I’m on your side

I’ve spoken a lot about how I was run to ground by Jesus’ persistent and unfailing Love. This was a Love that I’d tried to ignore. It was a Love that I’d tried to believe that I didn’t need. It was a Love that irritated me to no end. Fortunately for me God’s Spirit never quits. Slowly, forcefully I came to see not only that I needed forgiveness for my very nature, my sinful and rebellious self, I came to see that Jesus was not my enemy. He was my friend. He was on my side.

True enough, I’d unawares declared myself to be God’s enemy but He’d have none of it. His willingness, no more than that, His desire to forgive my sins shows His Love to be genuine. By forgiving us, God placed Himself on the same side as we who had done wrong to Him. Jesus became our advocate. Unlike the love and forgiveness that we sometimes encounter in the world, a love and a forgiveness that is incomplete at best, a love that always contains a large measure of self-interest, we can trust the Love of Someone who is willing to be tortured to death in our place.

Why does God do this? Why does He forgive those who kill Him and betray Him and desert Him. Why did God take the most lowly position possible and wash the feet of the “friend” who was about to betray Him. He did it because He can do no other. God is Love. God is on our side. He has done and will do everything possible to bring us safely home. The only thing that can stop His efforts to bring us home is our refusal come home. The only thing that can prevent God from carrying out His plan of salvation in our life is our prideful declaration that we don’t need or want His salvation.