The Revealed God

Last week, I wrote about the need we have for help from outside of ourselves. I made the case that the help we receive has to come from a being that is perfect, and that this perfect being, call it God, has to find us.

But maybe you don’t buy that God is perfect. After all, if God is perfect, why does evil exist? Why do bad things happen to good people? I mean, these are questions people have been asking literally for as long as people have been asking questions, and nobody has ever been satisfied with the answer. Do you want to know the truth, though? I mean, really, do you want to know the truth, even if it’s not satisfying? Because I know the truth. I mean it – I really do. I’m not smarter than all those other people who asked, just… maybe a little more honest. Are you ready? Because here’s the answer:

I. don’t. know.

Not knowing the answer isn’t a cop-out, it’s the truth. It’s been attributed to several great thinkers, but one of my favorite quotes is this: To truly know is to know that you do not. If I had all the answers, I would be God.

God’s ways are not our ways, and that’s a big part of what makes God… well, God. It’s not only arrogant to think we can figure out all of the answers to the universe, it’s just silly. How can a creature, living within creation, determine the parameters of that creation and identify the creator, unless the creator gives that information to the creature?

If God was not perfectly holy, perfectly just, all knowing, all powerful, unchanging, and perfectly good, God would not be God, at all. I don’t think the problem is that God does not meet our standards of perfect, good, holy, just, etc., I think the problem is that we are lousy at setting and evaluating standards.

What is ‘good?’ If I steal a loaf of bread from you, you call it bad – but if I give that bread to a starving family, they call it good. Moral relativism says this proves there is no good or bad, but common sense says it only proves that people stink at being consistent with their definitions and judgments.

What is fair? I once received a temporary disabled parking permit after a knee surgery. Was it fair that I didn’t have to walk as far to get into a store? Was it still fair if I parked in the only available spot and left someone in a wheelchair to park much farther away?

I’m sure you had an opinion on both of those situations, but how do you know if your opinion is the right one?

And so, we are back to the idea of a perfect God, and we just have issues with our understanding of perfection – as well as goodness, fairness, and a whole lot of other things.

But, back to our original train, if you can admit you are not perfect (that you are, in fact, a sinner), and if you can admit that you are unable to help yourself, and if you are willing to seek help outside of yourself, and if real help can only truly come from God, how do we get that help?

I’ve got good news: God has already broken through and offered that help.

I mentioned last week that the primary disagreement between Judaism, Christianity, and Islam basically comes down to their belief about how people are reconciled to this one God.

Judaism and Christianity agree that God made a covenant with a certain group of people, that if they kept His commandments (rules for living) and stayed faithful only to Him (without worshiping any other deities), then He would bless their time on earth and reward them with land (which means freedom and independence from foreign powers) and children (who carry on your name and legacy). When those people fall short of the standard of perfection (doesn’t seem fair, but a perfect God cannot abide imperfection or allow it to come into His presence, much in the same way a white t-shirt cannot come into contact with motor oil without the motor oil making the shirt cease to be white anymore), they can pay the price to atone for their sins.

Unfortunately, that price is blood. The Bible says that the cost of sin is death, because sin takes away from who we are, as beings created by a perfect and holy God. We deserve death because of our sin. But God allowed for a substitute sacrifice of an animal, and He would forgive (make clean) our sins again.

Christians believe that, after a time, God decided to end this process of continuous sacrifice and make one substitute sacrifice once, for all. So He became a human being Himself – the Bible says that His Word became flesh – in the person of Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ, God’s anointed. Remember how I said God has to reveal Himself? Well, He did. First, through His spoken and written Word, gathered together in what we call the Bible, and second, through His incarnate Word, Jesus Christ.

All-knowing God stepped out into His own creation to reveal Himself to His creatures, so that they would see Him, listen to Him, believe Him, and follow Him.

But people rejected God. They mocked Him for suggesting they needed to be saved. They beat Him for suggesting that God had come down to help them. They murdered Him – crucified Him – for having the audacity to forgive their sins.

And yet, in the midst of that great evil, those people actually helped God accomplish His plan: God Himself was the once-and-for-all atoning sacrifice for all of the sins of all of the people of all time and in all places. Only God could be that perfect sacrifice.

He did it because, even though we are sinful and rebellious, like teenagers, God, like a good parent, never stops loving His children.

Islam believes that no one can atone for sins, so their solution is for nearly everyone to go to hell, and have the flames burn off their sin. I guess that’s one way to go, but that only accounts for the perfection and justice of God, not the love and mercy.

I believe God revealed Himself in the person and work of Jesus Christ, and then He died a death as a human to be an atoning sacrifice for your – and my – sins. And then, because He is a living God, He rose from the dead to promise everlasting life to all who believe in this atoning sacrifice. For all who can take Him at His Word, who look and see the revealed God whose love and mercy always trump His justice.

So Jesus Christ, God Incarnate, has carried the weight of your sins to the cross. There is nothing left for you to hold onto; nothing left to run or hide from; no burden of guilt He wants you to clutch. Turn back – return to Him – and let it all go.

The Lord loves us when we don’t deserve to be loved. His heart is warm with mercy for sinners. Even though He would be right to be furious with us, He does not let His temper flare up and destroy us. In fact, He did the opposite: He sent Jesus to save us from His righteous anger.

So, turn back. Return to Him. Don’t be afraid, be thankful. Be thankful that you can lay your heart bare, confess your sins, admit that you are a sinner in need of His forgiveness, and let go in the cool and refreshing waters of the Gospel forgiveness.

Turn back. He is waiting with open arms.

Return to Him. Your sins are forgiven.

Turn back, and repent. Then, walk forward with courage and confidence, that you are no longer dead in the trespasses in which you once walked, but are alive in Christ.

Happy Easter

Ever, RevErik