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| "I Have Called You by Name" from The Chosen |
There's a place where
Jesus tells us about His heart for us:
"I am gentle and lowly in heart."
+ Jesus
(Matthew 11:29)
+ Gentle and Lowly
In what continues to be one of my favorite recent books, Dane Ortlund unveils the heart of Christ for us in Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers:
I am gentle and lowly in heart.
+ Jesus
(Matthew 11:29)
(Jesus) can deal gently
with the ... wayward.
(Hebrews 5:2)
Whoever comes to Me
I will never cast out.
+ Jesus
(John 6:37)
I will never cast out.
+ Jesus
(John 6:37)
As he writes in his introduction, Ortlund invites you and I to receive these truths even if we are ...
the discouraged,
the frustrated, the weary,
the disenchanted,
the cynical, the empty.
Those running on fumes. ...
Those of us who find ourselves thinking:
"How could I mess up that bad again?"
It is for that increasing suspicion
that God's patience with us
is wearing thin.
For those of us
who know God loves us
but suspect we have
deeply disappointed Him.
Who have told others
of the love of Christ
yet wonder if
—as for us—
He harbors mild resentment.
Who wonder if we shipwrecked
our lives beyond
what can be repaired. ...
Who have been
swept off our feet
by perplexing pain
and are wondering
how we can keep living
the disenchanted,
the cynical, the empty.
Those running on fumes. ...
Those of us who find ourselves thinking:
"How could I mess up that bad again?"
It is for that increasing suspicion
that God's patience with us
is wearing thin.
For those of us
who know God loves us
but suspect we have
deeply disappointed Him.
Who have told others
of the love of Christ
yet wonder if
—as for us—
He harbors mild resentment.
Who wonder if we shipwrecked
our lives beyond
what can be repaired. ...
Who have been
swept off our feet
by perplexing pain
and are wondering
how we can keep living
under such numbing darkness.
If that feels like you, or that intrigues you to learn more about such a Christ who can deal with all of us in the midst of our doubts, fears, and failures, I invite you to keep reading the adapted excerpts below.
The deeper into weakness
and suffering and testing we go,
the deeper Christ's solidarity with us.
As we go down into pain and anguish,
we are descending ever deeper
into Christ's very heart,
not away from it.
Look to Christ.
He deals gently with you.
It's the only way He knows how to be.
... As long as you fix your attention
on your sin,
you will fail to see how you can be safe.
But as long as you look to Him,
you will fail to see how
you can be in danger.
Looking inside ourselves,
we can anticipate only
harshness from heaven.
Looking out to Christ,
we can anticipate only gentleness.
and suffering and testing we go,
the deeper Christ's solidarity with us.
As we go down into pain and anguish,
we are descending ever deeper
into Christ's very heart,
not away from it.
Look to Christ.
He deals gently with you.
It's the only way He knows how to be.
... As long as you fix your attention
on your sin,
you will fail to see how you can be safe.
But as long as you look to Him,
you will fail to see how
you can be in danger.
Looking inside ourselves,
we can anticipate only
harshness from heaven.
Looking out to Christ,
we can anticipate only gentleness.
Jesus declares:
"All that the Father gives Me
will come to Me,
and whoever comes to
Me I will never cast out."
will come to Me,
and whoever comes to
Me I will never cast out."
All
(Not Just Most)
(Not Just Most)
Once the Father sets His loving gaze
on a wandering sinner,
that sinner's rescue is certain.
on a wandering sinner,
that sinner's rescue is certain.
the Father
Our redemption is not a matter
of a gracious Son
trying to calm down
an uncontrollably angry Father.
The Father Himself
ordains our deliverance.
He takes the loving initiative.
Our redemption is not a matter
of a gracious Son
trying to calm down
an uncontrollably angry Father.
The Father Himself
ordains our deliverance.
He takes the loving initiative.
Gives
(Not Haggles Over)
(Not Haggles Over)
It is the Father's deep delight
to freely entrust recalcitrant rebels
into the gracious care of His Son.
to freely entrust recalcitrant rebels
into the gracious care of His Son.
Will Come
God's saving purpose for a sinner
is never thwarted.
He is never frustrated.
He never runs out of resources.
If the Father calls us,
we will come to Christ.
is never thwarted.
He is never frustrated.
He never runs out of resources.
If the Father calls us,
we will come to Christ.
Whoever Comes
Yet we are not robots.
While the Father is clearly
the sovereign overseer of our redemption,
we are not dragged kicking and screaming
into Christ against our will.
While the Father is clearly
the sovereign overseer of our redemption,
we are not dragged kicking and screaming
into Christ against our will.
But I am a great sinner, say you.
"I will in no wise cast out," says Christ.
"I will in no wise cast out," says Christ.
But I am an old sinner, say you.
"I will in no wise cast out," says Christ.
But I am a hard-hearted sinner, say you.
"I will in no wise cast out," says Christ.
"I will in no wise cast out," says Christ.
But I am a backsliding sinner, say you.
"I will in no wise cast out," says Christ.
"I will in no wise cast out," says Christ.
But I have served Satan all my days, say you.
"I will in no wise cast out," says Christ.
"I will in no wise cast out," says Christ.
But I have sinned against light, say you.
"I will in no wise cast out," says Christ.
But I have sinned against mercy, say you.
"I will in no wise cast out," says Christ.
But I have no good thing
to bring with me, say you.
"I will in no wise cast out," says Christ.
to bring with me, say you.
"I will in no wise cast out," says Christ.
The promise was provided
to answer all objections,
to answer all objections,
and does answer them.
+ John Bunyan
Come and Welcome to Jesus Christ
Come and Welcome to Jesus Christ
Fallen, anxious sinners are limitless in our capacity to perceive reasons for Jesus to cast us out. We are factories of fresh resistance to Christ's love. Even when we run out of tangible reasons to be cast out, such as specific sins or failures, we tend to retain a vague sense that, given enough time, Jesus will finally grow tired of us and hold us at arm's length. John Bunyan understands us. He knows we tend to deflect Christ's assurances.
"No wait"—we say,
cautiously approaching Jesus—
"You don't understand.
I've really messed up,
in all kinds of ways."
I know, Jesus responds.
"You don't understand.
I've really messed up,
in all kinds of ways."
I know, Jesus responds.
"You know most of it, sure.
Certainly more than what others see.
But there's perversity down inside me
that is hidden from everyone."
I know it all.
Certainly more than what others see.
But there's perversity down inside me
that is hidden from everyone."
I know it all.
"Well—the thing is,
it isn't just my past.
It's my present, too."
I understand.
it isn't just my past.
It's my present, too."
I understand.
"But I don't know if
I can break free
of this any time soon."
That's the only kind of person
I'm here to help.
I can break free
of this any time soon."
That's the only kind of person
I'm here to help.
"The burden is heavy
—and heavier all the time."
Then let Me carry it.
—and heavier all the time."
Then let Me carry it.
"It's too much to bear."
Not for Me.
Not for Me.
"You don't get it.
My offenses aren't directed toward others.
They're against You."
Then I am the One
most suited to forgive them.
My offenses aren't directed toward others.
They're against You."
Then I am the One
most suited to forgive them.
"But the more of the ugliness
in me You discover,
the sooner You'll get fed up with me."
Whoever comes to Me
in me You discover,
the sooner You'll get fed up with me."
Whoever comes to Me
I will never cast out.
Every human friend has a limit.
If we offend enough,
if a relationship gets damaged enough,
if we betray enough times, we are cast out.
The walls go up.
With Christ,
our sins and weaknesses
are the very resume items
that qualify us to approach Him.
Nothing but coming to Him is required
—first at conversion
and a thousand times thereafter.
our sins and weaknesses
are the very resume items
that qualify us to approach Him.
Nothing but coming to Him is required
—first at conversion
and a thousand times thereafter.
Christ is all,
Rev. Mike "Sully" Sullivan
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