I was rescued

¹ An oracle within my heart
concerning the transgression of the wicked person:
Dread of God has no effect on him.^[a]
2 For with his flattering opinion of himself,
he does not discover and hate his iniquity.
³ The words from his mouth are malicious and deceptive;
he has stopped acting wisely and doing good.
⁴ Even on his bed he makes malicious plans.
He sets himself on a path that is not good,
and he does not reject evil.

Psalm 36:1-4 CSB [emphasis mine]

This was on my mind yesterday after receiving recently some bad news regarding loved ones who need prayer. And because God loves to answer the prayers of our hearts by means of others, I received this advice also yesterday: “Don’t give up on them”.

I’m sure I’m not the only one who assumes that only experienced and confident apologists are allowed to share the Gospel. I have always said of myself, I am no apologist. However, my views on that are slowly changing. In a way, we are all supposed to be apologists, but not in the way we traditionally see them.

Because in my mind, an apologist is a boring white guy in a button down shirt and khakis, on a stage at a conference with a microphone and a PowerPoint, as well as all the answers to any conceivable question at the tip of his tongue. That may be how some become convicted about their need for God, but I don’t know anyone like that. Fortunately, I know that God also loves using the weak to speak his word (Psalm 8:2), and that is good because I am definitely not that guy on the stage.

In Mark chapter 5, Jesus heals a man who had been demon-possessed. Once he was healed and in his right mind, that man begged earnestly to go with Jesus as he was leaving the region. But Jesus did not let him.

“Go home to your own people, and report to them how much the Lord has done for you and how he has had mercy on you. So he went out and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and they were all amazed.” (Mark 5:19-20).

Then, later in Mark chapter 8, Jesus returns to the same region and this time there are four thousand people gathered to hear Jesus teach. That particular man isn’t mentioned again, but it is evident that his obedience made a difference far beyond the reaches of his imagination.

I’m guessing that when he went to tell others what Jesus had done for him, he was just doing what felt natural. Gathering a large amount of followers was probably not on his mind. It was likely a simple message: Hey everyone! I used to be a lost cause, but now look at me! I am clean.

The presence of sin makes us repulsive to God because God is holy. The Bible says that all people are sinful and that there is not one who is good (Romans 3:23). Yet, because of our belief, God considers us worthy to approach, befriend, and embrace. Because of his faithfulness to me, I can also make a difference in my obedience just like this formerly demon-possessed man. In fact, these very words you are reading now, are tangible (okay virtual) proofs of my transformation.

I have nothing original to say or any miraculous conversion story. My story is simple. But simple can be powerful. The truth is, I was dead in my sin: anxious, panicky, worried for the future, wound tightly up into myself. Believing Jesus and beginning to walk in his way, freed me from all the burdens I was trying to carry myself. Now I have incomprehensible, unimaginable, other-worldly peace. It’s a peace only God can give. Life is still painful and tragedy remains unchanged, but with God, in Jesus, I can walk through anything unscathed.

⁵ Lord, your faithful love reaches to heaven,
your faithfulness to the clouds.
⁶ Your righteousness is like the highest mountains,
your judgments like the deepest sea.
Lord, you preserve people and animals.
⁷ How priceless your faithful love is, God!
People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
⁸ They are filled from the abundance of your house.
You let them drink from your refreshing stream.
⁹ For the wellspring of life is with you.
By means of your light we see light.

¹⁰ Spread your faithful love over those who know you,
and your righteousness over the upright in heart.

Psalm 36:5-10 CSB [emphasis mine]

God calls us into his light. He gives his protection, refuge, and rest from the horrors of our own nature. As a result, we appear “dressed and in our right mind” (Mark 5:15), having been soothed and comforted and filled by the abundance of His love.

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Read:

• Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins. Ecclesiastes 7:20
• If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 1 John 1:8
• For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23
• For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, Romans 3:23-24
• If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9
• But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8
• “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

Reflect:

History is almost as important as moving on. What was life like before you believed? How has your life changed since then? Journal your thoughts.

Revere:

Father, we praise you today for your eagerness to step into the mess of our lives. You are never dissuaded or intimidated by anything we can bring before you. You’ve seen it all. Today we confess any and all deliberate turning away from you that is on our hearts today and ask you to step in and make it right. Give us light, that we might see light, and go forward in your ways for your glory. Amen.

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All scripture references taken from ESV unless otherwise noted. 

References

Openbible.info. “What Does the Bible Say About all have sinned?” Openbible.info, accessed 11 Jan. 2023, https://www.openbible.info/topics/all_have_sinned.

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.