The answer is . . .

Sunday school teachers know the “pat answer” line in their classes. This is given when Bible students young and old don’t know the answer and say, “Jesus” thinking it will likely be right.”

This isn’t far from the truth. When I don’t understand what God is like, I can see it in Jesus. When I am uncertain where I stand before Him, my answer is in my Savior. When I wonder if God has forgiven me, or still loves me, or cares about the world around me, the answer is always in Jesus. By taking a long look at His life and pondering His death and resurrection, my fears melt and my questions with them. Jesus is the answer.

Steadfast love and faithfulness meet; righteousness and peace kiss each other. Faithfulness springs up from the ground, and righteousness looks down from the sky. Yes, the Lord will give what is good, and our land will yield its increase. Righteousness will go before him and make his footsteps a way. (Psalm 85:10–13)

Consider the virtues expressed in Christ toward us, virtues such as justice, mercy, and truth. How can God be just without slaying all sinners? How can He merciful without contradicting His holiness, His wrath against sin? How can the truth of all that God is make a difference in a world that neglects, ignores, mocks, and even hates His truth?

The answer is in Jesus Christ. The justice of God says He “will by no means clear the guilty” yet that same God sent His Son — who showed such great regard to God’s justice that He was willing to suffer and die in our place. He, the Judge of the world, experienced the wrath of God that we might go free and yet God’s justice was satisfied.

This (the redeeming plan of God) was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. (Romans 3:25–26)

The holiness of God simply means He is ‘other than’ we are. He is light with no darkness at all, perfect purity, totally without sin. His holiness is a consuming fire to sin, destroying it by His light and life. How wonderfully is the mercy of God toward sinners displayed in Jesus; “He who knew no sin became sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Think of that; the sinless Son of God took my sin and gave me His righteousness! Is that not the ultimate expression of mercy? It does not compromise God’s holiness, nor did my sin and the sin of the world defile Jesus. He bore it, became sin for us, but His holiness overruled all sin and conquered even the death that sin produces.

The truth of God is that He loves us, even those who ignore, mock, or reject Him. Again, this love is demonstrated in Jesus Christ, the One who said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) He could say that because His love opened the way to God . . .  

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:6–8)

There are times when my loyalties become divided, when temptation gets the best of me, when sin seems to appear out of nowhere, when I’m thoughtless concerning God and all He has done for me, yet God does not change. He says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8) which means that when I falter and make a fool of myself, His justice, mercy, truth, righteousness, grace, forgiveness and all that He is holds on to pull me up and make me stand.

Compelling power of the Cross

One boy tells another, “If you don’t know the answer in Sunday school, just say ‘Jesus’ and you should be okay.”
I ask many questions to the ladies in my adult class. Sometimes the direct answer is Jesus and nearly every time, they respond with this boy’s story in mind, smiling because it is so obvious.

A few years ago, a pastor told me that jesting aside, his Bible study class finally realized that the way to discern the answer to any problem, theological or life-related, was to take a good look at Jesus. He is the standard and the answer to all questions. He is everything we need. 

The reason for this is as the Bible teaches. As sinners, not one of us is what we could be. Romans 3:23 says, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

Yet by grace, the glory of God is held before us and available in a person, one who is sinless and without any fault or disobedience. John said of Him, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

Jesus is the perfect person, the measurement God uses to see where I am in my spiritual growth and daily life. If I measure myself by other people or human standards, I might lean to either pride or a pity-party, but with Christ as my answer, I am humbled yet given great hope.

When it comes to ministry to others, most Christians want hurting people to think right, feel good, have their needs met, and be comforted in their trials. Yet this is not necessarily all that Jesus has in mind. He knows how human sympathy can ignore the issue of sin. When trying to bless others, Jesus as our answer must come into the situation, but not merely the “nice” life of Jesus. He is the answer only because He died for our sin.

And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself. (John 12:32)

Jesus says that by His death, people are drawn to Him. Actually, we cannot come to God by any other avenue. He will not accept our goodness, kindness or any other human niceness. The only way we can come to God and receive blessing from Him is because Jesus died for our sin, a severe and necessary sacrifice, yet horrible. The Cross is no mere gold ornament on a chain. It is a place of great suffering for the Lord of lords, the stark reality of what must happen so we can be set free from sin and the sorrowful results of sin.

That means that when I encounter people in need, I must realize their greatest need. Food, clothing, shelter, even sympathy and kindness are important, but behind all of this, without Jesus, people are lost. No amount of any other kind of help will save them from the very worst fate. Their answer is Jesus.

One author goes so far as to say that if I can help others by my sympathy or understanding, I am a traitor to Jesus Christ. I cannot keep my own soul rightly related to God if I pour out for others in a very human way of ministry that ignores Jesus Christ and the Cross. This author calls that “amiable religiosity.”

Instead, I am to exhibit Jesus Christ crucified and lift Him up — in every situation. If not, then I will not only be going astray myself, but will distract others from the most important need of their life, no matter their situation. I lift up Jesus by living in right relationship with Him. My life and my words must point to Him, to how I need Him. The answer is always Jesus.

Thus, the calling of every Christian is to uncover sin and reveal Jesus Christ as Savior. This is not about saying comforting words, even though comfort will come. It is not about speaking beautiful sermons, or teaching with great skill. It is not about kindness, generosity, or making people feel good, even though all this can be part of it. Instead, it is about pointing others to the One who lived and died for them, the One who lives again that they might be forgiven, have eternal life, and live in right relationship to God, no matter their situation. Joni Erickson Tada did not become a servant of God because people constantly comforted her in her paralysis. She became a servant of God because Jesus Christ challenged her to die to self, as He did, and allow His life to become her life.

Many people need Jesus. My cousin is in full-time care because of a stroke. A friend’s daughter is immobile from the neck down for the same reason. How can they be blessed? By sympathy and cards and gifts of flowers? Of course those can be given, but the answer is always Jesus.

One of these two needy people knows Him, is not complaining or looking for temporary comfort in any other source. He is her life and her answer. The other needs kindness and whatever else can be given, but most of all, He needs Jesus and the solutions that are found in His death and resurrection.

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Lord, I absolutely ache that others know You. There is the greatest joy in right relationship with You, yet You offer more than joy. In You is all that is needed for life, including any horrific challenges that people experience. Because You died on that Cross, we can know and possess Your very life. With You living in us, we can overcome. For some, the trials are resolved. For others, the trials remain but so do You. With You, we have all we need. You are the answer. Help me be ever aware and always prepared to share You with others in whatever way will most benefit them. Rather than offering any temporary “fix,” I want them to know the One who is eternal.

To Live is Christ — I am not a puppet

Some matters about God seem a contradiction. For example, God is sovereign (can He be any less?) yet human beings can do anything we please without lightning striking. How perplexing. Why wouldn’t a sovereign God at least stop our grossest actions, instead of letting us make such a mess of His world?

That God is sovereign, I have no doubt. He is over all things and in Him we “live and move and have our being.” I know His mercy. Dare I say that I totally control my own life? Could I take another breath apart from His grace? Or wake up each morning?

My pondering comes from a comment on a recent post, plus the verses that I’ve been reading the past few days. They say this about Jesus. . . 

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. (Colossians 1:15–17)

This man who is fully God is preeminent. Everything that was made comes from God’s Word, this living Word, who created every thing, including all who sit on thrones and think they have power. Every king, every continent, every horse and rider, every ant and leaf and flower were created through Him and for Him. He existed before all and in Him all things “consist” — meaning that He holds all things together, composes and arranges all. He orchestrates the universe and He is sovereign.

How then do we mortals get away with murder, literally? If God is God, why doesn’t He stay our hands, sit on our ambitions? Why does a sovereign God allow such evil in this world?

My mind sees a man with a puppet on his knee. The man pulls the strings and by ventriloquism the puppet talks and smiles. He even tells the man how much he loves him. He does everything that man wants.

Imagine if the puppet were a real boy, the man’s child, even. Everyone who has children loves to have their boy on their knee, smiling, saying “I love you, daddy” and doing whatever daddy asks. Everyone who has children knows that this can happen, but not frequently or often. Children do not cooperate.

God didn’t make puppets to fill His world. He created real people and sovereignly chose to give volition to each of us. We can make choices. We can sit on His knee, say we love Him, and do His will — or not. Because of our sin and selfishness, our decision is ‘or not’ every time.

That does not change God, or His power. Our choices are not His doing. We are responsible. Yet without His help, we cannot do anything about our rebellious hearts. We desperately need His sovereign power and grace to even want to do His will. We need to see His love for us before we can love Him in return. Our lives are ruined by sin and without His grace, we are lost. This is the message throughout His written Word.

That comment recently posted went into a lengthy denial of the sovereignty of God based on the free will of man. Moot point. It is God’s sovereign power that gave us that free will. We are responsible for what we do with it. We cannot blame God for our sinful choices nor can we say He is powerless to stop us from sinning. Colossians 1:19-23 tell the rest of what Jesus is and what He has done. The rest is up to us . . . 

For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight — if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven. . . .

God no more wants puppets for children than I do. He wants real live human beings who come to Him, stay with Him, and love Him with all our hearts. He carved mountains and put song in the throats of birds. He has power to make us do His bidding, but that is not even close to His intention.