who are first will be last, and the last first” (Mark 10:31). “Has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which He has promised to those who love Him?” (James 2:5).

Tim Keller writes:

“To be adopted means that now God loves us as if we had done all Jesus had done… so we can run to our Father without fear. We have the most intimate and unbreakable relationship possible with the God of the universe. To be a child of God means access. We know God is attentively listening to us and watching us” (Prayer:Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God, 69-70).

We can “approach the throne of grace with confidence” (Hebrews 4:16 NIV) without relying on any intermediary. We don’t have to make a formal petition and wait for the Judge to hear our case. We can simply run to Him as a child runs to his father’s open arms. Although earthly fathers fail us, our heavenly Father waits patiently, loves lavishly, and responds perfectly no matter what we may say or do.

“Jesus paid the price so God could be our father… This new relationship with God is what you need if you have a bad family background. This is what you need if you feel like a failure, if you feel lonely, or if you are sinking further into despair. Because of the infinite price paid by your brother, Jesus, God your father will hold you up” (Keller, 80).