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The Radical Purpose of God A British yachtsman sailed around the Falkland Islands, mapping the beaches and the depths of the water. His original purpose was to develop a book for vacationers and swimmers. But during the Falklands War of 1982, the British used this book to totally surprise the Argentines in their effort to reclaim the area. Had it not been for that book, the British would not have known some crucial details about that beach on which they landed. Who would have guessed such a book would have such a radical purpose? Oswald Chambers once wrote, "Huge waves that would frighten an ordinary swimmer produce a tremendous thrill for the surfer who has ridden them. The things we try to avoid and fight against—tribulation, suffering, and persecution—are the very things that produce abundant joy in the true Christian." As I sit at my desk writing this message, the date is March 6th—the anniversary of my sister's death. My grandmother passed away just three days before that—on my Dad's birthday! Needless to say, it was not an easy week. But notice, I did not say that it wasn't a "good" week for me. Oh, yes, very difficult, but "easy" is not the definition of "good." Romans 8:28 tells us, "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose." God used that time to put my focus on the Cross and the empty tomb of Jesus Christ—not just as I shared the gospel at my sister's funeral, but forevermore! As we approach the celebration of Easter, we must know that the Cross of Calvary and the subsequent resurrection are radical, and as such, they have a divine purpose that reaches far beyond what most people think it to be. Many today assume the whole purpose is that we can all go to heaven some day. Oh, it is so much deeper than that! Many picture God as that cosmic deity that is just waiting for us to stumble so that He can smash us to pieces. These same people suggest Jesus is desperately pleading for us before God, trying to convince Him not to flatten us. No, it isn't that mercy is pleading for the sinner and justice is trying to beat him to death. When God justifies a sinner through the shed blood of Jesus Christ, everything in God is on the sinner's side. You see, Jesus Christ did not die to change God; He died to change our moral situation. When God looks at the person who has received the price paid on the Cross for his sin, He doesn’t see the same moral situation that He sees when He looks at the sinner who still loves and clings to his sin. In the former case, justice sentences the atoned-for Christian to live, while in the latter case, that same justice condemns the unsaved man to die. The unjust sinner can no more go to heaven than the justified saint can go to hell. In other words, justice is always on the side of the returning sinner. 1 John tells us, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." It is a returning—a returning to the moral situation that existed before sin came into this world. The Father did not send the Son to condemn, but to reclaim and to restore and to regenerate. Hebrews 12:29 tells us, "For our God is a consuming fire." Allow me to illustrate God's purpose with a brief look at some events in the life of the disciple Simon Peter as seen by the light of three different "fires." Right before Jesus' arrest, Peter had been warned that he would deny the Lord that night—three times before the rooster crowed. While Jesus was being tried in the palace, another trial was taking place outside in the courtyard. John 18:18 reveals, "And the servants and officers stood there, who had made a fire of coals; for it was cold: and they warmed themselves: and Peter stood with them, and warmed himself." Away from Jesus, standing in his own strength and seeing to his own needs, he folds under the pressure—he doesn't even know Jesus, let alone admitting to following Him. How often do I fold, warming myself at the fires of this world? How often do any of us not stand for the truth of God's Holy Word when the world mocks it? How many people will be duped and led astray by recent false reports of finding the tomb of Jesus and His "family?" How many times will the church choose entertainment and hype, and thereby deny the truth of His purpose? Think about it? How many times will our own ways win out before the rooster finally wakes us up? It is interesting to note that in Mark's gospel, we find an added detail—the rooster crowed twice; once after the first denial, and again, right after the third. How often does the Lord try to wake us up, even before we are done with all of our denials? And what about the fire? Surely, Satan used it to lull Peter back into his comfort zone, but God intended it to shed light on what was really going on. Praise the name of Jesus—every force of heaven was engaged in reclaiming this man. When Peter finally did wake up, he got out of that place of warmth and comfort, wept very bitterly over his sin, and repented of it. The rock-like confession of faith that Jesus had promised on which to build His Church, had now been reclaimed—taken back from the enemy of our souls. Easy? No, but "easy" is not the point. God's purpose is the point! After the resurrection of Jesus and several of His appearances, we see another crucial fire. Though Jesus had been proven to be alive, the ministry didn't seem to be going anywhere. They were seeing Jesus from time to time, but they were not being sent out to proclaim Him. Finally, Peter decided to go fishing, and some others opted to go with him. In God's mercy, they caught nothing in their own strength, but they did through the power of Jesus—153 huge fish. John, who had been the closest to Jesus, recognized Him. Splash! Peter dove in and beat the boat to shore. Little did Peter know that he would be restored by the all-encompassing love of Jesus that day. Once on the beach, "they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread." (John 21:9b) Jesus did have them haul in their monumental catch and bring it over, but He didn't use it—Jesus had already provided all that was needed. I truly believe the Lord used that fire, and the breakfast on it, for His radical purposes. When we eat our breakfast in the morning, it literally "breaks" the night-long "fast." Spiritually speaking, a powerful light was shining on the purpose of the "fast" that they had been experiencing—they were like babies being "weaned" off the 24/7 physical presence of Jesus. They were about to break the fast and feast on the indwelling Holy Spirit of God. And here it is—"And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." (Acts 2:1-4) All were truly touched by the consuming fire of God—burning away their own self-consumed lives, and giving each a new one. Praise God for the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit! No longer would they spend their lives in their own comfort zones, warming themselves by staying distant from the purposes of God. No longer would they try to storm the beach with their own plans, lacking the heart of God. No longer would they assume they could serve the Lord without dying to self, rising to new life, and being indwelled and empowered by the third Person of the Trinity—the Holy Spirit! No one said it would be easy; only that it would be very good! Reclaimed, restored, regenerated—this is the purpose of God, which has already been mapped out in His Holy Word. The recreational "swimmer" will not make it—only the adventurous surfer, who rides above the tumult of this life—crucified and raised to new life. A.W. Tozer once said, "We who have the gospel must not think ourselves as PR agents, sent to establish good will between Christ and the world. We must not imagine ourselves commissioned to make Christ acceptable to big business, the press, the world of sports, or modern education. We are not diplomats but prophets, and our message is not a compromise but an ultimatum." The purpose of God is radical…will you be that radical? If you go through the consuming fire of God, you will be! Copyright (c)
2005 Christ Our Rock Bible Church. |
