Four Views

Pilate:Truth? What is truth? He says he is a king, bearing witness to the truth. Someone said he claimed he was “the way, the truth and the life.” The way to what? What truth? What life? None of it makes any sense. The truth as I see it is that these Pharisees have been a pain in my back since I got here. If I don’t do what they want, it could mean my job or even my life. If I release him, I’ll have a full scale riot on my hands, and I can’t afford that. This Jesus is right about one thing—I don’t have any real authority. If it isn’t the Jews telling me what to do, it’s Caesar and his lackeys. Even my wife thinks she controls me. The truth is that this whole thing is a mess. This is no way to live—fighting for control and living in fear. There ought to be some other way. No matter what I choose, I lose... I’ll hand him over. And if there is a God, I hope he has mercy on my soul!

Barabbas:Well, this isn’t what I expected. I was supposed to die today, but here I am out on the streets while my two buddies are hanging up there on crosses. I was ready to die. At least, as ready as anyone could be. I knew with all the trouble I’d caused that it would catch up with me one day. I saw my own father die on a cross, and I knew I’d follow in his footsteps. But now I’m free... Well, not really free. I’ll never forget the faces of all those people I hurt and robbed, and that girl who died. I deserve to be up there on that cross. Those other two guys were nothing compared to me. What did he say to Marcus? “You’ll be with me in paradise”? Really? Is it possible? It can’t be that easy, can it? I’m not sure who this man is, but there’s something different about him. He shouldn’t be up there in my place. I should be the one dying. Jesus, forgive me!

Peter: Why did I do it? Why did I deny knowing Him? I’m such a coward. I really thought I would defend Him to the death. I tried in the garden, but when He told me to stop I just lost my nerve. What would have happened if I’d stuck by Him? Would I have been arrested and beaten too? John wasn’t hurt. He stayed. He didn’t run and hide. When that rooster crowed and Jesus looked at me... I thought He would hate me. But there was no condemnation in His eyes... only love. He knew. He even told me what I was going to do, but I didn’t believe Him. Well, my pride has tripped me up before. Me and my big mouth. It seems like every time I got something right I immediately fell flat on my face. I walked on water, and nearly drowned. I figured out He was the Christ, then He told me to get my priorities straight. He invited me up on the mountain, then I babbled something about setting up tents. But no matter what I said, He still loved me. And now He’s in the grave, and I’ll never hear that voice again, telling me that it will be okay, reminding me that His love doesn’t change. Forgive me, Lord! Have mercy on me, a sinner!

Thomas: They’re saying they’ve seen Jesus alive. I’m not sure what to believe. Could they have been hallucinating? None of us ate much those first few days, so maybe it affected them somehow. Maybe they saw a ghost. But they said He ate some fish. I’m afraid to hope it’s true and just get disappointed again. I’m not sure hope is worth the pain. But these guys seem so sure of what they saw. It’s not just the women saying it. If it is true, will I get to see Him too? Or is it just for those who never doubt? Is it wrong to want some proof? I want to believe, but I’m scared too. It just seems too good to be true... My Lord and my God!

“Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29 ESV).

© Dawn Rutan 2016

The Weight of Sin

In one of his messages this week Alistair Begg commented, “My sin must be absolutely horrendous if it takes the death of God’s only Son to fix it.” A couple different songs contain lines like “It was my sin that held Him there.” 

While we accept that to be theologically correct, I don’t think most of us really believe it. Part of our difficulty comes from our experience of the American system of jurisprudence. We believe in proportional punishment. A minor crime receives a smaller punishment than a major crime. However, that is not the case in all cultures or times. Remember that the two men crucified with Jesus are identified simply as thieves, although we don’t know the exact nature of their crimes. One of them stated clearly “We deserve our punishment” (Luke 23:41).

That doesn’t make sense to our modern ears. It’s natural to start comparing sins. Most of us aren’t guilty of any of the “big” ones. We might lie occasionally, steal a few office supplies, and get a little envious of our neighbor, but nothing worthy of death. Or so we think. It’s hard to even conceive how Jesus bore the punishment that we deserved, because we don’t really think we deserve it. Many who call themselves Christians would say that their salvation is because “I’m a pretty good person. I may not be Mother Teresa, but I haven’t done anything really bad.”

The problem is that God’s definition of sin bears little resemblance to the laws of our country. Many of our laws can be broken with very little consequence. (When’s the last time you exceeded the speed limit?) But God’s rule book demands absolute perfection, because He Himself is absolutely perfect. Anything less keeps us from even coming into His presence. The smallest of sins creates a barrier that we cannot cross, and therefore God had to create a way to cross it for us. David said in Psalm 51:4 (ESV): “Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You may be justified in Your words and blameless in Your judgment.”

The other piece of the puzzle is the question of why any death was necessary to pay for sin. Logically, it seems like God could have just said, “Okay, I’ll just write off the sins of anyone who repents.” The short explanation is that God set up the rules for this universe, and He decreed that sin must be dealt with by the shedding of blood. Hebrews 9:22 says, “Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.” Why He did so is a mystery, not unlike the question of why He allowed sin to enter the world to begin with. We can speculate, but only He knows the real reasons.

It seems to me that an awareness of the weight of sin is something that grows as we grow in relationship with God. Unbelievers can sin with impunity because they have no conviction of sin. I can remember a time when I didn’t particularly care about sin or its consequences. Now even small things bother me much more because I don’t want anything to interrupt that fellowship with the Father. The conscience is more easily pricked by the Holy Spirit when we are actively seeking His guidance. At the same time, the enemy turns up the heat of condemnation to try to distract us from growing in faith and turn us away from the ministry set before us.

A right view of sin is necessary if we are to truly understand the importance of Easter. If my sin is unimportant or inconsequential, then the cross is meaningless. If my sin does not deserve death, then Jesus’ death and resurrection are merely a dramatic end to His few years of teaching on earth. However, if I deserved death but received forgiveness instead, then Easter should be a day of great celebration. “For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

(Public domain)

© 2016 Dawn Rutan.

The Face in the Mirror

Earlier this week I read Psalm 17:15 (ESV), “As for me, I shall behold Your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with Your likeness.” In the preceding verses David is talking about the “men of the world whose portion is in this life.” Those who are seeking satisfaction in the world will not seek satisfaction in God and His righteousness.

How often do we have misplaced priorities and start seeking our fulfillment in this life instead of in Christ? To dig a little deeper, how many of us can say, “I shall be satisfied with Your likeness?” If we lost everything else in this life—family, health, home—could we still find our peace and joy in God alone? I’d like to think I could, but I also know how quickly I can get discouraged with conflicts and difficulties. Reading the biographies of Corrie ten Boom, Anne Frank, and Diet Eman recently, I was amazed and convicted by their perseverance and good attitudes in the midst of horrendous circumstances.

To take the thought of God’s likeness one step further, consider 2 Corinthians 3:18, “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” (See also Romans 8:29.) If we don’t find satisfaction in His likeness, are we really all that interested in being transformed into His image? When we look in the mirror, do we see a child made in the image of God, or do we see someone who is trying to fit in, look good, or hide behind a mask?

Paul also wrote, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2). As important as that is for Christian maturity, it seems as though many who call themselves Christians don’t particularly care to be transformed. The things of this world can be quite appealing and can bring some level of satisfaction, so why should we reject them in favor of being transformed into the image of God? After all, it takes time and effort to seek God’s will and to pursue righteousness. It’s far easier to go along with the world’s priorities for time, money, family, career, politics, etc.

As I’ve asked these questions of myself, some of my answers have bothered me because I see the inconsistencies within me. James write that we are to “be doers of the Word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the Word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like” (James 1:22-24). In a couple different places recently I’ve heard this reminder from James. We may try to use different mirrors at times, but when we look into the mirror of the Word, we can’t pick and choose which parts we want to heed. That’s equivalent to loving the Lord with part of your heart, part of your soul, part of your mind, and part of your strength. None of us love Him perfectly, but that should be our heart’s desire, and being transformed into His likeness should be high on our priority list.

The song “Every Now and Then” by FFH is a good reminder of the distorted reflection and misperceptions that keep us from seeing our Father clearly. (You can read the lyrics here.) Sometimes we need to break the mirrors we’ve been using so we can see ourselves through the Father’s eyes and see how He is forming His image in us. He sees not just who we are today, but who we will one day be. That’s the perfect mirror we all need.

“I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God, for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation; He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels” (Isaiah 61:10).

“Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear—but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious” (1 Peter 3:3-4).

© 2016 Dawn Rutan.

Unforgiven

A presidential candidate has been reported as saying he is a Christian but doesn’t ask God for forgiveness. No doubt there is a faulty understanding of what it means to be a Christian. This is the heresy of antinomianism that the Apostle John was addressing in his first letter:

“If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us” (1 John 1:8-10 ESV).

But I wonder if that same misunderstanding tends to creep into the thoughts of established Christians at times. We talk about accepting Christ or inviting Him into our hearts. We may refer to an initial confession and repentance at the time of conversion, but sometimes that’s the last we hear about confession. Have you ever been in a church service (maybe even “revival”), and when the hymn of invitation comes, no one ever goes forward to pray? If someone does go forward, there may be some raised eyebrows as people wonder what’s going on. The implication is that only the unconverted or backsliders need to confess. I love some of the hymns in the invitation section of the hymnal; however, some convey the message that after conversion a person will never again need to confess.

The March 2016 issue of Christianity Today includes an interview with Fleming Rutledge in which she states: “American Christianity, as Richard Neibuhr pointed out long ago, has tended to preach a gospel without judgment and a Christ without a cross. This is an old problem. We want to be happy. We want to be positive. We want to overlook the almost unbelievable problems we face today.” She indicates that we are inclined to gloss over the Crucifixion and jump right to the Resurrection. We want the Good News of salvation without ever hearing the bad news of our sinfulness.

Martin Luther said in his 95 Theses, “When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said ‘Repent,’ he intended that the entire life of believers should be repentance.” A life lived without confession and repentance is a life devoid of God’s forgiveness. The idea that one can be a Christian without ever asking for forgiveness is part of a greater deception that says, “It doesn’t matter how I act or what I say. My faith is private.”

Luther went on to say that faith is, “a living, creative, active and powerful thing, this faith. Faith cannot help doing good works constantly. It doesn’t stop to ask if good works ought to be done, but before anyone asks, it already has done them and continues to do them without ceasing. Anyone who does not do good works in this manner is an unbeliever… Thus, it is just as impossible to separate faith and works as it is to separate heat and light from fire!” (Introduction to Romans).

A living and active faith will be one of continual repentance, but it will also be made evident by the good fruit produced by God’s work in and through us. “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? …So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead” (James 2:14, 17). If one claims to have faith without having either repentance or good works, he is deceiving himself and one day will be called to account. We can only pray that such people will see the error of their ways before it’s too late.

“For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of Me and of My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels”(Mark 8:36-38).

© 2016 Dawn Rutan. 

He's Got This

Two recent articles about God’s sovereignty on the Desiring God blog have caught my attention. In http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/the-doctrine-of-election-saved-me-from-depression, Jimmy Needham comments about a funeral he attended:

“At the funeral, the officiating pastor offered these chilling words for her family and friends: ‘That truck driver robbed this woman of the long life that God intended for her to live.’ The pastor meant to comfort them, but that commentary is anything but comforting. What a nightmare to think that the plans and purposes of God can be undermined by any careless, distracted trucker at a busy intersection.”

There are many times when God’s sovereignty is called into question, and death is just one of them. From the public arena such as political elections, court verdicts, and legal decisions, to personal choices like medical procedures, career moves, and childrearing, it often seems like mankind has the power to override God’s will. I certainly don’t have all the answers to explain God’s sovereignty and mans’ freewill, but I have to believe that God is always in control or He wouldn’t be God. Many Scriptures affirm God’s sovereignty, and here are a few:

• “Who has spoken and it came to pass, unless the Lord has commanded it?” (Lamentations 3:37 ESV).
• “[Nothing] in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:39).
• “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God” (Romans 13:1).
• “Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in Your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them” (Psalm 139:16).
• “My times are in Your hand…” (Psalm 31:15).
• “Be not afraid when a man becomes rich, when the glory of his house increases. For when he dies he will carry nothing away; his glory will not go down after him” (Psalm 49:16-17).
• “All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and He does according to His will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay His hand or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’” (Daniel 4:35).

In http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/theology-that-comforts-the-weary-soul, Christina Fox writes:

“The doctrine of God’s sovereignty brings us great comfort in the trials and sufferings of this life. When we are knocked on our feet by an unexpected trial, we can turn to these truths to remind ourselves that nothing happens outside of God’s sovereign control. When life feels as though everything is uncertain and in chaos, we can tell ourselves, ‘God is not surprised by this.’ It is a reminder that though the trial we are facing is a complete surprise to us, it isn’t a surprise to God. He is never asleep or caught unawares. He is never at a loss wondering what to do. He doesn’t fret or worry over what’s happening.”

God is in control of whatever situations are causing you anxiety right now. I’ve had to be reminded of that multiple times just this week, so I’m sure others are in the same boat. He’s got this.

“Which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest?” (Luke 12:25-26).

© 2016 Dawn Rutan. 

Hot Pursuit

As I’ve been reading through Proverbs lately, I’ve noticed how frequently the author advises to “pursue wisdom.” That is not an insignificant command. There seems to be an unwritten assumption in the church that people who have been Christians for a long time are automatically wise. Surely those who have been to seminary or in ministry for years are wise, aren’t they? I don’t think those are valid assumptions. Wisdom doesn’t necessarily come with education or tenure. Someone can be a Christian for a lifetime and still make foolish decisions or speak as a fool. Even Solomon made foolish decisions after being commended for seeking God’s wisdom. (At least I assume having hundreds of wives and concubines and following their gods is pretty foolish!) The Pharisees were highly educated, but they missed the Messiah.

Wisdom is something that needs to be pursued, but it is given by God, not by professors and books. James says “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him” (James 1:5 ESV). Paul said, “My speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in the demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God… And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual” (1 Corinthians 2:4-5, 13).

It is tempting to rely on human sources of knowledge rather than pursuing divine wisdom. Bookstores and websites are full of resources to learn anything you want to learn. Christian conferences promote the latest and greatest teachers. But apart from God’s direction it is meaningless. The pursuit of wisdom should also be ongoing. A person doesn’t get one infusion of wisdom and then never have to seek it again. It’s not like winning the lottery and then never working again. It is to be a daily and diligent pursuit. We can’t be like the ant for one year (or even once a week) and then be sluggards the rest of the time (Proverbs 6:6).

This is kind of a convicting realization for me, because I love to read, learn, and research topics related to church management and leadership, and I try to find ways to implement the best policies and practices that I uncover. And although that is a good thing, it has to be accompanied by seeking God’s wisdom in these matters. It is fairly easy to determine what is right from a legal standpoint, but not so easy to know what is best. For the Christian, that should come from God first and foremost.

I can think of many examples of times that people have great resources right in front of them and may even have policy manuals that tell them how to handle situations, and yet they misspeak or they take actions that are contrary to God’s Word and wisdom. Some choose to follow the wisdom of the world in ways that cause dissension in the Body of Christ and hinder God’s ministry through His Church.

We need God’s wisdom more than we often realize. Let’s get accustomed to seeking Him frequently and earnestly.

“For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding; He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk in integrity” (Proverbs 2:6-7).

© 2016 Dawn Rutan. 

Worth It All

I keep a list of possible writing ideas, and I had noted a verse that I’d intended to comment on around Christmas. However, another verse came up recently and I don’t feel like waiting 10 months. Besides which, Christmas and Easter are intimately related and are relevant to every day.

In Luke 2:14 the angels announce, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased” (ESV). This about nine months after Gabriel told Mary, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God” (Luke 1:30). Did you ever think about what it means to find favor with God or to be pleasing to Him? I remember vividly a conversation I had in college when I told someone I thought I had disappointed God. Unfortunately, she didn’t have a good answer for me, but I later learned that I can’t disappoint God when He knows me better than I know myself.

The Apostle Paul brought this to light in Romans 5:10, “For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by His life,” and Ephesians 2:1-10, “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked… But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us… made us alive together with Christ.” Not only were we enemies of God, but we were sinful corpses. That certainly doesn’t present any great case for us to be “those with whom He is pleased,” particularly when that angelic announcement came years before Christ’s reconciling death on the cross. And yet—He came, He died, He rose again out of His great mercy and love for a bunch of deadbeats.

John Ortberg comments in Love Beyond Reason, “As Lewis Smedes put it, it may be a very bad thing that I needed God to die for me, but it is a wonderful thing that God thinks I’m worth dying for. We may be ragged, but we must never confuse raggedness with worthlessness” (23). Our worth is not measured by what we do or fail to do, but by the fact that God has claimed us as His own. On those days when shame says, “You can’t do anything right,” we are still worth the cross of Christ. And on those days when pride says, “You scored big this time,” our worth to God hasn’t changed a bit.

Richard Foster, in his book Prayer: Finding the Heart’s True Home, shares the story of a man who meets with a spiritual advisor. Day after day he was told to meditate on Luke 1:26-38. After several frustrating days, “Though Jim could barely believe it, the angel’s word to Mary seemed to be a word for him as well: ‘You have found favor with God.’ Mary’s perplexed query was also Jim’s question: ‘How can this be?’ And yet it was so, and Jim wept in the arms of a God of grace and mercy” (145).

I’m sure I’m not the only one who needs frequent reminders of the immeasurable, unchangeable love of God for me. I can’t disappoint God, but I can sure disappoint myself, and my disappointment colors the way I see everything else. I imagine that at times I’m so busy rehearsing my failures that I don’t even hear God repeating, “I love you. I love you. I love you.” It’s one thing to remember that following God is worth it all, but He’s also reminding us “Child, you are worth it all.” God is never watching us and thinking, “Why did I give up My Son for these dumb people?!” No, He just keeps on giving grace and mercy, drawing us back into His loving arms, investing Himself in us for eternity. From our perspective that may seem like a pretty poor investment, but somehow He will make it all pay off in the end.

A college friend introduced me to an unpublished second verse to the chorus “More Precious Than Silver” from God’s perspective:

Child, you are more precious than silver,
Child, you are more costly than gold,
Child, you are more beautiful than diamonds,
And nothing I desire compares with you.

“Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows… Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds!” (Luke 12:7, 24).

© 2016 Dawn Rutan.