The Depth of the Father's Love Is Overwhelming

We often sing a song in corporate worship entitled, “How Deep the Father’s Love for Us”, the text is awfully powerful.  I think that the text is so powerful because it calls us to grips to the depths of God’s love.  The only way that we can remotely understand and comprehend the depths of that love, is through the understanding of the depths and severity of our own sin.  The text actually combats our natural and sinful inclination in which we are tempted to think more highly of ourselves than we ought to.  Though while none of us would readily admit it, we more often than not, live our lives as if we have something to offer God, that there is something that God somehow needs from us.  While the reality is, as the song says, we are “wretch”, people of a despicable character, who undeserving have been made a treasure. 

Furthermore, the reality that this text continues to reveal, is that this undeserving grace did not come without a price, it did not come without a cost.  There was much pain physically and emotionally, as God who was fully human experienced not only physical torture, but humiliation as well.  This grace did not come without a price, it was our guilt upon His shoulders, it was our mocking voices who were crucifying Him, it was our sin that brought Him death, which brought us life.  This is the depth of the love of the Father, this is the depth of our wretchedness, this is the depth of our salvation. 

Therefore as redeemed wretches, what can we boast in apart from Jesus Christ?  Apart from Him we have nothing to offer, we bring nothing to the table; we brought guilt upon His shoulders, He gave us life.  Why should we gain this undeserved grace, this reward?  Our only response can be that Jesus Is Lord!  Christ died for the ungodly. 

Anthony Carter states this point well in an article at Ligonier.org:  “All because of the love of God. Christ left heaven. He laid aside glory, concealing His majesty. He subjected Himself to the creature’s scorn, outcast from a world He created. He suffered demonic attack, lies, and public ridicule. Friends forsook Him. He was brutally beaten, stripped, and put to open shame. Spat upon and slapped, publicly and shamefully executed, He assumed the guilt and punishment for every sin we ever committed. He reconciled us to God and secured our acceptance before God. Why? Because justice demanded it and our justification required it. Because He loved us even before we ever knew Him or understood what He was doing.

Thankfully, now we do.”

How Deep The Father’s Love for Us!

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:6-8

     

Are Resolutions Only For The New Year?

Are Resolutions only for the New Year?  

Happy New Year!  This is a phrase that we often say to one another around this time of year, although time is continual, with the restarting of the calendar, this time of year can bring an attitude and hope of a “restart”, newness, and freshness. Often time around this time of the year people make resolutions or they resolve themselves to a commitment of sorts for the new year.  Often times these resolutions consist of loosing weight, becoming more organized, or being more financially responsible.  While these are not bad goals, they are however temporal.  

In 2010 and 2011, just as many of you, I experienced the loss of loved ones.  Death is always a good reminder that life is not forever, it is a gift which should not be wasted.  Therefore each of these years of losses have led me to think, “what should the Christian resolve to do?”.  Not in the sense of a resolution due in part to a New Year, but a resolution that defines ones life.  I answered the question at the beginning of 2011 with the answer that I wanted to resolve not to waste my life.  If each breath is a gift from God, I want each breath to be given back to God for His Glory.  This has been a good phrase for my family as we go about our day-to-day lives with the continual question, “how is what I am doing bringing Glory to God and not wasting my life?”.    

As we experienced the death of another loved one in late 2011 I begin to think more upon the question of what should not only I resolve to as a Christian, but what should my family resolve to as a Christian family?  What legacy do I want my family to be remembered and known for?  Therefore in late 2011 Natalie and I begin to pray and commit ourselves that we want to be known as a family who loves God, hates our sin, and loves others more than ourselves.  This is the legacy that we want to hold ourselves to as well as our children to.

What are your goals for yourself and your family?  I learned through a leadership class I took this year that goals must be held for daily objectives to be accomplished.  What are your overall goals for life?  Do you talk about them with your spouse or children?  Although resolutions are not limited to the new year, this is a perfect opportunity to discuss and bring up how you and your family can better Glorify God this year through setting long-term goals that define your daily objectives.  

I love you all, covet your prayers, and am in prayer for you always,

Jonathan