A Day at the Movie Theater & God's Love for Me

On New Years Day I went to the movie theater. Now I don't go the movies very often, so it was super fun! The movie was nice, but what struck me the most was the previews.

A majority of the previews featured a catastrophe coming to take over the world, or something like that. All were full of violence; violence done in the name of defeating evil and defending good. Most singled out a seemingly ordinary person who would shape the world's future. And all tried to answer the questions "where did the world come from?" and "why are we here?"

It may sound funny, but I was reminded in those few previews of the lostness in our world. We all desire to know where we came from. We all long to have purpose. Something found only Christ; a Christ the world rejects. The world finds its purpose in thwarting evil, so they naturally think violence is the answer. If we defeat the bad guys we'll have peace. If I'm not careful I start functioning as if I could destroy all the evil surrounding me. I think "If I could just change this situation... I would be happy." 

The gospel tells me that the biggest evil around me is me. It's the hidden evils of my heart that create the great chasm between me and God. Paul describes himself in 1 Timothy 1:15 as the foremost of sinners because he sees his sin in light of God. I once heard Richard Chin say that, “the only thing we contribute to our salvation is our own sin." 

I really wish I could be the hero of my life, I wish I could protect myself and the world from evil.  But the truth is my sin is the very reason I need to be saved. And no matter how much I'd like to be the hero of my own story I cannot save myself from my own heart.

That is why the gospel is such good news! Jesus didn't conquer sin by physically tearing apart his enemies. He didn't grab an automatic weapon and run around shooting his enemies while dodging bullets.  He conquered evil in a way that seems so backwards to the world and to me--with love.  He died so that I could be saved from myself. Jesus conquered sin with love. 1 John 4:10 has new meaning to me: "In this is love, not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins."

Oh how grateful am I for the undeserved steadfast love of the Lord!

QUESTIONS TO PONDER: 

• Do you want to be the hero of your own story? 
• Do you think if something outside of you (a person or circumstance) changed everything would be ok? 
• Have you ever thought about how backwards God's love is to the world?
• Have you confessed to God that you can't save yourself?