Dearest Cam and Scott
Wow. Last week was tough. Not without its wonders
and victories – but also full of record-breaking incidences of Stuff Going
Wrong in significant and insignificant bits of our lives and too much news on a
scale of zero to devastating, about people we know and love. Dad and I felt dazed
– saddened – by it all. I’m super optimistic, mostly, so it’s not often that I find
myself asking God if he really is still in control and, like, what’s happening
to believers who seem to have stopped believing and can we be desperate but not
hopeless?
I hope you guys will read these posts and letters when
you’re twelve or sixteen or twenty-two – whenever God quickens it in you to
read what I was writing when you were little. I don’t know what this shifting world
will look like when you’re bigger. But I know some things will be the same –
like human hearts, grace and freedom.
I’m so very sorry that you’ve inherited our wickedness. It
sucks – seeing our instinctive me-me-me rebellion manifesting in you both. So I’m
writing to you tonight because I desperately want you to understand this thing
called sin. It causes death. I mean – obviously – eventually – we’ll all
physically die because of a decision involving two people and some fruit long
ago. But there’s more to it. Death follows
sin – every time. It’s always the
wage you pay. The death differs, depending on the sin. It could be the death of
your health. Or the death of a relationship, or someone’s trust. Maybe it’s the
death of a job, a dream, your finances, your waistline, your reputation, or your
desire for what’s natural and good.
And don’t think that you’ll see death coming. That’s the terrifying
thing. Sin is insidious. Even beautiful. It promises you’re not hurting anyone.
It starts with a thought. That lingers to nibble. And will come back for bigger bites if you let it.
It’s not cool or trendy to talk about sin much at all
anymore (or judgment or hell or any of the other uncomfortable topics). But I so
want you to get it that if we weren’t in dire need of redemption God would not
have sent a Redeemer. In which case, why Jesus? Our faith would be lame and laughable
and we might as well just join a country club.
I want you to cling to Jesus because he’s holy and you
need him more than air. I want you to
see how he holds grace in one hand and freedom in the other. Grace says he
owes you nothing but he calls you beloved and offers you forgiveness and
eternal life anyway. And freedom says that sin is no longer your master. You’re
liberated from its grip. Released so that you can stop trying so hard and
failing even harder, and let Christ live his life through you. For sure, sin
comes with consequences you may not be able to escape, but grace cuts the tripwire
so you can run free.
It’s like, we’re not just recipients of a no-worries,
mediocre kind of lenience – left to live by whatever floats our boat. Grace is
so much more than benign tolerance. It doesn’t leave us trapped. It brings radical
heart change – life change – world change. Grace said to the Pharisees who
caught the woman in adultery and challenged Jesus to enforce the law that would
stone her, ‘All right, but let the one
who has never sinned throw the first stone!’ (John 8:7) Freedom turned to
the woman, once her seething prosecutors had turned sheepish, and said, ‘Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of
them condemn you?’ ‘No, Lord,’ she said. And Jesus said, ‘Neither do I. Go and sin no more.’ (John
8:10-11)
Jesus didn’t say, ‘You’re alright, love. Carry on!’ He loved
this woman far, far more than that. He lavished upon her acceptance, cleansing and
hope. And then because he wanted her to be free he said, ‘Sin no more.’
Which he wouldn’t
have said if it wasn’t possible.
So tonight my prayer is that you’ll grow up to rest in
God’s unthinkable, unmerited favour and that you won’t be bound by sin or
religion but rather that you’ll enjoy Jesus-freedom – abundant life – for your
good and his glory. I pray that you will always have the courage to love and to
say the hard things when they need to be said.
To answer the questions I started with: God is still in
control. He will build his church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer
it (Matthew 16:18). And yip, sometimes we feel desperate. But we are never,
never hopeless.
Walk in confidence. He reigns in glory.
All my love,
Mom
Xx
