Please allow me to share the story of my introduction to God's sovereignty and my futility.
Some years ago I was praying and I was cut to the very core of my soul. I was beside myself with grief for the way I had raised my children. I just knew I had done them irreparable damage by my sins, more sins of omission than commission (IE. neglect). I was a complete puddle and when my pain became almost unbearable, God spoke to me as clearly and as tenderly as I have ever heard Him. He said, "you couldn't have done anything differently." In my heart was awakened a knowledge of my futility. " Whoa, did that change my tune, and yes, my theology also.
There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. Rom 8:1,2
A few weeks following my epiphany, I would be led to call my son, with whom I always felt a bit of an estrangement , and I believe he with me. This, even though I mostly raised him as a single parent. I told Tyler, I had come to see him in a new light , I was proud of him and I would be in his corner no matter what. Because I had often been a scolding hard task master, I spoke to him about my negativity and asked his forgiveness. The asking of forgiveness was for both of our benefit, with unity the goal. A few weeks later, Tyler wrote a wonderful letter reminiscing different events we had shared. He ended by telling me how he thought of me as the best father a child could have. Today, I can joyfully report,we have a most wonderful relationship. I no longer impute sin against my son, even knowing he still lives under the law.
Let me add, that I also began to see my father, who was lacking in many a parenting skill and quite abusive, in a different light. Miraculously, I seem to have aquired a bent to see only the good he did for his children, which I have at times found myself tearfully appreciative. Such is the way of love for me.
Now, some years later, I believe I have been granted a deeper understanding of God's sovereignty and man's overwhelming futility. The following is a part of that which I am seeing. I pray you and I can get a hold of this, as it goes a long way in helping us love not only our neighbor but our enemy.
He was despised and rejected by people. He was a man of sorrows, familiar with suffering. He was despised like one from whom people turn their faces, and we didn't consider him to be worth anything. Is 53:3
The veil had been rent and Jesus had played out the drama of the innocent scapegoat right before our very eyes. Here is the holiest, purest, most spotless man that ever lived. What does the world do?
Blister Him,
Blast Him,
Bruise Him. *
He was the outcast of all outcasts; this Son of God. This Jesus, who opened not His mouth, took upon Himself the role of the despised scapegoat as people kicked Him, mocked Him, reviled Him, spat upon Him and finally killed Him.
Through the ages this world has known a thousand Gods, but there is only One that came to rescue man as an innocent scapegoat. As a scapegoat, He came, to carry away all of man's abuse, all of man's angst and the whole of the burden of man's sin. For Love's sake, the Creator became an outcast within His own creation. Surely, only by grace and on bended knee, might we ever even begin to fathom this!
And he will swallow up on this mountain the covering that is cast over all peoples, the veil that is spread over all nations. Isaiah 25:7
God, in Christ Jesus, stooped and became man's scapegoat. By His atonement, He not only becomes our scapegoat but He says, "I am responsible, blame Me." As always a paradox in the Kingdom; here the blameless One carries the blame. And while Jesus carries away from us the blame, He brings to us in return, justification. salvation, sanctification and resurrection. By and through His justifying, saving, sanctifying, resurecting life we are delivered from self blame and condemnation wrought by the law of sin and death. This is the "hope" birthed even before the foundations. Even before the world was created, Christ died to give forth to us His Life. As we realize this we return to Paradise, our home.
"Creation was subjected to frustration but not by its own choice. The one who subjected it to frustration did so in the hope." Rom 8:20
In summation, it is God that placed man in sinful flesh, this sinful flesh that ever frustrates man. He is responsible for the purpose and plan to frustrate and humble man by the same. Owning up to this, God, through the demonstration of Christ Jesus suffering the cross, not only takes the blame but in addition He also humbles Himself and suffers as, for and with you and me.
Jesus suffers as man .... Jesus suffered for man .... Jesus sufferd with man .... Jesus even suffers man today ..... For the cross and the love of God know no bounds of time nor space.
Oh, what a Saviour, what a Worthy Priest, what a Servant King , is our God in Chrsit and our Kinsman Redeemer!John
*(Ravenhill)
