No Fishing

Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends - John 15:13

Beta & Bodyart

A few weeks after moving to the mountains of North Carolina, I joined a rock climbing gym. At this point, I’m only a few weeks into starting a new life after my most recent 26-month period of being completely out of commission and fighting to get well.

I had completed a couple of light hikes and had several weeks of light bodyweight training under my belt, so I figured I was ready to start climbing again. After all, it's something I had been dreaming of one day being able to do again.

So I find myself sitting on a couch in a climbing gym. For anyone who’s ever climbed, you know the type—at least 30 years old, covered in chalk and scratches, and worn to the point that you sink into it as soon as you sit down.

As I recover from my previous climb, I'm visualizing the beta for my next one. My hands are resting on my thighs, palms up, of course, so I don’t ruin the chalk on my hands, and I turn to look at the guy sitting next to me. We lock eyes and smile.

“What’s up, brotha?” I say as we clasp hands, ruining the chalk that I was so desperately trying to preserve.

“Pete! It’s great to see you, man. You’re everywhere.”

“I promise I’m not following you,” I jokingly replied.

I had met Daniel at a coffee shop a couple of weeks prior, shortly after I moved to the area. We had a great conversation about Jesus and our shared faith, and then I ended up seeing him twice more in random spots. The reality of living in a small mountain town was setting in, although I definitely didn’t mind if it meant I would consistently see people like him.

“You got a project you’re working on?” he asks as he gestures to the bouldering wall in front of us.

“Nah, I’m just getting back into it,” I said. “Just knocking out a bunch of V1’s and V2’s till I get my strength back. You?”

He points to a yellow colored V4. “Yeah, I just joined up a few months ago. This one here’s giving me some trouble today.”

We spent the next couple of minutes discussing the Beta for the climb (which holds to use and what techniques or sequence of moves would be best), and then we entered a moment of silence. I scan some of the tattoos on his arms—mostly Christian-themed—which reminded me a lot of one of my favorite artists, Sword and Pencil.

“What’s the Hebrew say?” as I point to a tattoo that looked like this: חֶסֶד.

“Chesed”, he replies. “Steadfast love.”

“Like in the Psalms”, I say.

“Like in the Psalms”, he smiles and nods in affirmation.

We then entered a conversation about the mercy, grace, and compassion of God, which I told him was something I didn’t think I truly understood (or at least didn't allow myself to truly understand and believe fully) until recent years.

If you’ve grown up around Christianity or are at all familiar with its general message, its foundation is centered around the man called Jesus, why He came, why He died, and how He rose again, promising the same for anyone who calls Him Lord and follows Him.

However, for anyone unfamiliar, I would like to briefly explain why this steadfast love is necessary before we talk about what it is and how it is available to each and every one of us.

Soul Sickness

Although there are over 22,000 diseases on this planet, there is one in particular that every human suffers from—the disease of the soul.

This soul sickness, or the problem of sin, which philosophers and religious figures have long debated over, is quickly summarized in the Christian lens as this: God had a perfect intention for humanity, mankind and the world fell as a result of our selfish and greedy exploitation of free will, therefore leaving us in a position where if someone does not save us, we are doomed.

There are undoubtedly many apologists, scholars, and pastors who could clearly illustrate this much better than I. Although I am none of these, and something specifically lower than a layman—just a beggar telling other beggars where to get bread [1]—I will do my best to break it down in a quick and orderly fashion.

When God finished creating the world, He declared that it was “very good” [2]. And because He is not a tyrant, He gave mankind free will. And free will, though it makes evil possible, is also the only thing that makes possible any love or goodness or joy worth having [3]. The choices we made with our free will in the beginning (check out Genesis 3) and continue to make now have put us in the position of living in a fallen world.

You see, when you have a Holy and perfect God who created us in His image and designed us to have an intimate relationship with Him, even one tiny sin is enough to separate us from Him. Perfection cannot mesh with imperfection. And we all exist in the perfected justice system of the Almighty, forcing us to realize that our actions have consequences. Every action has an equal and opposite reaction [4], so to speak. Mankind has committed cosmic treason through its sin, and now we must be eternally separated (Hell) from God.

This may sound extreme, but I encourage you to take a moment to really think about this. Take your face out of your phone for two seconds and look around at what’s on this planet: trees, sky, animals, oceans, the miracle of human DNA, the list goes on. Something—Someone—infinitely powerful made that. Not a random formation of elements (where did the elements come from?), not the Infinity Stones, or any other theory that points to anything other than intelligent design from a Master Designer. And the wonders you see now are only a broken shadow of what they originally were.

So, wouldn’t you say it might be a bit arrogant to think that the “mostly moral” life you’ve lived (if you are indeed brave enough to try and claim that) is enough to stand in the presence of such a magnificent Creator? No. You, me, all of us, are wicked [5] and deserve the separation. 

This is why sin is talked about as a problem. We humans have put ourselves in quite a dilemma. How can imperfect beings correct our imperfections and past transgressions?

But what if God wasn’t just perfect in the sense that He can do no wrong? What if perfection also means that He is the quintessence of goodness, justness, love, and compassion [6]? Then, the God who made us for Himself [7] must have made a way to bring us back to Himself. 

The good news is that this is true—He has made a way to bridge the gap between your brokenness and His Holiness, erasing this separation. The bad news (for our pride, at least) is that you are utterly and terribly powerless to make it happen. Good deeds won’t do it; money can’t buy it; performing miracles and great works mean nothing in the context of saving your soul [8]; the sacrifice of animals (see the Pentateuch) is incomplete and was only ever meant to be a temporary placeholder. Let us not be fooled into thinking that we humans who broke this world, committed treason against the King, and violated our own souls are powerful enough to heal our soul sickness. No, as Jonathan Edwards once said, “You contribute nothing to your salvation except the sin that made it necessary.”

And since God desires all men to be saved and returned to Him [9], we land on the only anecdote for our sickness—the man called Jesus.

A Manger For A throne

It kills me to summarize the most beautiful story in the history of mankind, but this is a blog post, not a book, and I want to return to the topic. To anyone who has not read the full story of Jesus in the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John), read them. If you have, read them again.   

So now I will be brief (for me, at least) and bring us back in time two thousand years ago to First-Century Judea, when God became flesh [10] by sending his only begotten Son [11] into the world. Quite opposite from the standard operating procedure of your typical divine being, Jesus, the King of the universe, did not come to earth to rule; he came to save it [12]. God left his throne and became the most killable thing on the planet—a baby. 

He lives a perfect life, fulfills over 300 prophesies, and offers Himself as a perfect sacrifice on the cross for every sin that ever has, or ever will be committed [13]. God Himself acts as the only sacrifice sufficient to right our wrongs, build a bridge over the chasm of our sins, and balance the scales, to put it simply. What can wash away my sins? Goes the old hymn. Nothing but the blood of Jesus [14].

Barriers

I told you there was nothing you could do to save your soul, and that is true. But that doesn’t mean you don’t have a part to play. Jesus paid the price for your sins and offers you the most invaluable gift—a righteous standing with God and the option of eternal life. But much like someone buying you a present with their own money, it’s not truly yours unless you accept it. You can say, “No, I think I’ll try to buy it on my own” (good luck), or you can choose to reject it entirely.

This is where your job comes in, and it’s quite an easy one if we’re being honest. You simply have to accept the gift: believe in your heart and confess with your mouth that Jesus was who He said He was, that He did what He said He did [15], and then die to yourself and follow Him.

Dying to yourself and following Jesus, picking up your cross, as some say, is a topic for another time, but I want to talk about two common “barriers” to accepting and understanding this gift of salvation.

1) “I’ve done too much wrong to be saved”

2) “I’ve been saved, but I continue to mess up, and there’s no way God still wants me.”

Too Far Gone

I was probably about twelve years old, and we were visiting family up north. Sunday morning rolled around, and we were getting ready for Church. I remember seeing one of my older family members still in their PJs.

“Are you coming to Church with us?” I asked, as I glanced at the pendant of Jesus’ face hanging from their necklace.

“No, Church and God—it’s all too late for me”, they said sadly.

I replied in an unconfident tone about how it’s never too late, but what does a 7th grader know?

The truth is, many people share this belief. They do indeed believe there is a good God, but they also think they’ve done too many unforgivable things to be saved. Those who are well have no need for a doctor, Jesus said, I came for the sick [16]. Have you done terrible things? Great, you’re exactly the type of person Jesus came to save. Deep calls to deep [17], says the Psalmist. The depth of our sin and wickedness needs the depth of God’s love and forgiveness.

And the Lord doesn’t forgive you begrudgingly, either. He wants to forgive you; He wants to bring you back to Himself. Read the parable of the Prodigal Son [18]. The moment you take one step towards Him, He’ll come running after you, showering you with love and goodness.

Because that’s what steadfast love is. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us [19]. This isn’t just mercy (being spared the punishment you deserve), but it's grace (being given what you don’t deserve). Not only are you spared separation from God in Hell, but you are also being offered the gift of forgiveness and eternal life, regardless of what you’ve done.

Still don’t believe me? Read the Bible. The people God uses the most—the reputed heroes of the Bible—were some of the most broken people.

Moses murdered a man and then ran away for forty years. David (who was called ‘a man after God’s own heart’ [20]) slept with another man’s wife, and then had her husband killed. Rahab was a prostitute. Peter denied Jesus three times, after swearing he would rather die than do so [21]. Before Paul became one of the fiercest warriors for the Gospel, he spent every ounce of his energy hunting down Christians and killing them. So what makes you think you can’t be forgiven? One of my favorite quotes, which I do not know who to attribute it to, says it best: The apostle Paul entered heaven to the cheers of those he had martyred. That’s how the Gospel works.

You are never too late, never too far gone, and never too dirty to receive this steadfast love. Your unworthiness is what qualifies you for the gift.

Not always scolding

The second barrier I notice, which prevents people from fully living in God’s grace, is for those who already follow Jesus but still stumble and fail from time to time.

Once you become a Christian, you expect yourself to be better than you were before. And to be fair, you should be—dead to sin, alive in Christ, says the Apostle Paul [22]. But he also goes on to say that he finds himself at times doing the evil things he hates [23]. I can sure relate to that. My heart and soul have been changed, my desires have shifted, but I still find myself doing wrong. What are we as Christians supposed to do with that?

Am I even saved? Is what I sometimes ask myself when I sin or act like an idiot. It’s easy to beat yourself up when you know you should do better, and when you know that you’ll never be tempted beyond your ability to resist [24]. But I had to learn that Jesus isn’t looking for perfection; He wants your heart. Because if He has your heart, then a byproduct of that is you will continue to grow and make progress. You don’t need to be perfect, because you have been made perfect in Christ [25]. And now that you don’t have to be perfect, you can be good [26].

This does not mean that you can do whatever you want because you’ll be forgiven, and you’ll never be perfect anyway. Doing that would be taking advantage of grace, and taking advantage of grace reflects a heart that is not completely surrendered to the Lord. If you love me, you’ll keep my commandments [27], said Jesus. Though you will fail from time to time, you need to take an aggressive approach to living your life for God. John Owen puts it best: Be killing sin or it will be killing you [28].

Believers know this, and yet sometimes we still get caught up in our mistakes. We know we’re forgiven, we know we’re washed in the blood of Jesus and presented as blameless to the Father [29], but we don’t fully embody it. We stay stuck in guilt and shame, keeping our eyes on the rearview instead of moving forward.

Whenever I get caught in this rut, I think of something I saw years ago. It was an illustration of water with a “No Fishing” sign in the middle of it. It was paired with the quote by Corrie ten Boom: God buries our sins in the depths of the sea and puts up a sign that says, ‘No fishing.’ Whatever wrong you have done is done, even if you just did it two seconds ago. You cannot take it back, and if the Lord has cast it into the sea of forgiveness, then He is not dwelling on it, and neither should you. Think of that no more. I will not always be scolding [30], He says. Pick up your head, repent, and move Onward in grace and truth.

Steadfast Love

This is what steadfast love is. It’s love that takes your punishment for you. It’s love that cannot be shaken, reduced, or taken away. It stands firm and offers you grace and forgiveness over and over again, no matter what you’ve done or how much you’re struggling to get it together. The patience of God is infinitely greater than the patience of man. If you are seeking righteousness and seeking Him with all your heart, He will make up for what you lack, and He will come running to you.

Give your past, your weaknesses, and current failings to God, accept the gift, and live it out. You will not find a greater love than this in the entire universe.

If the message of Jesus is new to you or you would like to learn more, please don't hesitate to reach out!

Footnotes

[1] D.T. Niles

[2] C.S. Lewis, The Case for Christianity

[3] Genesis 1:31

[4] Newton's Third Law of Motion

[5] Psalm 14:3, Mark 10:18, Romans 3:10-12

[6] Psalm 89:14, Deuteronomy 32:4, Psalm 100:5, Psalm 145:9

[7] Augustine of Hippo, The Confessions of St Augustine 1.1

[8] Matthew 7:22-23

[9] 1 Timothy 2:4

[10] John 1:14

[11] John 3:16, Hebrews 1:5, The Nicene Creed

[12] John 3:17, John 12:47

[13] 1 Peter 2:24, Isaiah 53:5

[14] 1 John 1:7, Colossians 1:14, Hebrews 9:22, 1 Peter 1:18-19

[15] Romans 10:9

[16] Matthew 9:12-13, Mark 2:17, Luke 5:31-32

[17] Psalm 42:7

[18] Luke 15:11-32

[19] Romans 5:8

[20] 1 Samuel 13:14, Acts 13:22

[21] Matthew 26:35

[22] Romans 6:11

[23] Romans 7:13-25

[24] 1 Corinthians 10:13

[25] Hebrews 10:14

[26] John Steinbeck, East of Eden

[27] John 14:15

[28] John Owen, The Mortification of Sin

[29] Colossians 1:22

[30] C.S. Lewis, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Silver Chair, Micah 7:18-19, Isaiah 58:16, Psalm 103:8-13, Psalm 145:8-9