Closer Than You Think

Spirituality Column #126
April 7, 2009
Current in Carmel (IN) newspaper
Current in Westfield (IN) newspaper

Closer Than You Think
By Bob Walters

I beg to differ with anyone who thinks the Wondrous Cross of Christ sits on a hill far away.

The Cross is situated right here, right now, in the center of our beating hearts.

That’s a good thing, and a miserable thing.

It’s miserable because up there on the Cross – scourged, bleeding and gasping for breath – is the totality of our human wrath and the ugliness of our sins. It’s the most disturbing picture imaginable of what our sin and unfaithfulness would look like to God, if in fact He were able to look upon them.

Jesus – God become flesh (John 1:14) – could see sin and came among us to provide a resolution for the biggest catastrophe to befall humanity. Some think that catastrophe is sin, but the biggest catastrophe is death; it forever separates us from God.

No way do I believe that the horror of the Cross is a picture of God’s wrath; it is a picture both of our sin – man scourged Jesus – and what God is willing to endure to cure death. Not just that one time on a Cross on a distant patch of dirt, but every moment of every day for all eternity for every person who turns in faith to Jesus Christ.

The goodness of keeping the Cross always in our hearts is that it shows us the pure, unconditional, eternal love of God.

Is Jesus being punished for our sins? No, there is nothing in the Bible to suggest punishment. Besides, who can punish God? Jesus is defeating death, removing our sins, establishing a new covenant between man and God, birthing a new creation, and – with his resurrection – fulfilling the promise of eternal life for all who believe.

Christ is “the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” Old Testament lambs didn’t do that; Christ is a new kind of Lamb.

We still sin. I’m a sinner. News flash: we’re all sinners. Sin’s the biggest problem we have in this life, and its ugliness is right up there on the Cross.

But with faith in Christ death is defeated, our hearts are changed, sin’s grip on this life is lessened … and with faith in Christ, eternity comes without sin.

That’s why we should hold that old rugged Cross close every second. It’s a lousy picture of ourselves, but proof God loves us anyway.

Walters (rlwcom@aol.com) archives these weekly columns at www.believerbob.blogspot.com.

Tough Love, Tough Jesus

Spirituality Column - #14 - February 13, 2007
Current! In Carmel newspaper

Tough Love, Tough Jesus
By Bob Walters

Lambs are gentle and sheep are stupid, but a good shepherd has to be tough enough and smart enough to make up for the weakness of the flock.

An attentive read of the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) reveals a critical truth about the incarnate Christ Jesus – God become man – that runs counter to “Gentle Jesus” stereotypes.

Jesus was one tough customer.

Look at it another way … if sins are our weakness, and Jesus was without sin, how far from weakness was Jesus?

Pretty far.

We are the children of a loving God Who created the world to glorify Himself, then gave us freedom to seek Him and to love Him. Given the awesome power of God Almighty, it’s much more comforting for us to look at God in terms of gentle than tough; savior not disciplinarian; because, to tell you the truth, a tough God scares me.

But how tough can God be, if God loves us?

Put that another way – how tough would a Shepherd need to be to love us, to love this world, to love us in spite of our sin, to die a horrific death to redeem our lives in the eyes of God?
Most of the time I think, pretty tough.

So, Jesus … Gentle Lamb of God who died for our sins? Good Shepherd?

Here is the miracle of Christ ... He did the hard part. He was tough so we can receive the gentle gift of His love; a redeeming love that gives us peace and assures eternal salvation. “My yoke is easy and my burden is light … “ says Matthew 11:30.

“O Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world …” goes the wonderful hymn. You can’t possibly think that was a gentle job.

Walters (rlwcom@aol.com), a Carmel resident, thinks Valentine’s Day is no big deal compared with the redeeming love of Christ.