September 1, 2017 – Devotions – Your G-d Is Too Small — What Must We Do For G-d’s Forgiveness?

“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man’s table; even the dogs would come and lick his sores. The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In Hades, where he was being tormented, he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side. He called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in agony in these flames.’ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony. Besides all this, between you and us a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who might want to pass from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.’ He said, ‘Then, father, I beg you to send him to my father’s house—for I have five brothers—that he may warn them, so that they will not also come into this place of torment.’ Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.’ He said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’” Luke 16:19-31

The story of the rich man and Lazarus is an instructive story about the chasm that has been fixed between us and G-d – and that chasm is filled with our inability to be reconciled with G-d through our own efforts and means. In the devotion of August 28, one of the themes that was repeated was the idea that “…something needs to be done” to repair the breach. For thousands of years, smarter men and women than me have been espousing theories about how we are made right with G-d – these theories are called “Atonement Theories”. And these theories usually revolve around the saving work of Jesus Christ. We have some sense of security that G-d has done something through the person and the cross of Jesus Christ, and so we have been reconciled with G-d. In other words “It is finished”, as Jesus cried from the cross. The salvific action of the cross means that Jesus has taken upon himself the “sins of the world”. Something has been done.

So, does that mean that we are off the hook? For those who say “Well I believe in Jesus and he has done all that needs to be done, so I can relax and just live my life”, well they have not been convicted with the enormity of the cross. Yes, Jesus did die on the cross to forgive the sins of the world. Yes, that debt has been paid. But the account has not been closed once that realization comes to us – in fact, once we understand the impact of the cross, the “work” on that account has just begun. “To realize that the effort to justify oneself, the hopeless effort to repay the overdraft, can safely be abandoned, is an unspeakable relief”, says J. B. Phillips. It should lead us all to live a very different life.

Once convicted, we are led to repentance, which then leads us to renewal – renewal of the heart and renewal of our actions. No longer do we “do” so that G-d will love us – instead we “do” because G-d so loved the world that G-d sent Jesus. And G-d continues to love us so much that only the hard-hearted will not respond. And the response is different for each one of us. Some will teach, others will lead, others will profess, and others will exhort. Some will sing, others will dance, others will preach, and others will listen. Some will repent early in life – some on their deathbed. But no matter when, we are never the same when the awesomeness of G-d, expressed through the love, mercy and Grace of Christ blows through our lives through the power of the Holy Spirit – it is the liminal moment that leaves us changed, but not content. It is just the beginning….. (Themes come from the book “Your God Is Too Small” by J. B. Phillips)

Pastor Dave