Men Write-Off: God Redeems

When I was rear-ended in a car accident a few years ago, I didn't need an insurance agent to tell me it was a complete write-off.  Being an older car, I could see the damage sustained from boot to bonnet would have cost triple the value of the vehicle to fix.  After the insurance company paid out on the car, it probably ended up in some junkyard for spare parts or was used for scrap.  Once a car is written-off, it is a concession the damage is too great or costly to fix.  One could say Humpty Dumpty after his fall was a write-off, for all the king's horses and men were unable to put him back together again.  There is a point where well-meaning people do their best to fix problems, but there comes a time where man reaches or exceeds his limit.  He throws up his hands in frustration or grief, gives up, and tries to cut his losses.

God is not like a man that He should give up.  There is no limit to His power or resources.  When men have long since given up all hope of restoration, God continues in His loving way.  While man looks to cut his losses by salvaging tyres and rims to sell on Ebay from a vehicle that has been written-off, God seeks to redeem and restore to a point before sin.  Think of all the lives of people who were once written-off by others as lost causes headed for hell that God redeemed and saved through faith in Jesus Christ!  How many broken relationships have been restored, bodies miraculously healed, and broken minds renewed by His goodness and grace!  If a man will admit he is ruined and desperate for God's help no matter the cost, God will do a supernatural work in that person.  Instead of a life headed for the scrap heap, God restores that life with parts better than the original.  In place of a heart of stone He provides a heart of flesh.  We have all sinned and fallen short of God's glory, but when we repent and trust in Jesus we are born again and made new.

Eyes of people are opened to the sickly state of the planet, government, society, and relationships, but that doesn't mean we can fix the problem ourselves.  Even when all the king's best men put their heads together, there was no fixing Humpty.  The truth is, only God is able to redeem and restore.  Only God is able to make new.  He has a plan of redemption laid out in the Bible, the price paid with the shed blood of His beloved Son, Jesus Christ.  It is written in Revelation 21:5, "Then He who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new." And He said to me, "Write, for these words are true and faithful."  God is true and faithful, and we don't need to settle for a refurbished earth or a life pieced together like a car with a salvage title:  God redeems and makes new.  Don't write off what God can make new!

Removing Graveclothes

"Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!" ⁴⁴ And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Loose him, and let him go."

John 11:43-44

Shortly before His death on Calvary, Jesus performed a notable miracle in Bethany by raising a man name Lazarus from the dead.  Four days before Jesus arrived at the town Lazarus died, was wrapped in graveclothes, and buried in a tomb.  Being dead four days for humans is a permanent, irreversable condition.  The body would have been stiff from rigor mortis and bloated from the decomposition process.  Much to the surprise of the family because of the degraded condition of the body, Jesus asked for the stone to be rolled away from the mouth of the tomb.  After uttering a short prayer, Jesus called out for Lazarus to come forth.  To the shock of all but Jesus, there Lazarus stood!

It was customary among the Jews to wrap the body of the deceased in linen and lay it in a tomb.  Limestone was a common choice for a tomb in Palestine because the stone was common, it was easily chiseled, and the mineral composition sped the decomposition process.  At the command of Christ Lazarus hobbled to the tomb opening, still bound in graveclothes.  What I find interesting is Lazarus was not given strength like Samson who ripped through layers of bonds as if they were threads.  Jesus told those who witnessed the scene to aid Lazarus in removing the graveclothes.  Only Jesus could provide resurrection and new life, but He provided a role for others in freeing Lazarus from the linen wrapped around his hands and feet.  Lazarus did not protest saying, "I've got this, Jesus!" but stood still while others worked to unravel the linen which held him fast.

It occurred to me that even as Jesus is the only one who gives life, salvation, and deliverance, often He has a role for us in helping others to walk in freedom and newness of life.  People are born and live their lives on earth dead in sins, and it is only by faith in Christ we can be born again.  Life only comes through Jesus and at His command Christians are called, according to the leading of the Holy Spirit, to practically help others to be free from bondage.  This could take the form of a word of wisdom, rebuke, or exhortation.  It could be faithfully supporting and praying for people who are struggling.  God might lead you to share a scripture, to spend time listening and perhaps speaking as prompted by the LORD, and to exhort one another.  It may even be to help throw out stuff or substances to which other are enslaved.  As we follow Jesus and heed His voice, He will lead us into all truth.

We are told in Galatians 6:1-5:  "Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. ² Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. ³ For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. ⁴ But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. ⁵ For each one shall bear his own load."  This passage reveals how the lives of Christians are to be intertwined and interdependent as we follow Jesus.  Our natural bent is towards independence from others or dependence on others.  The healthy and vibrant spiritual path is realised when we are dependent on Jesus and bear one another's burdens, whilst still obediently shouldering our personal responsibilities God has given us.  Stripping a corpse of graveclothes cannot bring life, but when Jesus brings new life He often calls believers around the person to assist others to walk in freedom.  Only Jesus could supply life for Lazarus, but Jesus commanded others to aid him to walk freely.  God can do everything Himself, but He extends the privilege of assisting His work to us.  Amazing.

Get Thee Hence!

"Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve."

Matthew 4:10

When Satan tempted Jesus three times in the wilderness, Jesus appealed to the authority of God's Word to reject his evil suggestions.  Jesus was unwilling to entertain his suggestions or enter into a debate over doctrine.  The Bible provides all a Christian needs to discern the truth and the Holy Spirit provides the strength for us to walk in it.  Whenever Satan or something in our lives opposes God's Word we can say without apology or hesitation, "Get thee hence!"  It is the birthright of every Christian to walk in holiness and righteousness, and we never again need to be enslaved by sin.

God promised His people in the Old Testament a day was coming when He would give them spiritual discernment.  Their eyes would finally perceive the worthless idols they had always prized as the sinful filth they truly were.  Isaiah 30:22 says, "Ye shall defile also the covering of thy graven images of silver, and the ornament of thy molten images of gold: thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloth; thou shalt say unto it, Get thee hence."  People rightly find used hygiene products as disgusting and fit only for the bin, not something to be valued or treasured.  This is what spiritual blindness does.  When blinded by the deceitfulness of sin, something the equivalent of a used tampon seems precious.

Growing up in San Diego, we had a large Chinaberry tree in our front yard.  We were always cautioned by my parents against eating the berries because they are poisonous.  One day our neighbour caught her child eating the toxic berries.  As she frantically spoke to him, trying to pull the berries out of his mouth, guess what he did?  He swallowed them!  So off they went to the doctor, and again we were reminded about the dangers of eating Chinaberries.  I don't know exactly what was going through the little child's mind but apparently the berries in his mouth tasted good enough to swallow them - contrary to his mother's demand he spit them out.  Sweetness in his mouth to him translated into nourishment for his body, but this was not the case.  Idols made of gold and silver look valuable, but they are poison for our souls.

I don't believe God is interested to pry our sticky fingers from the idols we cling to.  He wants to open our eyes with the light of His Word so we will cast them from us as a worthless thing which can only defile.  It is for us to decide if we will follow Jesus at the first, and when God brings them to light we must also decide and follow through with casting aside every weight and the sin which easily besets us.  The Bible gives us the wisdom to discern wealth from what is worthless and say to temptation or sin, "Get thee hence!"

The Pineapple of Reputation

During the discipleship course at Calvary Chapel Sydney I recently read The Pineapple Story, a short and humorous tale of how God used pineapple to teach a missionary to give everything to God.  In fighting for his rights over his pineapple garden the missionary became extremely angry.  It was only after he gave the garden to God that he was delivered from anger.  We can be angry, fight for our rights, and scheme with all our might for control.  Anger can be a useful trigger to show us all the things we have yet to commit to God.  Ultimately the story is much bigger than pineapples.  God desires we would hand over every part of our lives to Him in obedience, trusting and rejoicing in Him.  That is the place of true joy and contentment.

One pineapple in my garden as a young apprentice was that of reputation.  When I entered the mechanical insulation trade, I prayed God would make me as Daniel who stood out as excellent among his peers.  God answered my prayer and gave me skill to understand, memorise, and the physical talent to perform the work at a high level.  I was nominated as apprentice of the year and was a standout in the class and in the field.  But one day in class during my second year, I was pulled aside by the apprenticeship coordinator.  One of the foremen I worked for - a man who had signed for me as a new apprentice - had called the union hall and threatened to press charges for insubordination.  I was stunned.  I was told I might need to miss a day of work and make the 1.5 hour drive to the hall to explain my actions.

In addition to being shocked, I was furious.  This was a man for whom I worked hard.  When he showed up late, I covered for him.  When he was away, I continued to work faithfully.  I did quality work and job after job made money for the company.  And now he was threatening to press charges for insubordination?  What had I done besides make him look like a managing superstar?  I had been told from the beginning of my career in the trade, "The reputation you make as an apprentice you will carry for ten years or more."  What was I to do?  How I wrestled with the situation!  I was being unfairly targeted for some reason, and I obsessed over what I might have done or what I could do to exonerate myself.  Even talking face to face with my boss only seemed to escalate the problem.  This was no prank:  the consequences of this situation threatened my career.  Anger and worry became my daily companions, stuffed away inside.  In the darkness the bad feelings multiplied like yeast through flour.

When thinking about The Pineapple Story all those years ago it struck me:  I had never given my reputation to God!  I was angry about my precious reputation being slandered.  God's gentle rebuke came:  "Your reputation?  I thought you said I was in charge of that."  You see, all my thoughts were focused on me looking good, me being a standout. that I would be recognised as a Daniel - not for God, but for me.  This attack exposed my selfish pride.  I was convicted I had not been trusting God to handle this impossible problem.  I realised I had vented my frustration to God but I never sought Him specifically for guidance. I was angry at seeing my reputation damaged and sought to regain control.  But I never had control over my reputation in the first place!  I had asked God to establish and help me, and the fact I was angered by this attack revealed I had idolised my reputation.  Pride in my success had crept into my heart and to see my reputation being spoiled angered me.  After God spoke to my heart I repented of my sinful anger and gave my reputation into His hands.  I stopped trying to pull strings.  I found rest in resigning myself to God's will in continuing - as much as depended on me - to live peaceably with everyone.

My story had a happy ending.  The anger which was consuming me absolutely disappeared seemingly without a trace.  Instead of worry and bitterness joy filled my heart.  The man who threatened to charge me with insubordination suddenly lost interest, and I was told I did not need to appear before the union committee.  The war of bitterness and anger in my heart had been won by Jesus Christ, and I found myself basking in the peace of God.  I was light as a feather, free and untouchable in the protection of God!  I can say with absolute confidence that even if I had been brought up on charges, even if I had to miss a day of work and appear at the union hall, even if I had been fired from my job, the peace and joy of the LORD would have continued to be my strength.  The battle which was tearing me apart from the inside had been won by my Saviour.  Committing my reputation and future into God's hand was an important step to free me from sin so I could walk in Christ's victory.

Giving specific areas of our lives of conflict humbly to God is a way of denying ourselves, taking up our cross daily, and following Jesus.  Jesus did not begrudgingly set His face to Calvary because of the pain He would endure, but because of the joy which set before Him (Hebrews 12:1-2).  In fighting for self and our rights as children of God we fight a battle already lost.  The sinful anger which burns within us and fuels our rage does more damage to our souls than anything another person can do to us.  Anger will consume your life, lead to bitterness and resentment, and defile others.  When we fight for our rights we will always lose - even if we seem to win for the moment.  It is infinitely better to chose the path of giving ourselves and the protection of our rights to God, for He is in control and we are not.  He alone is able to accomplish what concerns you and me today.