“I do not come into this pulpit hoping that perhaps somebody will of his own free will return to Christ. My hope lies in another quarter. I hope that my Master will lay hold of some of them and say, “You are mine, and you shall be mine. I claim you for myself.” My hope arises from the freeness of grace, and not from the freedom of the will.”

Charles Haddon Spurgeon

“We sinners know we cannot bear our own guilt, so we look for a substitute. If we are not believing and revering and savoring Christ as our atoning substitute, we will find someone else to whom we may transfer our shame.”

Ray Ortlund

Worry eats at us. It mires our hearts in apprehension and fear. It saps our strength and drains our peace. And that worry tempts us to believe the myth that an uncertain financial future is an unbearable state of affairs.

–In Matthew six, Jesus speaks to people who had no IRAs or savings accounts to calm their fears about their future. And yet Jesus looks them straight in the eye and calls them to a worry-free faith. Why? Because a Father who takes such excellent care of His birds and flowers will surely provide His children with all they need.

Are you strapped financially these days? Do you find yourself fussing over your earthly needs as if you didn’t belong to the One who feeds the birds of the air and clothes the lilies of the field? Your Father knows and cares abut our needs. He assures us of His fatherly protection. That means we are free to go about God’s business today and leave tomorrow with Him. “Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all” Matthew 6:32.

Imagine my going into our son’s room to kiss him goodnight only to find him crying fitfully into his pillow. When I question him, he tells me that he’s afraid he’ll be thirsty tomorrow and what will he do? I almost laugh at his worry, but instead I calmly assure him that if I water our houseplants— silly houseplants that sometimes die after only a few months—then of course I will make sure that my precious, darling, beloved child has enough water to drink! A loving parent delights in providing for his child.

I don’t know your needs right now. You may be jobless. You may be facing rising medical costs. You may not know where next month’s rent will come from. But wherever you are, let’s believe God together for our needs, not because we are oblivious to reality but because we are related to True Reality. Our loving Father calls us to leave our financial brooding and settle down with child-like trust in Him.

One of my favorite old hymns says it this way:

Only be still and wait His leisure
In cheerful hope, with heart content.
To take whate’er the Father’s pleasure
And all-discerning love has sent;
Nor doubt our inmost wants are known
To Him who chose us for His own.
George Neumark, 1621-1681–

What a great comfort. Paul in his letter to the Romans church says this -Romans 8:31-32 “³¹ What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? ³² He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things”

God! Help me press into that! You gave me Jesus. Your Treasure and Joy. Your Eternal Companion. Your own SON. Logically, how can anything happen, except that you fill me with joy and satisfy me forever? What a wondrously amazing Portion are You?

So last night and this morning I had a hard heart towards God, because I had given into Satan’s lies and wasn’t living moment to moment with open hands- receiving Jesus’ life and death for me. Now don’t believe that this is such an exceptional thing- sinning and living in a sinful mindset occurs much more than I’d like to admit, but praise God that Jesus has died for all of my sins and lived perfectly on my behalf. Do you ever have these prolonged periods of hardness and rebellion like I do? I was listening to a hymn today with these lyrics, “Thy mercy seat is open still, here let my soul retreat…” How AMAZING is that? Romans 5:8 tells us that Jesus- when we were enemies with God, violently and relentlessly sought after us [dying on the cross and raising from the dead] that we might live trusting in Him, and be fully and forever reconciled to our Father. How much more- now that Jesus, our dear Brother, has done this for us- is God’s mercy seat beckoning us to sit in it…living in all of it’s realities and graces. With this kind of God, freely and forcefully giving this kind of mercy, everyday is a day for repentance. God of All, soften our hearts, let us never become entitled to Your deep mercy that abides with us always.

This fountain seems forceful and ever-flowing:

Today, I realized that I have been viewing God’s grace as it flows from that nice and cute fountain. Thankfully, God has been opening my eyes, to seeing that His grace toward me spouts much more like this forceful and ever-flowing fountain. Even though the first fountain might be nice as a yard decoration, it is not something that I could be satisfied by forever. If we view God’s grace as wimpy and dry-able, our lives of sin are going to either be flailing attempts to hide or pummeled with deep despair. I mean aren’t those two places where we’re all spending our time? If we’re honest? (I wish it weren’t true!) How do we get out of those all too familiar places? That’s me! I’m scared of what you think of me, I’m terrified of what God thinks of me, and in a worthless attempt to avoid my fears, I numb myself by not thinking about it. Preoccupying myself with Pinterest crafts, theology talk, cooking, vintage style, and every once in a while an American Spirit- just like the rest of you hipsters who aren’t hipsters (you have to laugh at that, I’m really not trying to offend anyone more than I’m offending myself). But in all seriousness, can you relate to my disease? Where is our cure? My cure needs to be strong, ever-flowing, forceful. Here’s the cure: the gospel (nothing new and exciting, yet everything I need). Believe me, I’m the first to say, “Yea yea, the gospel this… the gospel that…” [pouring contempt on God's rich and holy plan...I'm ashamed.] Pray with me right now, that you’ll read this afresh…

The Gospel:

God has required perfection. Perfection. By human standards, we can weasel our way into thinking we’re okay because maybe we’re not as bad as “so and so.” In Leviticus 11:44 and again in 1 Peter 1:16-17, it’s reiterated, God says, “Be holy, as I am holy.” No buts. Holy. Perfect. Set apart.

We have failed. I mean, no one can argue with God. We’ve all fallen short. No one is perfect. If we don’t get a sense of the weight of our calling…if our heads never bow in shame because of our sin, why do we need a “lifter of our heads?” Take some time to really come to terms with the way you justify, minimize, and excuse your sin to yourself, to others, and ultimately to God. (And as a side note, think about why you’re justifying yourself, if you’re already justified?…Doesn’t your nervousness and need to justify yourself to “Sally Sue pastor’s wife” reveal in and of itself that you’re not really trusting in Jesus as your “all in all”…”your righteousness?”) God’s showing me that my consistent and floundering self-vindication, is not enough to be right with Him, although many days I think it is. Our need, our terrible desperation to be justified, is constantly flashing through our thoughts and bleeding its way out in all of our actions, even our “godly” ones. Isaiah 64:6 says, “all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment (and that’s a forgiving translation).”While we may be able to hide from each other, we cannot hide from God, our Judge.

Jesus didn’t fail. We are people in need of deeply abiding and cleansing grace. Ever since we fell from God’s original sinless design for us, we have become so ensnared and entangled in sin, that we’re numb to it. If it didn’t grieve God’s heart enough that we sinned and “permanently” moved out of His residence…We don’t even care that we’re sinners. I’m learning this makes God so sad, hear me…God’s heart is so soft. Our rebellion makes Him so sad. When we get sad, we spin into a downward spiral of depression and defeat. Thankfully, God is unlike us in this way. The grief in His heart from our hardened sinfulness produces strength, love, and commitment to His graciously redemptive covenant. That is water to a thirsty soul. You might be tired of yourself, your friends might be tired of you, but God… God is not tired of you, sinner. He draws strength from your desperation. God heard humanity’s cry…His response was the cross. He died, He gave up everything, to let us live and give us everything. This reality, that God’s heart is melted and His ear is inclined at our cries of desperation, is our strength. We can own desperation because of it! David, in Psalm 55, claims:

¹⁶ But I call to God,
and the LORD will save me.
¹⁷ Evening and morning and at noon
I utter my complaint and moan,
and he hears my voice.

David was a desperate man, we all can and should learn from him. In this truth, that the heart of God comes quickly to our helplessness- I can leave my fear that God only loves the righteous, that he only listens to good people when they pray- who have proved themselves worthy. When Jesus is saving Matthew, there’s a dialogue going on between Jesus and some Pharisees (religious people of that day) questioning why He’s hanging out with Matthew this horrible sinner and in chapter 9 verse 13, Jesus lovingly responds, “For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” Isn’t that just amazing? That is. It is amazingly comforting. Bryan Chapell, says it like this, “Biblical faith is most evident not when we demand that God honor our flawed deeds, but when we trust that He will mercifully respond when we humbly and helplessly cry out [to Him].” (Holiness by Grace, 27-28 [Get this book, I'm not kidding you. I know it's against literature ethics to make threats in your in-text citation]).

Jesus. Stronger, more faithful, large and ever-flowing storehouses of mercy…more mercy than these fountains. We cannot search the end of His grace. His mercies have no end. Jesus, a Greater Fountain, than we ever could have hoped, for our weak and dry souls that we cannot escape. Drown in it.

Psalm 32

Blessed Are the Forgiven

 ¹ Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered.
² Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity,
and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

 ³ For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
⁴ For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer.
Selah

 ⁵ I acknowledged my sin to you,
and I did not cover my iniquity;
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,”
   and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.
Selah

 ⁶ Therefore let everyone who is godly
   offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found;
surely in the rush of great waters,
they shall not reach him.
⁷ You are a hiding place for me;
you preserve me from trouble;
you surround me with shouts of deliverance.
Selah

 ⁸ I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
⁹ Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding,
which must be curbed with bit and bridle,
or it will not stay near you.

 ¹⁰ Many are the sorrows of the wicked,
but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the LORD.
¹¹ Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, O righteous,
and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

]]> http://megrigano.wordpress.com/2012/01/06/a-greater-fountain/feed/ 0 Meg 3-200 Fountain_at_Lincoln_Center_New_York_City_TauntingPanda_Jan_17_2005 http://megrigano.wordpress.com/2012/01/05/by-thine-all-sufficient-merit/ http://megrigano.wordpress.com/2012/01/05/by-thine-all-sufficient-merit/#comments Thu, 05 Jan 2012 22:55:25 +0000 megrigano http://megrigano.wordpress.com/?p=907 Continue reading →]]>

Wrath, Silence, Joy by Alan Vales // In response to Isaiah 53

Come, Thou long expected Jesus
Born to set Thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us,
Let us find our rest in Thee.
Israel’s Strength and Consolation,
Hope of all the earth Thou art;
Dear Desire of every nation,
Joy of every longing heart.

Born Thy people to deliver,
Born a child and yet a King,
Born to reign in us forever,
Now Thy gracious kingdom bring.
By Thine own eternal Spirit
Rule in all our hearts alone;
By Thine all sufficient merit,
Raise us to Thy glorious throne.

At the outset, 2012, doesn’t seem to be filled with as much hope as 2011 anticipated. Personally, I do really well with what feels like a “restart button.” Nothing, really changes that doesn’t already change normally, I know. Even with the moment by moment new mercies of Jesus and the new year, there’s a lot of pain and insufficiency I feel. Most days this year so far (all 5) I have sat with a weeping and extremely downcast friend or family member- some Christians, some not. The Lord has been teaching me some things amidst mine and my friend’s weaknesses. One thing is that I do not take my burdens to God in prayer. I am learning that as “strong” as I am, I get so weary very quickly… I’ve resolved this year to pray daily. How messed up is it that I have to resolve to do that? Thank God for Jesus. Amen? I’m a weak Christian, but my lack of intimacy in prayer before my Father, is admittedly something that regularly exposes that. A new friend I was talking to, he said, “how can we know God if we never pray?” So people might say that all the time, but I felt that Jesus was really saying that to me. I was listening on the verge of epiphany and thought, “Man…I CAN PRAY TO MY FATHER.” Now, because Jesus’ all sufficient merit, I can publically admit on my blog, Meg Rigano hardly prays…and when I do, I’m needing something, or see something really amazing, and I pray, “God! Do this/That’s so amazing how that works/ how beautiful that is/[whatever]…” But sitting down for 15 minuets and praying for my community group (my great friends that I love!), my triad, my family, people who don’t yet know the freedom of Jesus’ cross, myself, etc…all of that is far too regularly not apart of my routine. So I’m human, not God, weak, ruined by sin, friends with all these other people who are ruined by sin, and I don’t on a regular basis go to God and just tell Him about all these burdens. So I have been doing that the past couple days and I am realizing that God is SO STRONG. He is hearing what I am saying- He’s so glad I’ve come to Him with my heaviness- He’s totally unafraid of my words and confessions. AND GOD knows everyone this way, He knows everyone’s pain, He sees it all- even if it is unbeknown to them, even if they neglect Him. He is grieved by sin and His desire is for everyone to come to Him and be saved! [2 Peter 3:9-The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.] I am also realizing that God is SO LOVING. Like, HE LISTENS TO ME! He cares! In 1 Peter 5:6, it is written, “cast all [of] your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” That’s literally so amazing. In Philippians [3:6-7], Paul writes, “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Also amazing! John Piper, in his TULIP video teaching series, tells me that I don’t pray because I don’t believe it will change anything. I totally think he’s dead on. It’s not my intention in this blog to unpack Piper’s theology of how prayer ushers forth the will of God and God’s sovereignty is upheld. But I believe those two realities are simultaneously true. Piper, in one of those teachings said, “There are things that are not happening right now because you are not praying for them to happen.” That’s heavy. Jesus bore our sins on the cross as well as our falling short of our calling to pray, praise Jesus for His grace! I don’t know how to express this, [be gracious] it’s crazy that it’s sinful to not go to God in prayer. In the gospels Jesus is constantly commanding we pray. That’s just so interesting to me, that Christians need commanded to do partake in this amazing gift, prayer. I’m 8 years old in Christ, and I’m learning how to pray. “By Thine All Sufficient Merit…” Hear this! Jesus is a friend to sinners, He lived the life I was required to live. This includes all of the times He went away to a secret place and prayed to His Dad. Then, spotless Jesus died the death I deserve. In the death of Christ I live. Seriously. Friend, when Jesus justifies us [that is, when He died on the cross- and declared sinners right before God] He gave us His righteousness and took our sin. Our disgusting wretched sins, as well as the sins we commit by not living up to our calling. That literally stops my breath.

If you’ve never talked with God before, if you’ve never prayed to Him… this death on the cross that took place a couple thousand years ago, that weird Christians, like me, are always talking about…Well, God, the author of creation, entered into His own story, He lived a perfect life and He bore the sins of anyone who would place their trust in Him. Would you place your trust in Him? He’s the Father you’ve always wanted. Whoever trusts in Jesus, God lets pray anytime through the Spirit of God to Him, and cast all their anxieties on Him, who wouldn’t take that offer? Take Jesus.

I love you Zack and Britt. Keep singin’ about His grace, you have impacted the lives of so many people through your beautiful and God exalting marriage. Thank you for this video, what a delight you guys are to God’s people.

⁹ remember the former things of old;
for I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is none like me,
¹⁰ declaring the end from the beginning
and from ancient times things not yet done,
saying, ‘My counsel shall stand,
and I will accomplish all my purpose,’

This passage from Isaiah, is always a good morning reminder. Every day I wake up and I am weak. Everyday I wake up and I am needy. I’m hurt by people, I’m hurting people. I’m a mess. Day after day, as much as I try not to, I struggle to not live my life in the complete service of other “gods.” BUT when this God, [this Isaiah 46 God] is my God- not because I chose Him, rather because He chose me. I can wake up. I can face the people who I’ve hurt and look them in the eyes and beg their forgiveness. I can forgive anyone who has wronged me [not conditioned upon their asking]. I can live with myself. Not because I’m okay, but because of Jesus- because He is God. Outside of time He sits, unlike any other, yet related to all of us. He is someone who I can worship…I can think about Him all day, I can fantasize about what life will be like in His Kingdom, I can go to Him in prayer and talk  to Him about our relationship forever. I can put in all my chips, I can devote every thought to Him, all of my energy, all of my dreams. All of my hope can be placed in Him, and I will never be let down, only ever constantly surprised and amazed at how much more extraordinary He is, than I thought He was.

Now nothing else is like that. The boyfriend or husband I don’t have…he can’t be that for me. He will fall short, someday, he’ll die. I can’t live my life in complete infatuation with “him” and be okay. Knowledge, I love it, but after studying whatever for a long time, it’s insufficient. I need to practice it, it needs to lead me to something greater than it. My friends, as wonderful as they are, won’t last forever, they’re not worthy of what God is.

God in all of His grandeur and greatness, He is enough for all of our desires, hopes, daydreams. It is such a relief to my heart that there is Something that I can give all of myself to, and it won’t fail me, it won’t leave me feeling totally empty, I won’t- from worshiping God, be made desolate. I’ll never be deserted. Friends, we can be completely consumed with God, and we’re free, not bound. Amazing. Throw yourself onto Him- dive into His love, explore who He is, don’t hold back.

]]> http://megrigano.wordpress.com/2012/01/03/rescued-grace-for-the-idolater-like-me/feed/ 4 Meg Ah9JdLrCMAAlTLA http://megrigano.wordpress.com/2011/12/27/watered-down-love/ http://megrigano.wordpress.com/2011/12/27/watered-down-love/#comments Wed, 28 Dec 2011 04:56:37 +0000 megrigano http://megrigano.wordpress.com/?p=890 Continue reading →]]> “It would be a bold and silly creature that came before its Creator with the boast, ‘I’m no beggar. I love you disinterestedly.’”

C.S. Lewis

When I read this, my mind runs to thoughts of friends and family whom I love, who feel this way toward God. Who feel indifferently toward the God of the Bible, or at least the diluted “god” that has been presented to them by lousy doctrine and untransformed churches. I fear for them. I pray for them. As I’m writing this, I’m reminded of God’s sovereignty. And of His providence…His utter control, and absolute overflowing goodness. Relief. Our heart’s affections for others to know Jesus, those affections find their origin in God. He has those feelings about our friends and family before we do, He gives them to us. Pray and labor to usher His will in, that all will be saved from God as judge and experience God as justifier.

One of the larger problems with the apathy in man’s heart toward God is this: it reveals a lack of understanding of God’s passionate love for man. This is a larger issue than it may seem at the surface level. (Back peddling)…Foundationally, God’s chief purpose is to glorify Himself and enjoy Himself forever, (Westminster Chatechism, Q1-A1). Thus, as image bearers of God, you and I are also called to that same purpose, to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. In the creation narrative, God has chosen a very specific means of glorifying Himself. This means of glorification has been from the beginning. John 1:1 explains, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” First of all, John is referencing Moses’ words in Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning…” John is communicating, “what I’m about to write, was always ‘Plan A’ not a sudden ‘Plan B.’ So in the beginning, was the Word… Who’s the word? Further down in John 1:14-18, the Word is revealed to be Jesus. (14,16-18: And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. ¹⁶ For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. ¹⁷ For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. ¹⁸ No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.

What John 1:1 communicates is this: Jesus is the Word, Jesus was with God, and Jesus is God (in the beginning [and always]).

What John 1:1 implicates is this: God from the beginning of time desired redemption. God from the beginning of time loved soon to be sinful men. God from the beginning of time thought is best to empty Himself to undeserving sinners who would have Him forever. Jesus’ role in creation was vast. He did a lot of things, He’s doing a lot of things, He’s going to do a lot of things… but the most significant part of His role in creation was to enter into the devastating and dark world He made, that has become infested with sin, wickedness, depression, and decay…and die. He came to die. Jesus Christ lives perfectly, dies undeservedly, and raises victoriously in the pursuit of sinners, and ultimately the glory of God. Jesus Christ! Jesus Christ! He died for me!! He died for us! Can you believe this? It’s hard. It’s very hard. But it could not be more real. Jesus Christ, the savior of the world…the friend of sinners. How amazing!

When another person begins to love you…you know? Whether a blooming friendship or a budding romance…when someone begins to love you and pursue you, recall those thoughts you had while that was going on, “Me?! Really?! Why does she want to me my friend? What does she see in me??!” or “I can’t believe he isn’t falling in love with all my friends who are more humble and so much prettier, and dress cuter, etc..Why me!?!” Remember thinking that? Well Jesus, He is God. He is perfect. He is beauty, He is handsomeness. All of what we see and enjoy in our day to day lives and in people, are shadows pointing us to Jesus. Giving us a taste of how charming He is, how amazing he is…of a lover, of a father, of a brother, of a friend. Jesus is amazing. And He wants you. And He wants me. And if that doesn’t call for a radical response…one much more radical and passionate than we feel at the peek of a new earthly relationship…I don’t know what does.

Watered down love for God, says, “I haven’t experienced the relentless pursuit of the Jesus…” And if you haven’t ever experienced His mighty pursuit, and you’re reading this- and you feel very indifferent toward God. The pressure’s off…why would you feel amazed by a lover you’ve never known. Think about that. It would be silly to say, ["Me?! Really?! Why does she want to me my friend? What does she see in me??!" or "I can't believe he isn't falling in love with all my friends who are more humble and so much prettier, and dress cuter, etc..Why me!?!"]…If no one is pursuing you…if you haven’t experienced the love that provokes such a response- you’d be out of you mind to love God. But hear this, He’s good and He’s so loving…and you’re invited. Come. If you tarry ’till your better, you will never come at all. Jesus came to save broken and hurting people like me, and like you if you’ll admit it, not people who have it all together. He picks us up, He puts us back together. He delivers, cause we’re stuck. Praise God for His grace and the beautiful response that’s draped across a sinner’s life who has been pursued by Jesus Christ.

Matthew 11:28-29

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Psalm 103

¹ Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and all that is within me,
bless his holy name!
² Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits,
³ who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,
⁴ who redeems your life from the pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
⁵ who satisfies you with good
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

 ⁶ The LORD works righteousness
and justice for all who are oppressed.
⁷ He made known his ways to Moses,
his acts to the people of Israel.
⁸ The LORD is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
⁹ He will not always chide,
nor will he keep his anger forever.
¹⁰ He does not deal with us according to our sins,
nor repay us according to our iniquities.
¹¹ For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
¹² as far as the east is from the west,
so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
¹³ As a father shows compassion to his children,
so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him.
¹⁴ For he knows our frame;
he remembers that we are dust.

 ¹⁵ As for man, his days are like grass;
he flourishes like a flower of the field;
¹⁶ for the wind passes over it, and it is gone,
and its place knows it no more.
¹⁷ But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him,
and his righteousness to children’s children,
¹⁸ to those who keep his covenant
and remember to do his commandments.
¹⁹ The LORD has established his throne in the heavens,
and his kingdom rules over all.

 ²⁰ Bless the LORD, O you his angels,
you mighty ones who do his word,
obeying the voice of his word!
²¹ Bless the LORD, all his hosts,
his ministers, who do his will!
²² Bless the LORD, all his works,
in all places of his dominion.
Bless the LORD, O my soul!

“God does not love us because we’re valuable. We’re valuable because God loves us.” -Martin Luther

“We can never reflect too much on God’s grace.”

-Sinclair Ferguson

Inherent in making my thesis more concrete, is personal change. My thesis deals with exploring the implications of the doctrine of justification [by faith], and in a way I’m a “case study.” Since my winter break began I’ve been reading as many books, articles and sermons as I can get my hands on…all surrounding justification. Someone recommended a book to me by “Paul F.M. Zahl called “Who Will Deliver Us? The Present Power of the Death of Christ.” So far, (I’m only 2 chapters in) this book has been the most freeing book I’ve read in 2011. Let me note some of what I’ve learned:

The central theme of this book is the atonement Jesus made for sinners who would have Him forever. In order to understand it, Zahl defines a few things first. He defines Law, law, justification by faith, and imputation. These beautiful ideas/ doctrines he claims, “have proven to be a catalyst for reform and renewal in the Christian community.” I’m with him. The doctrines of the atonement and justification by faith have been the roots of massive awakenings such as the Protestant Reformation, the Great Awakening, and the current resurgence that is going on in America right now.

Here’s the way Zahl has defined:

Law: refers to the moral precepts of the O.T. as symbolized and summarized in the Ten Commandments. The Law is understood as a set of revealed ideals for true religion and just relationships. This Law comes from God.

law: refers to interior principal of demand or ought  that seems universal in human nature. Any voice that causes us to feel as if must do something or be someone in order to merit the approval of another. Within this definition he termed, “the law of capability” (which I found to be very interesting as, “the demand a person may feel that he/she be 100% capable in everything he/she does- or else!” This is an internalized principal of self-accusation.

The connection of Law and law: “We might say the innumerable laws we carry around inside of us are bastard children of the Law.”

Justification (by faith): To be reconciled to God so that we are no longer adversaries, but rather live in harmony. In the N.T. it’s clearer that this always happens by faith (trusting God) instead of by performance (sheer adequacy) because we could never do enough to earn it.

Imputation: to ascribe a characteristic to someone that he/she does not have by nature. (God gives us righteousness and guiltlessness). For example, a person can regard us positively of negatively and in either case this person has an enormous amount of power over us. We’ve all experienced this. A person can become as he or she is regarded. “Happy is the one to whom the Lord imputes no guilt.” (Psalm 32:2) This is the way the Lord transforms us. He imputes Christ’s righteousness to us, through justification, and we take hold of that promise of justification by faith. God’s declaration of righteousness over sinners, is a part of what causes us to rise to that righteousness. How wonderful is that?

Father, keeping causing Your grace to abound. We are begging You to stir true revival. That entire cities may wake up and sense that Your grace is what is most present there. Pour your renewing grace upon individuals, their communities, and build Your Kingdom. Come quickly.