Saturday, February 26, 2011

We need God's wrath to forgive

An amazingly succinct telling of this deep truth by pastor and writer Kevin DeYoung on his blog. If you've ever been sinned against in a way that you think is impossible to forgive. If you lie awake at night beating yourself up because the pain is too great for you to "just get over it" this beautiful truth is for you. THE BIBLE DOESN'T ASK YOU TO GET OVER SIN! I know the all caps thing is technically poor form in internet world but I desperately want Christians to understand. The cross is not just freedom from your own sins, but freedom for sins committed against you. God is your defender. Here's Kevin's words.

"we need God’s wrath in order to forgive our enemies. The reason we can forgo repaying evil for evil is because we trust the Lord’s promise to repay the wicked. Paul’s logic is sound. “Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord” (Rom. 12:19). The only way to look past our deepest hurts and betrayals is to rest assured that every sin against us has been paid for on the cross and or will be punished in hell. We don’t have to seek vigilante justice, because God will be our just judge.

If you submit your life to the cross of Christ he is not only your savior but also your defender. You can take shelter at the cross. Here's another amazing resource on this subject by John Piper. Stop trying to get over it, dive in to Christ and let him handle it.

sDg

Monday, February 7, 2011

What to do with the superbowl after the superbowl

Incredibly helpful thoughts from Pastor/Leader C.J. Mahaney from his blog last year

"Sometime after the game-that same evening or the next day- its helpful for a father to draw his child's attention to the game in light of eternity. It's also helpful for us as fathers to be reminded of an eternal perspective. Apart from those few who listen excessively to sports talk radio, this game will be quickly forgotten. Let me ask you this- who won the Super Bowl even five years ago?

The day before the 1972 Super Bowl, Dallas Cowboy running back Duane Thomas said, "if it's the ultimate game home come they're playing it again next year?" Some players seem to get it. Sadly, many fans don't.

More recently Tom Brady, quarterback of three Super Bowl championships, is quoted in a 60 minutes interview saying "Why do I have three Super Bowl rings and still think there's something greater out there for me? I mean, maybe a lot of people would say, "Hey man, this is what is." I reached my goal, my dream, my life. I think, "God, it's got to be more than this." I mean this isn't, this can't be what it's all cracked up to be."

I anticipate that in a week or two, after the Super Bowl has been won, the champions will experience this same dissatisfaction. As Augustine said, "You [God] made us for yourself, and our hearts find no peace till they rest in you.""

Pastor Mahaney wrote this for fathers, and super bowl super fans, but as I read it it hit me we all have something we try to make- as Brady would say it- "all this is cracked up to be". Whether it be the dream job, the dream girl (or guy), the dream victory, or the dream buisness, everything seems empty the morning after. To point us back to Augustine's enduring quote and reverse it, our hearts will find rest when we rest in God.