Pastor Carol
Not being one who has ever believed I must "reinvent the wheel," I'd like to share with you some thoughts I read in a recent newsletter from a fellow pastor, Janet Mathistad. She "puts well" my understanding of what God, in Christ, was doing for us on the cross of Calvary. Here goes:
"You can't out-sin the cross. I've been thinking about what we believe and teach about the Gospel of Jesus Christ--His birth, life, death, and resurrection. We're just a week away from celebrating the resurrection of Christ. But before we get to the resurrection, there is Good Friday, the day that Jesus died.
Jesus willingly allowed Himself to be arrested, tortured, and executed, because He was taking the sins of the entire world upon Himself. What does that mean, exactly?
Throughout history, we've seen some brutal examples of our sins against one another: betrayal, cruelty, abuse, the ruining of reputations, theft of property, not to mention the torture and killings that continue still today.
Sometimes we comfort ourselves by imagining the punishments that such perpetrators will eventually receive. We may imagine Hitler, Hussein, and the bully who tormented us in 8th grade gym class, suffering together in the fires of hell. But then we are brought back by words which Jesus spoke as He hung dying on the cross, 'Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.'
Whoa! Did He really say that? He was forgiving His executioners and tormenters right in the middle of their sin. He didn't wait for a show of sorrow and repentance. He was willing to forgive them even in the moment when their thoughts and actions were at their darkest, most brutal.
Which brings me back to my opening statement: You can't out-sin the cross. Jesus' cross was big enough to cover the sins of the world. His cross is big enough to cover your sins and my sins. Well sure, we might want to say, but only if the sinner repents first.
But what about the sin of unrepentance? Is that an unforgivable sin? Does the cross cover all sins except for the sin of unrepentance? But look back to Jesus' words on the cross, 'Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.' I have to assume the possibility that God can and will forgive even when we are unrepentant.
You can't out-sin the cross. Jesus died for the sins of the world, including the unrepentant. The apostle Paul assures us in his letter to the Romans that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. Even when Jesus knew that Jerusalem would reject Him, He lamented, 'How often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling.'
What the unrepentant miss out on is that loving embrace which Christ wants to extend to all of us. And yet, Jesus' cross covers our rebellion. You can't out-sin the cross. That is good news for you and for me--whether we are the ones who have strayed and feel we don't dare return, or whether our hearts break for a beloved family member who has made poor, or wrong, or even evil choices.
The cross of Christ covers all of them and us. Certainly unrepentance and all our other sins have hurtful and destructive consequences for this life, and have caused much suffering. But one thing our rebellious behavior does not do is put us outside of God's loving reach. Jesus took care of that on the cross. He died so that you and I could be set free from the burden of our guilt. You can't out-sin the cross."
Thank you, Janet! That is the good news we preach and teach! God has said "Yes" even to our rebellious "No." God is in control; we can live in peace and enjoy fullness of life. Our "reward" as Christians is in knowing and living in that assurance.
A blessed holy week and Easter to you!
Peace,
Pastor Carol
You Can’t Out-Sin the Cross
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
