A God To Believe In

And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.
(Luke 15:20)

George Buttrick, former chaplain at Harvard, recalls that students would come into his office, plop down on a chair and declare, ‘I don’t believe in God.’ Buttrick would give this disarming reply: ‘Sit down and tell me what kind of God you don’t believe in. I probably don’t believe in that God either.’ And then he would talk about Jesus.

–Phillip Yancey, The Jesus I Never Knew

The Rest of the Soul (Part 2)

(continued from last post)

(…in God’s eyes, our problem isn’t sin; it is trust. Jesus settled our sin problem once and for all at Calvary.) He doesn’t constantly harp on us, “This time you’ve crossed the line.” No, never! His attitude toward us is just the opposite. His Spirit is constantly wooing us, reminding us of the Father’s loving kindness even in the midst of our failures.

When we become focused on our sin, we lose all sight of what God wants most: “Without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.”* That verse says it all. Our God is a Rewarder, and He’s so anxious to shower us with His loving kindness that He blesses us way ahead of schedule.

This is the concept our heavenly Father longs for us to have of Him. He knows when we’ll repent over our failures and sins. He knows when our contriteness is coming. But He can’t wait for the due date. So He jumps in, saying, “I want to assure My Child he won’t be judged, because I’ve already forgiven him through My Son’s cleansing blood.”

–David Wilkerson
“The Preventing Love of the Lord”
World Challenge Pulpit Series, February 26, 2007

*Hebrews 11:6

(More to come from this message!)

The Rest of the Soul

“Thou preventest him with the blessings of goodness: Thou settest a crown of pure gold on his head.”
(Psalm 21:3, KJV)

The Holy Spirit drives out all fear from us—the fear of falling, of being cut off from God—by implanting in us His joy. We are to go forth rejoicing, as David did, because God has assured us we will prevail.

Yet so few Christians have this joy and exceeding gladness. Multitudes never know the rest of the soul or the peace of Christ’s presence. They walk around as if in mourning, picturing themselves under the thumb of God’s wrath rather than under His protective wings. They see Him as a harsh taskmaster, always ready to bring a whip down on their backs. And so they live unhappily, with no hope, more dead than alive.

But in God’s eyes, our problem isn’t sin; it is trust. Jesus settled our sin problem once and for all at Calvary…

–David Wilkerson
“The Preventing Love of the Lord”
World Challenge Pulpit Series, February 26, 2007

(continues in next post…because it is worthy of our attention!)

Refuge