Powerless

I was reading my bible this morning and I was struck by a sentence. I could no longer continue after I read these words. Have you ever read something and felt so connected to those words that you could no longer continue. Here they are:

"You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly."

These words are written by Saint Paul to the church in Rome roughly 2000 years ago. The wonderful thing about the words of God is that they never change. We change and we are transformed but His words remain the same.

We can look at the context of the verse and ask what the author was trying to communicate to the orginial audience and then seek counsel through the Spirit of God to the personal application of the day. The wonderful thing is: They are usually the same thing. What God was speaking through Paul 2000 years ago is exactly what we need to hear today.

Paul is writing a letter to the church in Rome explaining the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Good News! That we were created good, have disobeyed God in word and deed, have a redeemer name Jesus that has saved us from hell and for heaven, and that one day Jesus is going to return to earth and restore the world to the way it gets to be.

Reading this verse, this sentence, this thought, made me a little upset. You see, because Im American. I am no powerless. I'm an athlete, I'm not powerless. I have worked hard for everything I have in my life. It's humbling to be called powerless when all we are feed every day is the complete opposite. Pop-culture tells me I'm special (like a snowflake). But powerless, never.

This is a place where one needs to tend lightly. Because I am not taking about low self-esteem. I am not taking about having emotional/psychological issues like depression or the opposite end of narcissism. I am taking about our sense before God awaken us to the truth of who he is!

Maybe the best way to explain what I am trying to say is through a story.....
A few years ago I worked at a summer camp. I was in charge of teaching sailing for a part of the day. I dont know why they chose me considering I have never sailed myself before the one hour orientation I received. But there I was. The camp was for kids ages 8-18. And many younger kids had a difficulty sailing. It is tough. The wind blows fast and without warning.

One day, as two 9 year olds were out of the lake the wind did increase without notice. The students panic and pulled on the rope and they went so fast that the sailboat capsized. Without hesitation, I jumped into the water and went after them. I swam toward them in the heavy winds and waves until I reached them. At this point, I flipped their boat for them and told them to get inside. We dumped as much water out of the boat as we could as I began to swim two 60 pound boys plus the boat to the shore.

They were powerless. They were stuck. Have you ever felt stuck and didn't know what to do? There was nothing they could do. They were waiting and crying for help until their hero came to rescue them.

This is the message of how much God loves us. That when we didn't even know we needed to be saved that Jesus took our place on the cross.

Later in the scriptures we see God call us other words, "Children," "Saints," "Forgiven," "light." But it didn't start with you choosing to be a better person. Moralism only gets you so far. Trying to be a good person only gets you so far. You are powerless to come into a relationship with God. It's only after he awakens you by His spirit that you can follow him.

This sounds like fatalism but it is not. The truth is that it starts and ends with God but it is also about you. God's spirit awakens us to the truth and the fact that Jesus is Lord and in that awakening moment we are brought to crisis moment. Which way are we going to go in life.

I think of Paul's conversion. He sees a light that blinds him. It is Jesus from heaven. He proclaims, "It is I, Jesus, the one whom you are persecuting." He is blind for three days until God sends a man named Ananias to heal him. In that instance Paul is completely healed and can see again. Paul is awoken to the fact that Jesus is the Messiah but Jesus himself but still has a chose to make. Does he follow his leading and lose all he has worked for his whole life?

Paul was powerless. He was blind way before he was physically blind. Ironically, It took him becoming blind physically for him to see spiritually what was happening.

Before, God awakens us to the truth that He is real we are left in a state of blindness. Without power. But he flips on the light switch so that we can see the truth of who he is.

What role do believers have in the role of salvation then? As a believer, your responsibility is to follow Jesus. Fall in love with Jesus. As unbelievers see how your life has become transformed by God they will chose to follow him as well when they are having their next crisis moment.

You see, we had no power but now we have unlimited power from on High. The Holy Spirit has given us the empowerment to follow him and share his love with the world. You were powerless now you are full of power but this power is from God alone. Will you be a person of power of loving others and by laying down your life for the other?