Pastor Joe and Stacie are joined by Mike Omoniyi, founder and CEO of The Common Sense Network and Founder and Director of Our God Given Mission, for a fascinating and important conversation on racism.
As editor in chief of a media company and a committed Christian, Mike engages this urgent topic with poise, sensitivity, and perspective all with a spotlight on the grace of the gospel of Jesus.
If you’re looking for hope in these uncertain times, you’ll love this conversation!
It’s 2020 and racism is still alive. Thankfully, God is too. Here are three reflections on what the Gospel means for a world still wrestling with race and prejudice.
Imagine you have a son, say 7 years old. He’s pushed down the stairs by your eldest son who is 10. He bangs his head against the railing, grazes his knee and cuts his arm. He’s never seen himself bleed before and is in a weeping state. The first thing you say to him is unlikely to be “By the way kid, erm – remember to forgive your brother, you hear?”
At this time, it is instinctive to want to provide solutions quickly. Many people are hurt and angry and we want to help. Yet we are reminded by the scriptures that “whoever makes haste, misses his way.” (Proverbs 19:2). We ought to be careful not to rush ahead to offer words that underestimate the problem of racism. It is helpful and important to acknowledge what has happened. To be measured. To come to terms with the seriousness of tragedy – to mourn. These are all important and necessary steps on the journey towards restoration.
In the book of Job, the most righteous man in the Land (in God’s own words), Job, is hit with devastating calamity fast and hard. All of his children are killed, his body is struck with sores from head-to-toe, and all his livestock are destroyed in a matter of days. When his friends came to visit him, they sat with him in silence – for 7 days. So deep was their grief for their friend, they mourned with no words (Job 1 – 2), (this was arguably their best choice of words given their ill advice later in the book!).
The Gospel is good news about God’s invitation to know Him in a relationship sustained by His love forever. The invitation was not free, as Jesus Christ, the Son of God became a man, gave His life, and rose from the grave to make it all possible. In dying, He destroyed the power of sin which separated us from God. In rising He proved His victory was permanent. So the gospel is an open invitation to anyone who will spend their life repenting from sin and trusting in Jesus. Yet it had a deep cost. It cost Christ His life. It was a painful, but yet necessary step for God to forgive us for our sins.
In Him, we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.
Ephesians 1:7
As Christians, black or white, we should be careful when offering counsel during this time by attempting to quash people’s frustration with pithy statements that underestimate the problem of racism, and perhaps more specifically police brutality against black people. The Gospel offers real hope and serious restoration for our relationships with God and people through continual repentance and forgiveness. That is good news. There are no shortcuts to healing – only deep, gradual balms sustained over time.
Jesus tells us “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” (Matthew 5:5). During this time we should remember that grief and hope are not mutually exclusive. They are intertwined, both helpful in making progress.
“Racism is a sin issue!” is one quote that has been doing the rounds over the last few weeks. Some have quoted this to mean that if only everybody were a Christian, racism would go away. There is some truth here. All evil is a product of a sinful heart (Matthew 15:19). If God saves you, you are a new creation with new desires to love God and people, richly.
However, the statement still feels incomplete. The gospel is not a train that you jump on and leave all the problems of your heart at the platform. As believers, we carry ungodly unconscious biases even into our new life with Christ. We carry a carnal nature that must be crucified daily (Matt 16:24). Sanctification is a process. Repentance is a journey, not a one-time event. It is lazy then, to use spiritual words as a replacement for having difficult conversations that challenge our biases and help us to repent.
Racism is a sin, yes – that must be dealt with specifically and thoroughly rather than vaguely and hastily. When you have a tooth problem you need to see a health specialist. In fact, you need to see a dentist. The gospel empowers believers to take prescriptive action to be specific on sin and specific on how to cut out.
“And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away”.
Matthew 5:30
When people hear “Racism is a sin issue” it sounds like “well let’s pray for Jesus to save these souls and this issue will go away”. Well yes, we should pray for salvation. But that is not all we should do, neither is it all we can do. We can speak about the issue because sin thrives in darkness (Psalm 32:7). We can petition and contribute to changing the narrative on race. We can educate ourselves about racism and addressing our own racial biases. For more on what can be done, have a read of How Should Christians Respond to Racial Injustice.
When all people have to say is “Racism is a sin issue” it is almost as though the gospel is silent on everyone’s moral responsibility to do what is right – which it isn’t. When you become a Christian, God gives you His eyesight to see morality as He does. To view sin, not as some ‘naughty’ or ‘cheeky’ action, but ugly and cancerous. To view holiness, not as a ‘good-goody two shoes’, but as separate and completely different in nature. Your perspective on morality is far more incisive because it is being seen through the lens of Christ.
Hear Jesus:
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery;’ but I tell you that everyone who gazes at a woman to lust after her, has committed adultery with her already in his heart.
Matthew 5:27- 28
Jesus here shows that adultery, usually understood as a physical action, already happens in the heart of a person before they physically engage with anyone. That is the lens of clarity, precision, and perfection through which God sees morality. So when a handcuffed black man is choked to death for nearly 9 minutes on camera by those responsible for protecting citizens – the gospel does not swap that from the murder it is, to something else it isn’t. It tells us that it is wrong. It tells us why it is deeply wrong and why we should be upset. Also, we should be sure of this- if we are upset at sin, God is appalled (Prov 15:9). This is why His comfort is a great one. Because He understands injustice better than we do. He understands our pain better than we do. So the gospel does not move the goalposts of morality as culture changes. The goalposts are firmly rooted in God’s perfect, unchanging law of what is good and evil.
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet He did not sin.
Hebrews 4:15
‘Despised and rejected by men, He was well acquainted with grief’
Isaiah 53:3
We should remember that the Gospel is not good news because it is convenient for people. It is good because God – who is good, lavishes love unto us – who are not good. “Oh, you’re racist? repent and believe Jesus and you’ll be fine. See now wasn’t that easy!” No, the gospel is not “convenient and easy” because reconciliation is not convenient and easy. It is messy and hard. Have you ever had to forgive someone who seriously wounded you? Do you remember how that felt? Have you ever overcome an addiction to a bad habit? Do you remember how militant you needed to be to end the cycle? This is the gospel. It is inconvenient. It is not cute at all. There is a daily dying to self (1 Cor 15:31). There is mourning (Matthew 5:5). There is blood (Eph 1:7). So it is disappointing to hear Christians underestimate the moral responsibility of every person to do what is righteous – be it matters of race or any other issue. And yet as Christians, we have hope in knowing that we do not fight sin in our own strength alone but with the power of God’s Spirit at work in us (Romans 8:13).
Eternity places our greatest problems into perspective. 500 years from now issues that are big today may not feel as prevalent then. Grief tends to lose its intensity over time – but facts don’t expire. Sin yesterday, is still sin today. Injustice yesterday is still injustice today. Similarly, the Gospel places our deepest problems with race into perspective. The Gospel does not change a lie into truth or a painful experience into a pleasing experience. Instead, the Gospel places all things into perspective in light of what we know to be true about God. Rather than a delete button, the Gospel is actually a great revealer – a piercing light shining on every evil thought, every hateful act, every sin everywhere. It exposes all that is wrong with the human heart against the backdrop of the Cross where God’s justice and His mercy intersect (2 Cor 5:21).
Black people who have died at the hands of police brutality are a reminder that all is not well with our world. It is broken. And yet in God’s wisdom, He routinely intends for good using the same situations His enemies intend for evil. See the examples below:
As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.
Genesis 50:20
This Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.
Acts 2:23
From God’s perspective suffering is never meaningless. On one level we can already see global signs of solidarity never seen before in response to the killing of George Floyd (read There is Hope in the Midst of Racial Injustice). The point is that God does not waste our suffering. As Christians we have confidence in God’s ability and intention to use all evil, injustice, and oppression, to accomplish His purposes for our good – without removing our responsibility to do what is right (Romans 8:28, 2 Peter 1:10). Through suffering and grief we can know more deeply His God’s comfort. We can know more truly His compassion. We can know more intimately His promises and ultimately know Him, better.
So to summarise, the Gospel does not provide a shortcut to restoration from the scars of racism – healing takes time. The Gospel offers reconciliation between us and God and between ourselves as people, through continual forgiveness and repentance. The Gospel shows that God ensures no suffering is wasted but is purposeful to fulfill His plans for His glory and our joy.
This past month has brought to the forefront the racial injustices which continue to plague our world. The dehumanisation of black lives has captured worldwide attention. Such painful realities can overwhelm us with a deep sense of helplessness. Thankfully, there is hope.
The New Testament identifies believers as foreigners to this world (1 Peter 2:11), temporary residents of the Earth with their citizenship in Heaven (Philippians 3:20). Our lives are governed by the culture and practices of God’s Kingdom. We live with a heavenly perspective, setting our hearts and minds on things above (Colossians 3:2). This does not absolve us from the responsibility of pursuing justice in this world. Contrastingly, it further fuels our motivation to fight for justice because the Spirit of Christ is stirring our thoughts and affections heavenward where our compassionate Lord and Saviour is enthroned. Although His chief mission was to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10), He did so whilst serving others, caring for the vulnerable and with a heart for ethnic reconciliation.
With our citizenship in heaven, our motivations for pursuing justice differ from those of the unbeliever. We do so with our supreme joy made full in living in obedience to God’s commands as a result of our regeneration. Therefore, we strive to see racial injustice eradicated as we are driven by the greatest commandment Christ gave to His followers.
Jesus was repeatedly confronted by Pharisees who reeked of self-righteousness as they challenged His teaching credentials. One example is captured Matthew 22:
Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?”And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
– Matthew 22:36-40
These two commandments are derived from the Mosaic law instituted by God to Israel, marking them out as His covenant people. The law is God’s means of reflecting His image (Leviticus 19:1-2). Therefore, God’s holiness is manifested in the observable obedience to these two commandments Jesus gives us. You cannot fulfill the first when bypassing the second; to love God is to love your neighbour. The display of neighbourly love vividly captures the Imago Dei (image of God), reflecting His character and His holiness.
What does this mean in the face of racial injustice? It means engaging in the effort against it and ensuring that the dignity of God’s image-bearers is protected as we push for reform in the structures that perpetuate systemic racism. It means educating ourselves, ridding our minds of racial bias and comforting those who are impacted by racial injustice. Christ taught us that all those we encounter are our neighbours. Accordingly, we must set aside prejudice and overcome racial barriers to show neighbourly love and compassion as beautifully communicated in the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37).
The mandate of the believer is to be compassionate to all those we come across especially in the face of injustice. This alongside the global solidarity against racial injustice ignites a matchstick of hope within me. At the time of writing this article:
This gives us a meaningful, tangible hope.
For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth,
And the former shall not be remembered or come to mind.
– Isaiah 65:17
God is working through global efforts in the fight against racial injustice, but the encouragement doesn’t stop there. God has given us eternal hope. In the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ, we have been born into a new and living hope. One which is imperishable because it is reserved for us in heaven. This hope is gifted to us by the mercy of God. The preservation of our hope is not our own doing, but by God safely keeping us through faith until the second coming of Jesus. (1 Peter 1:3-7). In this knowledge and beautiful revelation of the Gospel, we have full assurance He will see us through all sin, pain, suffering, and hurt, including racial injustice. The injustices are temporal, as Apostle Paul states in Romans 8:18, the present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed to us. Christ is coming to bring all things to perfection with the creation of the new heaven and the new earth, where we will dwell with our Lord, where there will be no pain, for the former things would have passed away (Revelation 21:1-8).
As I write this article, the last few words of George Floyd as he cried out for his mother are still ringing through my ears. I can’t breathe. In my short few years on this Earth, I cannot recall any three words which has moved so many people from all corners of the globe into action. As of today, there have been protests across the 50 states in America and 18+ countries across the world. As we have witnessed a rallying cry for justice in the world, how should Christians respond in the face of injustice?
During the last few weeks, I have witnessed many Christian leaders in response to the events of the past month, who have been quick to raise theological and esoteric arguments as though that is the prescription the bleeding world needs to hear right now. Responses such as these are insensitive and proceed to diminish the experience of those who face racial injustice on a daily basis. The default posture of the believer is not to immediately teach and correct but instead, as Paul instructs us in Romans 12 to weep with those who are weeping. Christians grieve and lament. Jesus burst into tears when He was faced with the death of Lazarus (John 11). It is good and right for a Christian to grieve. As Tim Challies says, “We grieve genuinely and unapologetically”.
What separates Christianity from every other world religion is that we serve a God who knows what it’s like to feel. There is not a facet of life which anyone reading this article has experienced, which Jesus in His thirty-three short years on Earth did not Himself experience. If you feel abandoned? Jesus knows what that feels like. If you feel rejected? He experienced that also. If you face temptation? Jesus was tempted in every way. And if you face racial injustice? Jesus was subject to it. Jesus, being a Jewish minority, under Roman rule, faced the same ethical, racial, and social-economic tensions which we face today. Why is this good news? As the writer of Hebrews says, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses.” (Hebrews 4:15). The Jesus we run to is not a remote, distant deity. But rather He is active and has a unique understanding of our suffering (Hebrews 2:18). Because He understands, that is why we can come to Him with our weariness and heavy burdens and why He is able to give us rest (Matthew 11:28). When we see the injustices in the world, the response of the believer is not to haphazardly throw around scripture, but to lament, grieve and mourn with those who are affected.
“It must be right to grieve, not only with the people of God who are persecuted for our faith in Oman, Pakistan and North Korea but with all who suffer from other kinds of prejudice – whether apartheid in South Africa, Islamophobia in Myanmar, Anti-Semitism in politics or police brutality in Minneapolis. We must not harden our hearts toward the pain of those who grieve.”
– Richard Coekin
Christians can not remain apathetic in the face of injustice. It is not enough for Christians to simply be not racist, we must be anti-racist. Followers of Christ must challenge and aim to correct the divides which exist between different races, ethnicities, genders, and socioeconomic classes. The fight against injustice is not a secondary issue to the Gospel, it is a foundational one. Jesus, when gathered with the disciples in Matthew 25:31-36, taught that the way in which we treat those who are marginalised and oppressed serves as an indication as to whether we are truly followers of Him. If you claim to love God and love His people, you would not only hate injustice against God but injustice against His people.
Because if you love what is good you will hate what is evil. If the Gospel you preach doesn’t result in you to fighting against the racial injustices we see in the world, then you have a truncated gospel.
Christians cannot remain indifferent when it comes to the issue of fighting injustice. Proverbs 31:9 instructs believers to “speak up, judge righteously; defend the rights of the poor and needy”. When Pharaoh, refused to let the Israelites go free, Moses protested against Pharoah to “Let my people go” (Exodus 9:1). Jesus, protested against the Pharisees when they wanted to unjustly stone the adulterous woman to death (John 8:1-11). When faced with injustice, Christians protest. Now, how this looks like on an individual basis would vary. Some Christians might go out on the streets and protest, some may sign petitions, some Christians may protest by giving money to the relevant organisations which fight against injustice. However, remaining silent is not an option for the believer. We are called to be the voice for the voiceless. Paul instructs us, when we see evil, to expose evil and where we see injustice, expose injustice (Ephesians 5:11). The one thing Christians cannot do is to look away.
Christians should protest, however, we protest distinctly to the world. In instances where a Christian might protest on the streets, we are to do so peacefully. We stand up as believers against injustice knowing its not our place to carry out vengeance or God’s wrath. We do not and must not carry out vengeance for vengeance is for the Lord- Deuteronomy 32:35, Romans 12:19, Hebrew 10:30. The hallmark of a believer when fighting injustice is that a believer knows who gets the final say. God.
When faced with injustice, the Christian response is not merely to bend our knee in protest but to also do so in prayer. The battle against the injustices of the world is not fought solely by creating and signing petitions here on Earth but also making prayers of petition to Heaven.
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds.
– 2 Corinthians 10:3-4
In times such as these, prayer almost seems pointless. When faced with injustice, it is easy to believe that social activism is the most effective approach. However, the most powerful tool a Christian has in his or her arsenal is prayer. We pray to the God who can bring about eternal change. We pray for God’s justice to be carried out. We pray for those who have been victims of racial injustice, we pray for God’s comfort, peace and healing over their lives. We pray for those in positions of power, we pray that they shall act justly and courageously. We also pray for those who oppress, we pray that they shall repent and come to know the love and mercy of God! And as we pray, we know God is able, and the Gospel of Jesus Christ can change lives, including the lives of those who are racist. We pray and live with the hope that the Lord Jesus would help all Christians to preach, obey, and apply a sufficient Gospel to this present evil age!
Dear White Christians,
As you can most probably tell, black people are upset. In fact we are absolutely livid. And I hope that you understand why. If for some reason you are not aware of the gravity of our pain and frustration, allow me to explain it to you. The ugly foot of white supremacy and racism continues to crush and suffocate the rights of black people. Quite literally, in fact. In the past month, black people have had to endure the pain of watching the sore and weeping wound of racial injustice be reopened by more senseless acts of racially motivated murders by white police officers and citizens alike. To add insult to injury, the outcry of black people about this injustice is muffled by both the dismissive attitudes of white people who use their white privilege to discredit our experience and the oppressive white dominated justice system which tries, on many occasions, to falsify our claims of mistreatment towards innocent black people.
Your fellow black colleagues, friends, church members are not dealing with this well. In fact, they are distraught, some to the point that they feel a sense of consuming despair. Some are confused and losing hope. Others carry a burden of broiling rage on their shoulders and they’re not quite sure where to place the load of their pent up frustrations and anger. Simple things like checking social media and tuning in to the latest news updates have become a painful and burdensome task. Of recent, most days have ended in an overflow of tears and complex emotions. Why us? Why should we be the ones that are slain like dogs all day long at the hands of people who share the same skin colour as you? I know you do not have the answer to that question, nor do I expect you to.
But I do want you to know this. I am personally overcome with grief. Yet in my despair, as I pray in my tears on my bed, and struggle to form words, I cling on to hope. A hope I know that does not come from myself but from God. Because when I recall the day that has fallen to dusk and I count the many injustices, my soul questions what there is that this current world has to offer. The racial injustice that we see reminds many of us black Christians that this world is not our home, and that we are pilgrims awaiting a life to come that will be completely free of racial hatred; where we will no longer be abused and killed for the colour of our skin. This is a painful and bittersweet reality which makes us both upset and angry. This is how we feel and I want you to acknowledge it.
In light of this, I sincerely ask you to not downplay our frustrations. Even if you do not vocally project racist sentiments or live with bigotry lodged in your heart, do not be a practical racist. Do not behave as if racism is a minor or non-existent issue by remaining silent. Do not gaslight our experience as black people by understating the racial injustice that we face. Do not undermine the experience of black people by carrying on with your lives as usual as though this is an issue that soon will pass. This lets me know two things: you do not care about injustice and you do not care about us. We are already exhausted and upset by the tragedies that we are being faced with, do not insult us further by making us explain why black lives matter. Do not use the term ‘all lives matter’ to belittle the injustices of racially motivated murder and assault. Do not divert from the foul play that is taking place. We are not over-reacting. We are angry and our anger is justified.
The issue of white supremacy and racial injustice is not just a black problem. It’s not just an American problem. It’s a ‘you and me’ problem. Do not expect us to be able to deal with these injustices on our own. The racism that affects black people must mean something to you. Enough for you to want to use your white privilege to act and support us to fight against these injustices. If you don’t believe that your white privilege exists or fail to understand its impact in our society and, more specifically, to black lives, then I’m afraid you are contributing to the very injustice that we are fighting against. Do not use your privilege to be silent on the matter and do not use your privilege to patronise us. We do not need performative allyship. Publicly ‘supporting’ the cause in order to be seen by others, as to avoid the scrutiny of being silent or inactive on the matter is insulting. We do not need your pity. We need your genuine support. We do not need you to pretend that you care. We need you to care enough to do something substantial in the fight against racism.
If you are white and a Christian, then playing your part in standing up for justice is inescapable. Why? Because the God you serve is a God of justice. He hates injustice and therefore so should you (Prov 6:16-19, Prov 17:15). He continually defends and upholds the cause of the oppressed (Amos 5) and thus expects the very same from those who He has called through Christ;
Speak up, judge righteously and defend the rights of the afflicted and oppressed.
Proverbs 31:9
Our legitimacy to the world to whom we proclaim the Gospel relies on the way we live it out; this includes our response to racial injustice. By doing nothing you act in a way that is contrary to the God you serve and afflicts the members with whom you are united in Christ, serving an inaccurate and skewed picture of the Gospel for the world to see. I want you to care about me and my race as much I care about you and yours. Esteem and value the black members of your church and your society above yourselves (Phil 2:3, Rom 12:13), by using your voice and your efforts to help our plight. Being one body consisting of many members requires us to be united in this matter of fighting against racial injustice, in the same way, that we strive for unity in the body of Christ.
This is how we have come to know love: He laid down his life for us. We should also lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has this world’s goods and sees a fellow believer in need but withholds compassion from him—how does God’s love reside in him?
Little children, let us not love in word or speech, but in action and in truth.
1 John 3:16-18
You are probably reading this letter and wondering to yourself; ‘well what can I actually do about this issue?’ I’m glad you asked. Here are a few things you can do. Firstly pray. If you genuinely care about wanting to see justice roll like a river, then you should pray (Rom 12:12). Pray constantly and earnestly as you would for yourselves, believing that the God of justice will judge and rightfully deal with these injustices (Rom 12:19). Mourn with us (Rom 12: 15). Ask us how we feel and be sincerely attentive to and concerned with the answer that we give. Engage in sincere and meaningful conversations with black people that you know and try to learn about their experience and how they are being affected. Educate yourself about why black lives matter if the answer is unclear to you. Do your research about the history of racial inequality, research on anti-racist policies, statistics concerning race-related crimes, and cases about racial injustice within the law enforcement and political frameworks both nationally and internationally. Then, use your voice. Speak out, on our behalf, to your fellow white friends and family, and to your local MP (who is probably white). Contact friends who are policymakers, law reformers, politicians. Use your white privilege for good. When the government and authorities try to discredit our voices and refuse to listen to us due to the institutional racism that is entrenched in its systems, we need you to stand in the gap and make noise for us. If white people like you do not use your voices to speak on our behalf then our black voices will continue to be white noise in a society that consistently devalues our existence and invalidates our experience. The change and justice for black lives that you expect to see, relies on you to play your part. Finally, put your money where your mouth is; sign petitions and donate to organisations and crowdfunders that support racial justice causes. Use your white privilege for effectual good.
Until black lives matter, no lives matter at all. Take heed of this.
Yours truly,
A black friend.
The last time we took a dive into the importance of knowing your purpose and the endless list of pros to knowing your calling. But now that you may understand why it’s useful to know it, what knowing it can do, and the way it can change your life…the next reasonable question would, of course, be ‘So how do I discover mine?’.
Let’s try a small exercise. Close your eyes and imagine your average day in 10 years, what will you be doing? Assuming you have opened your eyes, add in Condition 1
Again, close your eyes and imagine. Now add in Condition 2:
Now, close your eyes and imagine these two conditions combined.
Whatever you imagined yourself doing, in many cases will be an indicator of what you’re called to do. If you just imagined yourself asleep or soaking in the sun at the beach then you need to go back and read pt.1. The reason why we undertook the above exercise is that: Condition 1 removes the pressure of having to make money and Condition 2 removes the cap we often apply to ourselves by seeing a task as too big or too risky, which are some of the biggest lies used to hold us back from fulfilling that purpose.
You could engage in this exercise anywhere, therefore you might ask yourself- where is God in all this? Well, conditions 1 and 2, when added to the life you were imagining, are the equivalent of adding God. God’s involvement in your path to purpose should mean that money and failure cannot be the reason you fail to achieve it. This does not mean guaranteed wealth or success at every turn, but that lack of finances and failure on the way will not be the reason you can’t make it to your destination. God will send you and then provide the things needed to get there.
Then the whole congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. And the children of Israel said to them, “Oh, that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat and when we ate bread to the full! For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”
– Exodus 16:2-3
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you. And the people shall go out and gather a certain quota every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in My law or not.
– Exodus 16:4
When walking in purpose, God will provide. Money shouldn’t be a concern because God will not set you out to work without ensuring that you have the resources you need to be effective. If there are no resources available in your walk, your question should be: ‘Am I here because I want to be or because God sent me?’ Throughout the Bible we see examples of God intervening to keep His people afloat on the missions He sent them. If in Egypt before their emancipation, you had asked an Israelite if they wanted to reach the promised land, it’s not unreasonable to assume the answer would have been ‘yes’. However, when they started walking through the wilderness and they were asking for death instead, it seemed as if the promised land was far from being a priority. This is because the lack of resources discouraged them, they were hungry and starving and their end goal became secondary to survival.
This is the life many of us are living, the need to keep the lights on or living in comfort has us shelving our purpose for later when we can afford to take those risks. Imagine the Israelites had waited until they had enough food for 40 years to survive in the wilderness or waited until a season where the Red Sea was at its shallowest? They had to move into their purpose and God went ahead of them clearing seas and dropping food from the sky. The question is would you walk out into that wilderness and trust Him to feed you?
“Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the Lord. That person will be like a bush in the wastelands; they will not see prosperity when it comes. They will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives.
But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water, that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit”
– Jeremiah 17:5-8
As for condition 2, if you believe that what you imagined is too big or too hard or unrealistic, I have to ask what do you consider to be a realistic limit for God? That thing you imagined in the opening exercise and then dismissed as unrealistic, if God sent you there is it still unrealistic?
This is the quickest way the enemy can hold you back from fulfillment, because if he can convince you not to start because it’s unrealistic, then he has stolen, killed and destroyed before you have even moved. The Bible will never tell you a task is too great for God, so holding on to such a false impression, of what God can or cannot do, is very detrimental. The Word is the truth and in this case it will set you free from the shackles that keep you from moving towards your purpose. Sometimes, we can’t be bothered, we all feel this way, but next time you do, ask yourself who stands to gain the most from your inactivity…and who stands to lose the most?
“Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.”
– John 17:17
“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
– John 8:32
Okay, now that we have established the importance of purpose, so how do you find out yours and know that it is God who calls you not just your wishful thinking? The best answer to this is to seek God.
If you do not know Him, it’s unreasonable to expect to know His plan for you. As a general word of advice, ‘Seek God, get to know and understand His ways better’ will be the answer to many of the dilemmas you face in your walk with Christ. Honestly, try it, next time you’re faced with an issue, tell yourself to ‘Seek God, get to know and understand His ways better’ and something about that situation will change.
Furthermore, as you progressively understand Jesus’ relationship with us, you will see that it mirrors a lot of the things we are expected to be to the world and the gaps that are we are meant to fill within the world. For example, as you begin to understand Christ’s role as an intermediary or intercessor, you start to see why people might need someone to speak up on their behalf and you begin to realise that whenever your siblings got in trouble, it was you they called to plead for their forgiveness, you have a lifetime training in speaking on people’s behalf. It’s not a coincidence, it’s divine design (coining that phrase now if it hasn’t been).
“Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.”
– 1 Chronicles 16:11
Not to get side-tracked, saying seek God is great advice but more often than not the question is how? So here are some practical ways to seek God and discover purpose.
The Bible tells us that He is the Word. The Word is Him, therefore the discovery of the Word is a discovery of Him. All the questions you have about what God wants us to do or who He wants us to be are all in the Word. In times of uncertainty you can weigh the decision you want, mark it against people in the Bible making similar decisions, and read how God felt about it. Did this please him? If so, you might want to look into it more. If it caused God to grieve, it’s probably something you want to avoid. The Word is always a great place to start, as there will always be parts that are accessible to you.
“And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe.”
1 Thessalonians 2:13
As if the bible app on your phone is not portable enough, God went so far as to send us a Helper to reside within us and guide us. So as the Word begins to stick, it will dwell in your heart as opposed to just being words on a page. When weighing up decisions you may not have to turn to a particular passage, The Holy Spirit will be there to bring to remembrance the morals and purposes of what the Word has taught you. Speaking from experience, hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit is only half the battle, the hard part is doing what He says regardless.
“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”
– John 14:26
Closed mouths don’t get fed. Have you actually tried spending a few days just asking Him? Just going to Him and asking Him to show you some of the picture of what He requires you to do. However, you must ask yourself if you’re ready for the answer. There was a time I prayed for an answer on something for months and kept feeling like I was getting nothing. Until one day God revealed that He had been telling me for a while that I shouldn’t be where I was, but I was so attached to the situation, to the point where all I wanted to hear was, ‘yes proceed’ – and that’s not what I got so I thought it was silence. Some real soul-searching is required to establish whether you’re ready to commit to WHATEVER He instructs.
“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.”
– 1 John 5:14
Sometimes fasting is about removing distractions and focusing, and at other times it is about sacrifice. Speaking from experience, every single time God has revealed purpose-related matters to me, I had been fasting. That’s not to say that you can’t get these answers without fasting, but I can’t ignore the effect it seems to have. Whilst the anecdote is personal, there are countless examples in the Bible of people fasting or removing themselves from their daily routine and distractions in order for God to reveal something to them.
“While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”
– Acts 13:2
“Moses was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights without eating bread or drinking water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant—the Ten Commandments”
–Exodus 34:28
where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry. The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’”
–Luke 4:2-4
The answers you are looking for will be in some combination of these practical steps, that much He has already promised us. Whatever your purpose is, God has been moulding you for it since the day you were born and as such there will probably be pointers in your life that allude to it. However, these pointers should always come after the 4 points above, in terms of their weighting. But if you’re going to wait until tomorrow to start that fast or that prayer period, then there are things to think about in the meantime. If this topic has got you reflecting and wondering what you were put here to do, here are some other questions you can ask yourself to provide insight:
1. What can you do well without effort?
2. What makes you angry enough to make a change?
3. What releases your compassion or can move you to tears?
4. Is there anything you feel God has called you to do?
5. What problems can you not ignore?
After answering all of these you might start to see a natural inclination to a particular topic or issue or perhaps something you have a natural flair for, whatever it is, it’s a good starting place.
Christianity is not for the lone wolf. To willingly embark on an isolated walk with Christ robs oneself of a joyful and energised pursuit of God. We must be rubbing shoulders with fellow believers if we are to serve God most effectively whilst enjoying the process. There is no better way to do so than following the example of a number of more mature and wiser people in the faith. Their footsteps should ultimately lead us to the greatest example to ever walk the earth: Jesus Christ.
The Greek word we translate as ‘disciples’ (Mathetes) means ‘learner’. To be a disciple of Jesus means to be an attentive observer of Jesus, closely following His example and implementing it in our own lives. This is living in full submission to the Father and taking pleasure in fulfilling His will (John 4:34). It is to love others as He loved His disciples: by serving them (John 13:34-35 and 15:13). It is to walk in accordance to the scriptures by abiding in His word.
So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
John 8:31-32.
Of course, we mustn’t reduce Jesus to a mere moral example. He is Lord, Saviour, and the Light of the World (John 8:12) who cures the spiritual blindness of the unsaved (2 Corinthians 4:4).
Jesus’ model of discipleship was to walk alongside His followers and ‘do life’ with them. He spent three years side by side with 12 people from all walks of life, and all devoted to following Him wholeheartedly – minus one.
This consisted of patiently loving those He discipled. Rebuking and chastening them where necessary (Matthew 8:23-27 is one of several examples). He also praised them where deserved with Matthew 16:13-20 perhaps being the most powerful demonstration given to us in scripture. As He did so, He sharpened their faith, helping them to mature and become equipped to serve others.
The answer is straightforward: Jesus. Disciplers must emulate Christ. They are to be people whose lives diffuse Christ-like attributes. The fruits of the Spirit are borne out of their lives and they produce good works that glorify God, testifying to the faith they profess to have (James 2:14). As you follow them you are following Christ.
Paul encouraged both the Corinthian and Philippian churches to do so:
Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.
1 Corinthians 11:1
Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do.
Philippians 3:17
The natural place to start would be your local church. The church is the body of Christ, made up of God’s people who are all pursuing Jesus, with the enablement of the Holy Spirit and the help of one another in preparation for His second coming. This is why it is extremely vital to be plugged into a life-giving body of believers so that we may be spurred onto good works and love for one another, maturing in the faith, and all together glorifying God.
And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
Hebrews 10:24-25
Perhaps you may not have a local church you call your home. Small groups such as Bible studies or home groups still provide great opportunities for you to seek out others to disciple you. At the very minimum, we all have friends or family members whom we can reach out to help sharpen us as we desire to mature in our faith.
Human beings are fallible. We all have our own shortcomings and areas in our lives where God must work on our character. Therefore, we must be discerning, extracting that which is good, and disposing of the residue in those we follow. It must then follow that we must exercise wisdom and look for multiple mentors in order to make up for the deficiencies of another.
As iron sharpens iron,
so one person sharpens another.PROVERBS 27:17
We mustn’t be selfish. All that we learn and receive is not just for ourselves. As we are being poured into, we must also deposit into the lives of others. We are called not only to be discipled but to also disciple others. Your life must be a conduit through which those who walk with you grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18).
Our experience as disciples should fill up a reservoir of waters from which we then pour into others so that they may also raise up others to diligently follow and serve God. Discipleship done right should be a perpetual process: you receive, you give, and those you give to repeat the process. This is how Jesus approached it. His three years of discipleship equipped his students to fulfill the great commission in which new disciples were then birthed as the early church was established.
God in His great providence has strategically placed you in the very community you are in. He has people whom we may disciple or be discipled by to help the sanctification of His people. With this in mind, I pose this question to you: Who are Pauls and Timothys in your life?
Holiness appears to be taken lightly by Christians in the present day. It is often perceived and addressed as merely obeying commands. Holiness is much more than this. It is the hallmark of the Christian life decreed by our Heavenly Father whose very nature is holy.
To be holy is to be sanctified. This means being set apart unto God, consecrated for His special use and purposes. We are positionally holy at the moment of salvation (1 Corinthians 1:30, 6:11, and Hebrews 10:10). Holiness is also progressive as we are continually freed from sin and conformed into the image of Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18; 2 Peter 3:18). Not only that, but God calls us to pursue holiness (Hebrews 12:14).
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one cried to another and said:
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
The whole earth is full of His glory!”Isaiah 6:1-3
Isaiah 6 provides a majestic portrait of God’s holiness. Dr. R.C. Sproul beautifully communicates its centrality to the nature of our Heavenly Father in this passage:
“Only once in sacred scripture is an attribute of God elevated to the third degree. Only once is a characteristic of God mentioned three times in succession. The Bible says that God is holy, holy, holy. Not that He is merely holy or even holy, holy. He is holy, holy, holy. The Bible never says that God is love, love, love or mercy, mercy, mercy; or wrath, wrath, wrath; or justice, justice, justice. It does say that He is Holy and that the whole earth is full of His glory.”
God has a transcendental otherness. He is morally pure, separate from all sin, and superior over all creation. The weight of the seraphim’s voices shook the doorposts of the temple as they sang of His holiness (Isaiah 6:4). Isaiah was moved to pronounce judgement upon himself as his perilous, sinful condition was magnified in the presence of the holy God.
“Woe is me, for I am undone!
Because I am a man of unclean lips,
And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips;
For my eyes have seen the King,
The Lord of hosts.”Isaiah 6:5
Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
1 Peter 1:13-16
The most emphatic statement given about God in the whole Bible is His holiness which is communicated to the superlative degree (Isaiah 6:3). This makes our call to holiness in 1 Peter 1:13-16 one of great magnitude, and significance, which we should heed to at all times.
The KJV reads “gird up the loins of your mind” (v. 13). This is akin to rolling up your sleeves in preparation for strenuous action. As seen above, the call to holiness is weighty. Therefore, Peter is ordering God’s people to be alert and focused so that they may adopt an active way of thinking, setting their minds upon holy living, set apart unto God for His glory.
Peter addresses the Christian pilgrims to whom, throughout his epistle, are addressed as the “elect” (1 Peter 1:2); God’s chosen people whom He chose to save before the foundations of the earth. Peter implores us to live as such, keeping at the forefront of our minds that we have been chosen by God for His glory which requires holy living on our part.
An essential result of our election is sanctification and obedience (v.2), fuelled by the new nature we receive when born again and the indwelt by the Holy Spirit at work in us (Ezekiel 36:26-27). Though the flesh and the Spirit are constantly waging war (Galatians 5:17), The Spirit is presently transforming our desires to those of the Father, making holiness not only a calling but also a deeper longing of the soul. Thus, we begin to take joy in holiness as the Spirit progressively renews our desires as we are moulded into Jesus’ image.
With our minds fixed on Jesus and our hearts increasingly longing for holiness, our actions respond accordingly and we pursue it with all our might. God is changing us from the inside out, patterning our nature and desires after Himself so that we may be holy as He is holy (1 Peter 1:15-16 and Leviticus 19:1-2).
We were a people once dead in our sins and transgressions (Ephesians 2:1) but now made alive by God desiring us to be His holy vessels, set apart unto Him for His purposes. This has massive implications. Our transformed lives as God’s sanctified people are the greatest testimony to the power of the Gospel. Consequently, we have a higher calling which we ought to embrace and live out in complete submission to God through the enablement of His Spirit.
The gospel and sex. Both are rarely mentioned together. Many might not believe that they go together, however, they do. In so many ways.
Sex is very good, and the Bible teaches so. God wouldn’t have created it with its particular design and parameters if such was not the case. I think what makes sex a taboo topic for the Christian community is the idea of sexual platonism; discussing sexual pleasure is considered inappropriate because any hedonist perspective towards sex is seen as immoral. This might make a book like Songs of Solomon an uncomfortable read for some.
Let’s not be mistaken, sexual activity in extra-marital circumstances is a sin and has its negative consequences. Believers can and have fallen short of their duty to uphold purity in their lives, including myself. However, what transpires is that in our wrongdoing, ill-formed views on sex arise, where we make sex out to be the villain and not ourselves. Many Christians can be misled down the path of believing that their misdeed has resulted in form of bondage called a “soul tie”; where their soul has been spiritually fused to the soul of whom they have slept with. This is far from the truth. This is where the gospel meets sex in a compelling way.
Don’t get me wrong, while actual soul tying does not exist for believers who have engaged in sexually immoral behaviour it can FEEL as though one’s soul is tied to that of another person because of the devastating and painful consequences that linger long after the relationship has ruptured. Emotions stick around like unwanted company. Pain and regret wander in the corridors of our minds. Desires, both sexual and emotional loiter in a carefree manner. Ghostly memories of what once was and is no longer haunt us while we try to get on with our lives. This can create a depth-filled sense of entanglement that one might feel and struggle to break free from.
The parameters of sexual activity are what high-stoned walls are to its citadel; for protection. Sex is a pleasure thoroughly enjoyed in a marriage covenant, because of what it represents. As Timothy Keller puts it, it gives us the opportunity to ‘witness how God works in the gospel.’ God through Christ calls us to exclusivity; to enter a faithful covenant with Him; the same way in which a man calls a woman to enter into a faithful commitment with him. As our exclusive loyalty to God allows us to be beneficiaries of various spiritual blessings (Eph 1:3), so is sex one of the many blessings that a husband and wife experience as a result of their fidelity to one another. Sex is a safe, secure expression of selflessness through love and a declaration of one’s devotion. When we engage in extra-marital sex, we experience the opposite of this and thus, the positive attributes of sex are hidden.
So what hope is there for the Christian who find themselves burned from the fire of their lust and is experiencing a sense of painful entanglement from their sin?
Firstly we should not be so quick to assume that this indicates a soul tie. The message of the gospel hums a completely different tune; through Christ’s death on the cross, He has paid the debt of our sin and in His resurrection has set us free from the slavery of death, sin and its effects. Therefore in our freedom, we should not be so quick to let ourselves be burdened by a bondage of sin that no longer exists for us.
Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.
Galatians 5:1
Instead, we shouldn’t hesitate to make use of our privilege by boldly and humbly approaching the throne of God and earnestly confessing our sins to the One who is Faithful and Just to both forgive us of our sins and cleanse us of the sore plague that our entanglement in sin has caused us (1 John 1:9).
The stakes were high in Jerusalem as Jesus was making his way unto the cross. In Luke Chapter 23, we get a look at the trial of Jesus Christ before Pontius Pilate, his meeting with King Herod Antipas, his crucifixion, death, and burial. The story is well recorded and well covered in history because it details Jesus’ atoning death for our sins on the cross. However, in that chapter, there is a little incongruence that I want us to look at through narrative analysis. It is shocking, and when we consider it deeply, it may help us understand a thing or two about this generation’s #CancelCulture.
The Jews had no authority to administer the death penalty, so they went to Pilate, who was the Roman governor over the region of Judea. They brought Jesus to Pilate hoping for a favourable result. Secular history shows us that Pilate was a cruel, ruthless man, completely insensitive to the moral feelings of others. Surely, they thought, Pilate will put this Jesus to death. Surely he would put an end to all this preaching and disruption to their religious order.
And they began to accuse him, saying, “We have found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, saying that He Himself is Christ, a King.”
Luke 23:2
It is important to note here that, they knew Pilate would be unconcerned with what they had “convicted” Jesus of — blasphemy. So, they blatantly lied and brought up other charges to make a death sentence more likely. However, though Pilate was a cruel, ruthless man; he wasn’t stupid. He could see through the motives of the Jewish leaders, and had no problem in sizing up Jesus and the whole situation, and returning a verdict:
“I find no fault in this Man.”
With this verdict from Pilate, Jesus was then sent to King Herod, after all, he was under King Herod’s jurisdiction. After much conversing and taunting King Herod too could find no fault in Jesus and sent Him back to Pilate for a second trial.
So far, the story adds up. We have Jesus, who on two separate accounts had been vindicated, judged as free and right. His own enemies found that he was innocent of any crime but still the people were not satisfied. This is when the situation became a little jarring and odd. Even though Jesus was innocent by the customs, the Jewish leaders were persistent so Pilate believed he had a way for Jesus to escape death. He planned to release Him according to the custom of releasing a prisoner every Passover season. Pilate figured, “If this man claimed to be king, and was even the slightest bit hostile to Rome, then the crowd will love him. These Jewish leaders don’t want Jesus to go free, but the crowd will sympathise with Him.”
Enter Barabbas. We don’t even know much about him, except that Barabbas is a murderer, the leader of an insurrection, and a rebel (Luke 23:19). So at this moment, Pilate thinks ‘I hold the destinies of these two men in my hands. I know the Jews have a tradition that on a holy day – I will release one of the prisoners on death row.’ It will either be Jesus or Barabbas.
Pilate stands on this audacious stage and now presents Jesus, the Son of God – vs Barabbas the thug and rebel. He essentially asks the people ‘Alright, who do you want?’.
If you consider it, it’s almost blasphemy – there is simply no comparison. Barabbas is a thief, a man deserving of being imprisoned and a man who should be on death row, and Jesus, well — He’s Jesus. He’s already been declared innocent twice by two separate courts, what business does He have going up against Barabbas like this. It’s a false equivalence.
And they all cried out at once, saying, “Away with this Man, and release to us Barabbas”- who had been thrown into prison for a certain rebellion made in the city, and for murder. Pilate, therefore, wishing to release Jesus, again called out to them. But they shouted, saying, “Crucify Him, crucify Him!” Then he said to them the third time, “Why, what evil has He done? I have found no reason for death in Him. I will, therefore, chastise Him and let Him go.” But they were insistent, demanding with loud voices that He be crucified. And the voices of these men and of the chief priests prevailed. So Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they requested. And he released to them the one they requested, who for rebellion and murder had been thrown into prison; but he delivered Jesus to their will.
Luke 23: 19-25
Faced with an unbelievably clear choice between night and day, the people with venom in their eyes and pitchforks in their hands shouted, “Crucify Him, crucify Him!”. A modern translation might be, “Cancel Him, cancel Him! We don’t care about the facts or the detail or anything else, we want blood.” The crowd, whom Pilate was convinced would release Jesus, instead condemned Him. It is a strange, almost insane scene: a cruel, ruthless Roman governor trying to win the life of a miracle-working Jewish teacher against the strenuous efforts of both the Jewish leaders and the bloodthirsty crowd. We may imagine that many in this crowd had, just a few days before, been crying “Hosanna” to Jesus. But there are always plenty of people who will do whatever the crowd does. Some scholarly commentaries say ‘a riot was beginning to build up [that]…It must have been obvious to Pilate that the situation was becoming increasingly ugly’ (Morris, 1988).
Barabbas a rebel against right, and a bad man, a thug and a crook, a man who deserves the chains, who deserves the crucifixion — freed. What did Jesus do? Heal, restore, deliver, set free, open blind eyes, and open deaf ears, heal the lame, and the lepers. Who do the people want?—’We want Barabbas, give us Barabbas’ they said.
Every time I study this story, I’m moved deeply. I have a mixture of emotions, anger, annoyance, and frustration. However, it’s the sheer sense of injustice that almost overwhelms me. How could a man like that go free? How could Barabbas not be cancelled? Why was he not crucified? What hurts more is that there’s no record of him turning to Jesus and saying “I owe You everything now, for You have set me free.” No. You don’t see any of that in Barabbas. He just walks away free. God saw that and Jesus stood there silently.
At this point, you too may be feeling frustrated and angry at the story. Angry at why a guilty man got to go free whilst Jesus was crucified and cancelled. That may change if you stop to consider who Barabbas really is. Barrabas is Us, he is you and I. Dead in our sins (Ephesians 2:1), we offered nothing to our salvation than the sin that made it necessary.
We are liars, cheaters, sinners, guilty by every account and deserving of death and separation from the Father. We were found guilty, we were on death row, we were set for eternal damnation, we were the thugs, the murders, the unrepentant and the ungrateful. And whilst we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. It almost seems unjust that he would let us walk free, that we would be free. Jesus said give them Barabbas, take me instead. It is a wonderful picture of the Gospel. It is a powerful picture of Jesus’ atoning work and the benefits we reap.
God treats Jesus like Barabbas (guilty) so he could treat us like Jesus (sons). Our sin is His and His obedience is ours. It wasn’t the people that set Barabbas free, it was a heavenly and loving Father who loves Barabbas. “For while we were still sinners Christ died for us.” God sent His Son for Barabbas, even the one He knew would walk away from Jesus and His free gift, and never come back… He loves him. This image is overwhelming. When we consider that we are like Barabbas, that we got off, the good news is that we are freed by no work or power in and of ourselves but because of a loving and forgiving Father. It means no one in the kingdom should walk with a swagger and no one in the kingdom should walk with a limp. We have been forgiven.
That same forgiveness we received, we must pass it on. In light of recent tweets and many conversations online about forgiveness and change, it is important we meditate on this portion of scripture:
“For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”
Matthew 6:14-15
Is Jesus saying in Matthew 6:14-15 that if we struggle to forgive others then we cannot be saved? If we must forgive others in order to be saved, then wouldn’t our salvation be somewhat dependent on our own works? We know that cannot be true based on Ephesians 2:8-9. So what does this passage mean? Jesus isn’t telling us what we must do in order to receive salvation, but rather what we will do if we have truly received salvation. Do you see the difference? If the forgiveness we claim to have received from Jesus is so ineffective in our lives that we cannot forgive another person, then we have not truly embraced and treasured what God offers us in Christ. Saving faith is not merely intellectual; it is life changing. Barabbas was materially made free.
Not only is a forgiving spirit evidence that we have truly accepted God’s forgiveness in Christ, it is also for our good. When God is glorified through our lives, it is always for our good – even if it costs us something here on earth. Gospel-driven forgiveness is not easy. In fact, it is downright hard at times. Some of you reading this have experienced unimaginable suffering at the hands of another. Please know that Christ’s call to forgive in no way minimizes your pain. He is not dismissing the wrong that has been done to you, but rather setting you free from it. Romans 12:19 says, “Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay, says the Lord.’” Remember that first and foremost, all sin is against God. He sees and knows the wrong done to us. Refusing to forgive only does more damage, so we must choose to trust God and forgive
The key to forgiveness is fixing our eyes on Jesus. In Christ we see both unimaginable suffering, and unexplainable grace. In Him we see the depth of our own sin, and the limitless bounds of God’s forgiveness to us. Having trouble forgiving? Look to the cross of Christ and remember you like Barabbas got off free.
