Posted: 03/27/2012 at 1:37pm | IP Logged

In the mid-nineties, a Protestant denomination held a theological conference in which a speaker in attendance stated, “I don’t think we need a theory of atonement at all; I don’t think we need folks hanging on crosses and blood dripping and weird stuff.”

It seems that this man’s statement only reflects what many “Christians” reflect in their view of life and within their doctrinal views of spiritual entitlement. Why can’t we just concentrate on the teaching about how God is a God of love? The problem is that if our entire doctrine or belief system is built upon this aspect and we take away the blood and guts of the cross, you cannot have a God of Love.

In the real world of relationships it is virtually impossible to love people with an issue or personal needs without in some degree sharing in or even changing places with them. All real and genuine love requires or involves some form of this exchange. Not much is required of us to love a person who has it all together and emotionally happy. However, what about emotionally wounded people? If we’re honest, it is difficult to genuinely love people like that over time and stay emotionally intact yourself. They may feel stronger or better or more affirmed as you talk or relate to them, but the end result is that you become more emotionally drained yourself. Yep, it’s them or you! To bring them up emotionally, you must be willing to be drained emotionally.

I see a person in my mind’s eye that is innocent of a crime and yet is being hunted down by a group of people bent on justice. I see this person reaching out to you for help and comfort. I can hear the thoughts: “If I don’t help him, he will probably die, but yet if you ally or come to his aid (although you are currently and perfectly safe and secure) you will likewise be in mortal danger by association. Once again, we come back to, it’s either you or him. He will certainly experience safety and security through your involvement, but only because you are willing to enter into his insecurity and vulnerability.

A child comes into the world in a condition of complete dependence. They cannot function as self-supporting or self-sufficient lives unless their parents give up much of their own independence and natural freedom for years. In other words, if you don’t allow your children to hinder your freedom of time whether in work or leisure and if you only attend to your children when it doesn’t inconvenience you, your children will grow or mature in physicality only. However, in a myriad of other ways, they will remain emotionally stunted, needy, troubled, and over-dependent.

The choice should now be obvious. You can either sacrifice your time and freedom for theirs or not. Again, it’s them or you. To love your children with excellence, you must decrease that they may increase. You must be willing to enter into the dependency they have so that eventually they can experience the freedom and independence that you have.

All life-changing love toward people with serious needs is a substitutional sacrifice. If you become personally involved with them, in some way, their weaknesses flow toward you as your strengths flow toward them. The Cross of Christ is simple: It is that substitution is at the heart of the Christian’s prophetic message.

With this said how could God be a God of love if he does not become personally involved in suffering the same violence, oppression, grief, weakness, and pain that we experience? Only one God has ever claimed or demonstrated such an act of love to humanity through Christ Jesus. The essence of sin is humanity substituting itself for God, while the essence of salvation is God substituting himself for us. We put ourselves where only God deserves to be and God puts himself where we deserve to be.