“In Judaism, we’re taught to see beyond the redemption. The important thing is not that we are free, but what we do with that freedom. Moses asked Pharaoh to ‘let my people go,’ but we often forget the next phrase in the verse-‘so that they may serve God.’ Moses wasn’t asking for freedom from slavery so the Jewish people could go chill out at a Middle Eastern Club Med. Moses wanted the Jews to swap masters, from an earthly one to one of divine origin… Freedom not bound to a moral code is freedom divorced from what God really wants.”
– Benyamin Cohen, “My Jesus Year”
In Scripture, God loves telling people, “Go.” He sent Abraham into the desert, Moses into Pharaoh’s court, Samuel to Saul (and ultimately David,) and Elijah into the wilderness. He sent Christ to the world, shepherds to the manger, the apostles to Jerusalem, the Jews to the Gentiles, and Paul to Caesar. The unifying factor of these individuals was not their education, their age, or their social status. In these there was great disparity; it is something else entirely, and ultimately much simpler: they were available in the moment of their readiness. Oftentimes, God knew they were ready before they did.
In Isaiah, we read of the prophet’s encounter with God: he sees the Lord in His glory and is overcome with self-awareness and fear. It is not his undoing, though.
“Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal in his hand, which he had taken from the altar with tongs. He touched my mouth with it and said ‘Behold, this has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away and your sin is forgiven.'”
And after this ministration of grace? “Then I heard the voice of the Lord.”
What Isaiah first heard was not a command, but a question: “Whom shall I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?” God was looking. He was searching for someone who was available, and willing. Isaiah’s immediate response to that question was, “Here am I, send me.”
And the Lord told him to go.
We often speak in the church of the magnificence of God’s grace: its infinite limits, its redemptive power, and its free availability to all. But too often, I fear, we stop there, and in so doing, we willingly wander into the seductive snare that Cohen subtly warns us of when he says that “The important thing is not that we are free, but what we do with that freedom.” The danger inherent is that resting on God’s grace may ultimately turn into resting on our laurels, which runs counter to everything in God’s character which compels the King of Kings to tell his servants, “Go.”
Indeed, we have freedom, and we have grace; these facts are incontrovertible. All of scripture screams it; but do we elevate the comfort of scripture over the authority and intent of its author? Do we twist the Good News and so participate emphatically in the “Cheap Grace” of Bonhoeffer?
“Cheap grace means grace as a doctrine, a principle, a system. It means forgiveness of sins proclaimed as general truth, the love of God taught as the Christian ‘conception’ of God. An intellectual assent to that idea is held to be of itself sufficient to secure remission of sins.”
Grace- the forgiveness of sins and the overture to relationship with God- is merely that: an overture. It is the beginning of the relationship, not its end, and those who rest in Cheap Grace rob themselves of the best relationship in all creation by intellectually assenting to a love which goes forever unfulfilled, and tragically, often unrequited.
We have such freedom, love, and solace when we are in relationship with God. He never leaves us or forsakes us, even those who choose to taste the cake without taking more than the first bite. But that freedom, that richness only finds its fullness in the midst of God’s sovereignty.
I’m American, but I am also Canadian, and as such I have a queen. Elizabeth II is the official head of state of my country, and though I can scarce imagine a scenario in which Her Majesty would need to summon me for a purpose, if she were to do so, I am honor-bound to comply. She is the sovereign, and when the sovereign beckons, that beckoning should not fall lightly on subjects’ ears.
My queen doesn’t hold a candle to my King. He stands above her in every way; in wisdom, joy, experience, justice, kindness, fortitude, compassion, patience, and love. He longs to know us individually, and He is my best friend. He is my first priority, the source of anything of value that I have to say, and my dearest confidante. He challenges me, pushes me, and when I am prone to stand in opposition, He supplies the reality check that counters my petulance.
It took me the better part of twenty years to grow in that relationship, but I am so glad that I listened when He called me. I walk in freedom, and I walk under sovereignty. He was always my Savior; it took years to accept His role as Lord. After 25 years, I was ready, I was available, and I heard Him when He told me what his desires were for me. Hearing his voice is the most sublime and most terrifying part of my life; I long for you to experience Him. I am on this race, but this post is not about me.
It is about you, and we all walk different paths.
C.S. Lewis remarked, “Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important.”
Maybe you know who He is, and these words hold no surprises for you; maybe, like many, you merely know about Him more than knowing Him. For those who do know Him, do you hear His still, small voice? Do you listen?
Alternatively, you may harbor deep seated resentment toward Him because someone bearing His name- who should have been light and peace in your life- brought nothing but darkness. It breaks my heart to hear those stories.
Perhaps you are one of the intelligentsia, and believe that deism or formal religion is beneath you, a social construction designed to soften the blow of human mortality.
May I issue the challenge that you dare to accept, just for a moment, the idea that Christ really was all that He claimed to be – because He was unequivocal on the matter- and see whether or not the perceived hype is something more? If you don’t know Him, it doesn’t negate His passionate longing to know you and love you. He is calling. Have you ever stopped to listen, really listen?
The crux of the issue, either way, is this: How will you respond? It is less a question of the scale of the task; God calls us to do all manner of things, great and small. Inevitably, those who seek to know Him, fall under His sovereignty, and comprehend the magnitude of His grace ultimately hear His command of choice:
“Go.”
