Hi again!
Well the online discussion last week didn’t exactly start with a bang (in fact to call it a “discussion” would be a bit misleading) but I’m guessing that could have A LOT to do with the fact that most of the books haven’t arrived yet! We’re really sorry about that – it seems that the suppliers are having some trouble filling our order from local sources.
But in the meantime, I’ll keep posting a kickoff blog each week and if you want to join in when you get your hands on your book you can just find the relevant post for wherever you’re up to.
So, this week: chapter 2: Will God’s love stand up in court? In chapter 1 we read about how the cross stands as the immovable, unchangeable declaration of God’s love. In this chapter, the declaration of God’s love at the cross gets subjected to some “cross examination” (pardon the pun – I have 4 children, that’s my excuse).
In this chapter, the author answers the question raised by our sin – HOW can God love us? This is such an important question to ask and to answer. It’s important that we ask it because it shows that we have some appreciation of the enormity of our sin. Asking “how can God love me?” reveals that I don’t take God’s love for granted. It’s also important that we answer this question because otherwise we will end up in self-focused despair. To appreciate God’s love we need to take our eyes off our sin and lift them to see what God has done about our sin, in spite of our sin, on the cross.
So here’s the big question that this chapter raised in my mind – do I tend more towards taking God’s love for granted (and therefore not asking the question) or do I tend more towards being overwhelmed by my sin (and therefore never getting to the answer)? For me, I think its definitely more the former than the latter. My sin doesn’t trouble me enough and the result is that God’s love and grace to me, displayed at the cross, loses its power in my life.
What about you?
Hi Pete (and others),
I’ve also found it easy to take God’s forgiveness for granted, as well as not confessing specific sins to God. I’ve found it easy to just acknowledge in my head that I’m a sinner, but I need to remember to real with God when I’m praying to him – not pretend things are all OK, but confess my sins to him and then praise him his forgiveness and mercy. I’ve also found listening to good gospel focused songs can help me have a heart that is moved by the gospel.
Yes David, getting specific with God about our sin is really important isn’t it. It helps us to be humble as we recognise the full extent of our rebellion and also to marvel all the more at the extent of his mercy and grace.
What other reflections, questions or comments did people have arising from Chapter 2 of The Ordinary Hero?
If God has forgiven our sin’s past, present and future then why be spesific? I know this is a bit….well very late comment but I would like it if someone would answere my question. Also I would like it if soemone would give me a verse where it actualy says Jesus is God and so on. Also I did not really agree with James’s talk on Sunday the 29th. What he said about humaisim starting about 200 hundred years ago is not accurate at all. Humanisim started the time Adam and Eve ate the fruit. They were disobeying God’s instruction therefore putting themselvse as the centre of their universe.
Jake Kennedy
Hey Jake
It’s James here. Thanks for your comments. In answer to the 3rd part of your post regarding the talk on sunday- I’m sorry if i wasn’t clear. I fully agree that humanism started right back with Adam and Eve. What i was referring to in the talk was the shift that happened in terms of western society’s worldview. Not that mankind hasn’t been self/ man centred from the fall, but that there was a more marked move away from God-centered thinking in society at large at the time of the industrial revolution.
In the past an average person would believe in God and think he was important etc. Today this is not the case with an average Australian/ Englishman etc. This perspective has influenced the thinking of Christian’s as well.
(also i’m not saying that society was necessarily more God-centred in terms of him being at the centre of hearts- more about what people did confess to believe.)
thanks.