Posted: 08/17/2012 at 4:32am | IP Logged

In the mid 1990’s, a mainline Protestant denomination held a theological conference in which one speaker said, quote: “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.”

In other words or between the lines, the speaker was conveying: why can’t we just concentrate on the teaching about how God is a God of love? The truth to this question is that if you take away the cross of Christ a God of love ceases to exist. 

In the real world of personal relationships it is impossible to love people with a problem or a need without in some way sharing or even changing places with them. All real life-changing or genuine love involves some form of exchange or “taking the place of.”

It requires very little of you to love a person who is pulled together and happy. In other words, it’s easy to be loving when everything is lovely and going your way. Think, however, of emotionally scarred and wounded people. It is very difficult to listen and genuinely love people with wounds or addictive tendencies and stay completely emotionally intact yourself. It may be that they may feel stronger and more affirmed as you talk, but that won’t happen without you being quite emotionally drained yourself. The truth is that it is them or you! To bring them up emotionally and healed from wounds you must be willing to be drained emotionally as well…Maybe even wounded by those who are being healed by your sacrifice.

Imagine you come into contact with a man who is innocent of a charge but yet is being hunted down by secret agents or by the government or by some other powerful organization. The man or woman reaches out to you for help. The choices are clear - If you don’t help him, he or she will probably die, but if you ally with him, you – who were perfectly safe and secure – will be in mortal danger staring death in the face. This is the stuff that movie plots are made of. But yet, it’s them or you. He or she will experience increased safety and security through your involvement, but only because you are willing to enter into his or her insecurity and vulnerability.

If we consider parenting - Children come into the world in a condition of complete and utter dependency. They cannot function as self-sufficient or independent agents unless their parents give up much of their own independence and personal freedoms for years.

If you don’t allow your children to hinder your freedom in work, leisure, (time in general) and if you only get to your children’s needs when it doesn’t inconvenience you, your children will grow up physically only. However, in all sorts of other ways they will remain emotionally needy, troubled, and over-dependent.  The choice is clear. You can either sacrifice your freedom or theirs. Once again, it’s them or you. To love your children well and in the love of God, you must decrease that they may increase. You must be willing to enter into their dependency in you at this time in their lives so eventually they can experience the freedom and independence you have.

All life changing love toward people with serious needs is a substitutional sacrifice and when you become personally involved with the weak, in some way, their weaknesses flow toward you as your strengths flow toward them. The essence of sin is that we as human beings substitute ourselves for God, while the essence of salvation is God substituting himself for us. You and I essentially put ourselves where only God deserves to be and God puts himself where we deserve to be.

How can God be a God of love if he does not become personally involved in suffering the violence, oppression, grief, weakness, and pain that we experience? There are only two possible answers to that question: First, God can’t or will not enter into our needs and weakness.  Second, only one major spiritual belief “Christianity”- the faith and belief in Jesus Christ even claims that God can and does.

This is the power of the cross and upon which we are likewise empowered because Christ is with us. Not only is he “with” us, but he is also “in” us and experiencing the same pain, disappointments, and weakness. It is through the cross - that Christ in you becomes the hope of glory.

A woman named JoAnne Terrell once wrote about how her mother was murdered by her mother’s boyfriend. Quote: “I had to find a connection between my mom’s story; my story; and Jesus’ story.” She would end up finding it within understanding the cross – namely, that Jesus did not only suffer for us but with us and in us. He knew what it was like (literally) to be under the lash, the pressure, and to refuse to be cowed or tempted by those with influence, and to pay for it with his own life. He voluntarily took his place beside and “with” those who were without power and suffering from hurt and injustice. John Stott summarizes my thoughts well when he wrote, “I could never myself believe in God if it were not for the cross. In the real world of pain, how could one worship a God who was immune to it?”

Therefore, the cross, when properly understood, cannot possibly be used to encourage the oppressed to simply accept violence whether external or self-inflicted against your own bodies (various addictive and compulsive behaviors). When Jesus suffered “for” us, he was honoring justice. But when Jesus suffered “with” us, he was identifying with the oppressed of the world, not with their oppressors.

All life changing love reflects an exchange, a reversal of places, but here is the great reversal…God, in the place of ultimate power reverses places with the marginalized; the needy; the poor; the lonely; the oppressed; and the addicted. The prophets always sang songs about God as the one who has “brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the weak and poor.” But never could they have imagined that God himself would come down off his ultimate throne and suffer with you and me that we may be lifted up.

This pattern of the cross means that the world’s glorification of power, might, and status is exposed and defeated. On the cross, Christ wins through losing, triumphs through defeat, achieves power through weakness and service, and comes to wealth via giving his all. Jesus Christ turns the values of the world upside down. The real enemy, after all was not Rome. Nor, is it Washington, Moscow, Beijing, or LA today. But the powers of evil that stand behind human arrogance and violence (violence against others and violence against your own body in addictive behaviors such as over-eating and vices). On the cross, the kingdom of God triumphed over the kingdoms of this world by refusing to join in their spiral of violence. On the cross, Jesus would love his enemies, turn the other cheek, and go the last mile for you and me.

Posted: 08/17/2012 at 2:59pm | IP Logged

Ty, Danny,,,this spoke volumes to me and I know it is straight from Father's heart,,,i got it! Was beginning to think, 'maybe I'm in the wrong place with ALL this emotional draining'...BUT, what did JESUS go through for me, is the question I ask myself?  For as I minister as led of Holy Spirit(I MUST DECREASE, THEY MUST INCREASE) to these scarred and wounded people, I find myself becoming more willing every time, because I know it is ALL about Jesus, suffering "with" us, and HIS having DONE, 'the finished at the cross' for each of us...  Christ in us/me, our/my hope of glory!!! May God bless you and your family, Danny, beyond what you can ask or imagine,,,i will be revisiting this word often...

Posted: 08/20/2012 at 8:29am | IP Logged

Thank you Gayle & Janine for taking the time to read and the kind replies. Much appreciated!

danny