Short Memories of God’s Goodness

            One of the more interesting aspects of being human is that we do not remember every aspect of our lives. What I mean by this is, for the most part, we only remember the high points of our lives. We remember major events and, possibly, the simple aspects of our lives if they are relatively recent. But typically we do not remember the average days of our lives after they slip into the past. If one were to take a poll, most people would have no recollection of what their day was like on November 6, 2000. I, personally, have no idea what I did that day. Being fourteen years ago, my memory of that day has long slipped away. But one thing I do know, though, is I had recently graduated from high school. I had been out six months. The point to be made is this: I remember a major event from the year 2000, but not an ordinary day. And this is true for a host of people, pertaining to any given year.  

            A significant portion of our lives we do not remember. We know we experienced certain things, but we cannot, often, remember specifics. In a very real sense we, as human beings, are a forgetful people. And while it is true we often forget the mundane, ordinary aspects and days of our lives—we also tend to forget the ways in which God acts in our lives. We often have short memories of God’s goodness and this type of spiritual amnesia is dangerous.

            In the book of Exodus, as one examines the story of the Israelites, short memories are detected. Spiritual amnesia of the worst sort is on display and serves as an example of how we are not to be in our relationship with God. Israel had witnessed the goodness of God and personally experienced how He poured out His plagues on the Egyptians, all the while exempting His own people. As the Passover was instituted and the firstborn of the Egyptians were smitten, God’s demonstration of His choice love for them was on perfect display. And they were keenly aware of it.

            In Exodus 19:4, as God outlines what Moses is to say to the Israelites, He starts by emphasizing,

“You have seen what I did to the Egyptians and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Me.” (HCSB)

God’s love for Israel was known and Israel had tangible proof of God acting lovingly in their lives. So much, in fact, that in Exodus 19:8, in response to God’s covenant guidelines with them, they stated, “…We will do all that the Lord has spoken.” (HCSB) Goodness on God’s part and a consciousness of that goodness by the Israelites led them to agree to do all the Lord had commanded.

            All of us, perhaps, have witnessed the goodness of God in our lives. If we are honest, we can probably recall the key moments when we know God has done a mighty work for us. Some are no doubt in such moments currently. At just the right time a new job opportunity came through. The sickness of a family member was healed. The spiritual condition of someone we have been praying for takes a positive note. It is through these circumstances that people of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ know God has been at work and there is no denying it. It is within these moments that the goodness of God is revealed to us.

            This is exactly the place Israel was in during the time of Exodus 19. By Exodus 32, though, Israel’s memories began to fade. The people who had witnessed the marvelous acts of God now acted as if those acts never happened. In Exodus 32:1 we see their turn:

“When the people saw that Moses delayed in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said to him, ‘Come, make us a god who will go before us because this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt—we don’t know what has happened to him!” (HCSB)

While Moses was on top of Mt. Sinai receiving the Law of God –the laws that were to govern God’s holy, chosen nation, Israel—the people of Israel had petitioned Aaron to make a god for them to worship. Why? Because they were impatient and wanted an identifiable leader—something or someone to look to and designate as in charge—because Moses, in their opinion, had taken too long on top of the mountain. This, it seems, is the epitome of self-indulgence—a life focused primarily on what the individual wants. Though the Israelites were indeed guilty of this, they certainly were not and are not the only ones. We, too, turn from the living God.

            One of the primary things a follower of Jesus should remember is this: It does not take long for us to forget what God has done in our lives. I’m not exactly sure why this is the case, but it is true, nonetheless. From Exodus 19 until Exodus 32 the time elapsed is forty days, give or take. But in this short time the Israelites drastically changed course. They shifted from stating they would do everything the Lord commanded in 19:8 to idolatry in 32:1. The old saying rings true, “It’s not what you have done for someone, it’s what you have done for them lately.” We act like this with God. We sing His praises while He is helping, but we soon develop short memories, forgetting what He has done in the past. And this is dangerous. In fact, it leads to something much more troubling.

            The something much more troubling is this: When we allow what God has done for us to be pushed to the back of our mind, we soon push God out of our lives altogether. Close attention to Exodus 32:1 reveals this truth. Notice, again, the text:

            “…Come, make us a god who will go before us because this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt—we don’t know what has happened to him!” (HCSB)

The emphasis from the text, for our purposes, is that Moses, instead of God, is attributed with bringing the Israelites out of the land of Egypt. In such a short time the Israelites had forgotten to acknowledge God for what He had done in their lives. In reality, they knew God was the one who brought them out of Egypt, for God even hints at this in Exodus 19:4, as He is speaking to the Israelites, by noting the following:

“You have seen what I did to the Egyptians and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Me.” (HCSB)

Yet, the Israelites had, very quickly, forgotten what God did for them in the past and, instead, attributed it to Moses. There are many followers of the living God who are in such a predicament even at this moment. There are scores of people who have experienced the goodness of God only to soon afterward fall victim to forgetfulness and feelings that God is no longer with them.  Common phrases such as “I don’t feel God with me anymore” are thrown around often. The truth is, though, God is still there. The same God who got an individual out of financial trouble in the past is still concerned with them today. The same God who cured an individual of health problems in the past is still there now. The same God who got a person out of a tough situation is still active in the world.

            Do not be so quick to forget what God has done. Don’t experience the goodness of God, like the Israelites, and then turn from Him. Sometimes in our lives we have to bring everything to a screeching halt and simply dwell on God. As Psalm 46:10 states, “Be still, and know that I am God” (ESV). Perhaps it is good to challenge ourselves, often, and take fifteen- thirty minutes and think about all the good God has done in our lives. Things such as:

·       Help with money

·       Help getting into a certain school

·       The gift of your husband or wife

·       Your salvation/forgiveness of sins

·       Bailing you out of a situation you should have never been in

·       Curing a family member of a certain illness

We need these reminders of how God has been actively involved in every aspect of our lives.  If we do not allow ourselves to forget what He has done, we will not be as likely to push Him out of our lives altogether.

            God is close. He never leaves us. May we never develop spiritual amnesia—short memories of God’s goodness in our lives. If we’re honest, we have all been given way more than we deserve.

Book Review for: What Is the Gospel? By: Greg Gilbert

            It is fitting to start this review of What Is the Gospel? by noting it is a very good book. It is a foundational work for anyone interested in becoming an equipped disciple of Jesus Christ. A goal of the Christian life, for the individual in the here-and- now, is to continually learn and progress in the knowledge of God. It is good for believers to know how God has acted in the world and for what reason. To this end, Gilbert has provided a go-to resource, for a couple of reasons.

The first reason, very simply, is because a wide audience can read Gilbert’s book. What this means is the writing and illustration is simple enough for a new believer, while at the same time presenting big truths in a fresh way that can cause even long-time believers to think. To become a disciple, one needs an accessible tutorial. Few books have the ability to provide this and those that do truly have a lasting impact.

In being accessible to a wide audience, this also means the book’s layout flows well. Gilbert does a nice job systematically building on the major narrative of the Bible, explaining to the reader the whole of the Christian faith. Step by step he gives a synopsis of the gospel; describes God as creator and sovereign over creation; defines humanity’s predicament of sin and accountability to God; the work of Jesus on the cross; faith and repentance; the kingdom of God; the cross at the center of Christian faith; and the power of the gospel. Gilbert does all of this, as the title of his book suggests, properly defining and explaining the gospel.

The second reason What Is the Gospel? is a good book and go-to resource for making a disciple is that it addresses some very important issues of the Christian faith. The first of which is an accurate description of God. In a day when descriptors of God and views of God are anything but biblical, it is hopeful and helpful to see accurate representations. And, as Gibert conveys, a correct view of God is key to understanding the gospel of Jesus Christ.

After describing God as creator of the world, note how Gilbert explains God: “None of us is autonomous, and understanding that fact is key to understanding the gospel. Despite our constant talk of rights and liberty, we are not really as free as we would like to think. We are created. We are made. And therefore we are owned” (42). He goes on to point out, “The gospel is God’s response to the bad news of sin, and sin is a person’s rejection of God’s Creator-rights over him” (42). These are powerful words; but key, fundamental aspects of the Christian faith—foundational facts that cannot be ignored and ones that must be the foundation of Christian knowledge.

Another important issue of the Christian faith Gilbert addresses is the cross of Christ. He does a nice job emphasizing the cross as the center of the gospel. In our day some have left the doctrine of Penal Substitutionary Atonement, but to do so is unwise and a step away from biblical orthodoxy—not to mention it makes the gospel not the true, biblical gospel. In a chapter titled, “Keeping the Cross at the Center,” Gilbert defines three popular slogans—what he calls “Substitute Gospels,” or beliefs, even popular within the evangelical world, that should not be considered the gospel, simply because the cross is not at the center. Ideas such as “Jesus is Lord,” “Creation-Fall-Redemption-Consummation,” and “Cultural Transformation,” though truth, are not exactly the good news of Jesus. The good news for humanity is that through the work on the cross Jesus has secured forgiveness, paid the penalty as the substitute, for all who trust in Him. And, to his credit, Gilbert makes this clear.

No book is perfect. And each reader can find things he or she dislikes about any volume. In What Is the Gospel? the chapter titled, “The Kingdom” left certain questions unanswered—at least for myself. Perhaps because I was really looking for specifics on this topic, but after reading Gilbert’s explanation of what the kingdom actually is, I didn’t feel like I was given a concrete answer. For example, there are several sections within this chapter—sections describing the Kingdom of God—with titles such as, “God’s Redemptive Reign”; “A Kingdom Come” and “A Kingdom Not Yet Complete.” Also, Gilbert makes the statement, “Biblically speaking, the kingdom of God is best understood as more a kingship than a kingdom as we usually use that word. God’s kingdom is therefore God’s rule, reign, and authority” (87).  

In short, Gilbert did not mention a one thousand year reign of Christ, nor did he oppose, outright, such a view.  Is the kingdom of Christ on earth, in eternity, or both? Without directly opposing an earthly kingdom—and by statements such as “…the kingdom of God is best understood as more a kingship than a kingdom as we usually use that word,” (87) one is left, somewhat, wondering. Again, Gilbert notes, “…the kingdom promised in the Bible will only come about when King Jesus himself returns to make it happen,” (92) but it is unclear what, exactly, that means.

             Though some of Gilbert’s discussion of the kingdom is unclear, this is not to say he does not offer some really good insight on the subject. There are helpful aspects in this section—even in that he explains for an individual to be a part of the kingdom, they must first come to the cross of Christ. So Gilbert does tie all things together.

            As stated in the beginning, What Is the Gospel? is a good, foundational book for anyone interested in becoming an equipped disciple. I recommend it for personal enrichment or for a starter resource in teaching others. It is key to understand the gospel. And resources such as Gilbert’s help immensely.

Restoration In Christ

            In recent years the History channel has exploded with an assortment of television shows that many in America love to watch. Those familiar with the History channel have probably seen Axe Men, American Pickers, Pawn Stars and others. In addition to these, one program that has gained a great deal of attention is American Restoration. The story line of the show details a family-owned business that takes old, antique things and restores them to their former self. During the show the viewer gets to see the “before” and “after” of the objects and their transformation really is amazing. The makeover many of these items go through is stunning and they are literally as good as they were when they were new. Because of this show, one is made aware that the restoration business provides a great service to society in that objects many consider useless, worn out, or past their prime are given a new life and function.

            This same principle, in many respects, can be applied to Christianity in that Jesus Christ restores. He brings people back to a former state, making them as they were when they were new. A significant aspect of being “in Christ,” “born again,” “saved” or a member of God’s family is being able to take advantage of the restoration Jesus provides. Jesus can and will restore a person to the place they were when they were first forgiven—or to some high point they have experienced in their spiritual journey.  The key, though, is desire—desire on the individual’s part to return to that state. In the following article I want to briefly highlight an instance in which the apostle Peter was restored and what that means for followers of Jesus.

            In John 21:15-19 we read of Jesus’ threefold restoration of Peter. It is quite an interesting passage, one in which Jesus asks a unique question, three times, to Peter. He asks, “Do you love me?” and each time Peter replies with an assured, “Yes.” If one is familiar with the New Testament then he or she is aware of the ups and downs in Peter’s life.  Although one might be tempted to always think of Peter as the man who preached on Pentecost and three thousand people were saved, he was not always that man. In reality, Peter’s down times were really down.

            In John 21 Peter professed his love for Jesus three times. But one might recall that in John 18 Peter denied Jesus just as many. The first instance he did so is in John 18:17. After Jesus was betrayed by Judas and arrested, a slave girl asked if Peter was one of Jesus’ disciples, too. In verse 17, Peter boldly exclaimed, “I am not!” (HCSB). Skipping down a few verses, verses 25-27 demonstrate Peter’s denial as well. While warming himself by a fire he was, again, asked if he was one of Jesus’ disciples. In verse 25 Peter denied by saying,  “I am not.” (HCSB). And, lastly, in verse 27 Peter denied he was a follower of Jesus. The Peter described in John 18 is very different from the Peter in John 21.

            If one goes back further, however, to Matthew 16:13-18, they will find an instance where Peter professed Jesus and was at a high point, spiritually. At this particular point in the narrative of Matthew’s gospel Jesus asked his disciples the question, “Who do people say that the Son of man is?” The disciples explained that most people believed Jesus was one of the prophets of old. It is to this response that Jesus then, very pointedly, asked in verse 15, “…who do you say I am?” (HCSB). And Peter, bravely and faithfully, responded with, “…You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God” (HCSB, v. 16). Such a response, as noted by Jesus, was revealed to Peter directly by God (HCSB, v.17). The fact that God revealed to Peter such truth indicates, it seems, the good position of Peter spiritually.  

From the three passages mentioned one gets a fairly decent depiction of Peter’s life and, if we are honest, insight into our own. In the gospel of Matthew Peter professed Christ and was at a high point spiritually because the Holy Spirit revealed to him the identity of Jesus. As things became tough in John 18, Peter denied that he was a follower of Jesus. In John 21, Peter was restored. So much, in fact, that in Acts 2 Peter preached and thousands were saved on the day of Pentecost. Like many Christians, Peter’s spiritual life was like riding a roller coaster—there were ups and downs.

What does it mean that Jesus restored Peter in John 21? How does that translate into our lives? Primarily in this way: just because a person messes up does not mean God is finished with them. This cannot be stressed enough. As noted earlier in John 21:15-19, Jesus asked Peter the same question three times—“Do you love me?” And Peter answered “yes.” It is to the “yes” response that Jesus made three additional statements. In verse 15 Jesus told Peter to “Feed my lambs”; in verse 16 he stated, “Shepherd my sheep”; in verse 17 he urged, “Feed my sheep.” All three responses by Jesus indicate He was bestowing a certain amount of responsibility on Peter—even though Peter sinned drastically John 18. This reinforces the fact that with us, too, just because we mess up does not mean God is finished with us.

We are our own worst critics. We beat ourselves up over our sins. And we should be remorseful when we fall short. But one should also keep in mind that God does forgive and, because of this, we should forgive ourselves too.

If Jesus is not finished with a person simply because they mess up, the question, then, is why? Why does He not simply give one chance and if a person blows it, then move on? The answer is because Jesus is The Restorer. He takes great delight in cleaning up the dirty individual and making them into a person who is as good as when they were brand new. When a person, in their Christian faith, strays from God’s desired path it does not mean they are done. Jesus will still use them, but He must first restore them.

Jesus gives chances to be restored. Every second of every day is an opportunity for someone to turn to Jesus in humility for forgiveness. Scripturally, this is called repentance. It is interesting to note, though, Jesus’ conversation with Peter in John 21 when he asked him three times, “Do you love me?” (John 21:15-17, HCSB). Such a question gave Peter the opportunity to vocally and publicly profess his love for Jesus. Though these responses by Peter are not repentance in itself—because repentance is not simply doing something good to make up for something bad—they are proof of Peter’s repentance. Or, possibly better stated, they are the fruit of his repentance. With those responses it is evident that Peter was of a different mind and on a different path. But the point that should not be lost is Jesus gave the opportunity for Peter to demonstrate his change.

The closest an individual has ever been to God, it is to that point they can return. For the three times Peter denied Jesus in John 18, Jesus made certain there was an equal number of times Peter affirmed him in John 21. One gets the impression that Jesus was making things right, that He restored order. Peter was restored to the Matthew 18 Peter. But this is not just true for Peter. It can be the case with anyone. The beauty of being in the family of God is that once we get scraped and dinged up, we are not cast aside. Just as those worn objects on American Restoration are brought back to their former glory, so can we. There is restoration in Christ. Take advantage of all He offers.