per∙e∙grī∙nus

Thoughts after “Stop and Think” May 1, 2010

Last night I started reading Crazy Love by Francis Chan. I didn’t get far into the book before it started sending me to my computer to watch some of Chan’s videos online. In the video sermonette Stop and Think, a surfboard carrying Chan encourages us to reflect on the world God created for us and the love he wants to show us. But one line popped out and hit me hard:

“God loves you, and He doesn’t want to punish you.”

I’ve heard “God loves me” all my life. But I’ll confess that I struggle terribly with actually believing that this is true. I look at myself, and I don’t know how he couldn’t be repulsed. How he couldn’t just be sick of me and my intentional ignorance of him.

But he doesn’t want to punish me? At first, I was honestly skeptical. But how could I deny that this is exactly what the coming of Christ proves. Not that I don’t deserve to be punished or rejected, but he doesn’t want to do it. He wants me in spite of it.