The Redeemer

(Please be forewarned that this post is unashamedly spiritual.  I make no apology.)

I love the Discovery Channel -- interesting shows and interesting topics.  Hubby had the kitchen television on one night last week and the show featured ships on the Bering Sea in the dead of winter.  Deadly Seas the show is called.  I was half-watching, half-interested, until the story of an old battered ship began to be told.  Suddenly I was absorbed.  I set my oven mitts down and plunked my body into a chair at the island. 

This ship is a salvage ship.  Its mission is not to salvage gold or treasure on the floor of the ocean.  No, its mission is to salvage other ships.  As the name of the show indicates, making a living off the Bering Sea is dangerous, potentially fatal business.  Many ships every year find themselves in trouble and sink or become stranded on some desolate island or shoal.  The boat’s owners would like these stranded vessels recovered, of course. 

This is where our hero ship comes into play. 

The name of the ship is The Redeemer.  It is not a very pretty ship.  It is a big, creaking vessel with rusty spots on its hull.  But it gets the job done and delivers stranded vessels back to grateful owners.

The captain of The Redeemer is a story within the story.  In short, unemotional bursts he told the story of being in high school and already working on the ships of the Bering Sea.  He told of having the bad fortune of being on a ship with his brother the night their vessel sank into the depths of the frigid waters.  The ship sank keel-first and, unbelievably, the only survivors that terrible night were this man and his brother.  As the ship disappeared into liquid blackness they found a chunk of something floating in the water and climbed onto it.  They were in the water seven nightmarish hours until help arrived.  They both lived to tell the tale and return to the sea in spite of its callous treatment of them.

The irony and parallels to my spiritual beliefs were obvious.  I do not know what you believe about God or things of a spiritual nature.  You are free to believe whatever it is you like or believe to be true.  I hope whatever it is that anchors your soul brings you deep joy and, ultimately, eternal life.

This is what I believe…

I believe that there is a God (just one), who created the heavens and the earth in seven literal days and nights.  Many theologians question that and science outright dismisses it, but the book of Genesis says seven days, so that is where I land with it all.  My God is all-powerful.  If he set his mind to create an entire universe in a week, then I believe he could and did do it.  He is not bound by the laws of nature, (countless bible examples and stories affirm this), nor is he limited by time and space.  I believe he SPOKE our world, and the orbs that spin around us, into being.  I believe he is the personification of creative artist.  He is also scientist, engineer, and comedian. 

I believe that this fresh, new, breathtakingly beautiful Earth was filled with animals and exotic creatures.  But God’s crowning achievement – his encore and piece de resistance – was the creation of Man.  Genesis says that God himself, “breathed into man the breath of life.”  Think about that for a moment and let that sink into your brain.  The very breath of God brought a man made of simple clay to life.  Suddenly that man has blood pulsing through his veins, causing his heart to pump and his brain to crackle to life and synapses to fire and his senses to come alive.  And God, the Creator, watched it all and said right out loud, “it is good.”  In modern vernacular, he might have said, “…now that ROCKS!” 

I also believe that the world God created and filled with good things had an enemy who had a vendetta against God (we know this enemy as Satan).  He was one of the good guys originally.  He was beautiful to look at and in charge of the music of Heaven, but he got a little too big for his britches and decided he wanted God’s job.  God said, “sorry, but that job is taken” and showed The Devil the door.  We do not know how many eons ago this all occurred, but we do know from Scripture that there has been bad blood between the two ever since.

Now Satan saw his perfect opportunity to wreak some havoc on God’s Masterpiece, and so he appeared to the very first man and woman, Adam and Eve, and convinced them to blatantly oppose God, which they did (and it didn’t take much convincing, I am sad to say).  And just like that, Satan is a player in God’s perfect world.  Now he’s got some power and authority to do some damage in this New World.

So now God has a problem.  A perfect world and perfect people, who are no longer perfect.   Hmmm… what to do, what to do…Sin has occurred and a penalty must be paid.  You may think it unfair or petty of God to dwell on such minor things.  I certainly cannot explain it all.  I am finite and limited, just like you.  But here is how I understand it and how my small brain can wrap around it. 

I really love the movie, National Treasure.  You know the one.  Nicholas Cage comes from a long line of treasure hunters who seek the Grand Daddy of all treasures, which is a compilation of treasures collected down through history.  He finds it, (it wouldn’t be much of a movie if he hadn’t), and there is a line after the discovery that is pertinent here.  Nicholas Cage’s character says to the FBI agent who has been hunting him down, “I would really love to not go to jail.”  To which the FBI agent replies, “SOMEBODY has to go to jail.”  Laws had been broken, penalties had to be paid.  This is how true justice works.  To ignore laws and their penalties is to give Chaos free reign.

And that helps me understand God’s nature.  He is NOT a “god of justice.”  No, that is too ambivalent.  It allows for whims and moods where justice is concerned.  No indeed.  God does not simply dispense justice, God IS justice.  It is so woven into his nature, that he is incapable of turning a blind eye to sin and transgression.

It sounds incredibly harsh, doesn’t it?  I agree.  I would be disconsolate if I felt that God’s nature began and ended with justice.  God is indeed justice.  But God is also Love.  Real love.  Not sappy, conditional, sentimental love, but true love.  The gold standard of love.  The genuine article.

So God sees his new creation (man) messing up right out of the gate.  Here’s the part that make me smile…

God already had a plan. 

Justice demanded action and atonement.  Love said, “I’ll find a way…” 

God knew it would require a perfect sacrifice.  There was just one that fulfilled all the requirements.  One perfect, dearly loved sacrifice.  God’s very own Son, Jesus Christ. 

“For God so loved the world, that he gave His One and Only Son, Jesus Christ, to be the Savior of the World, that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life.”  John 3:16

Jesus came to God’s Earth as a baby, grew up in a normal, natural fashion, turned his Father’s world on its ear with his teachings and miracles, then was crucified in a barbaric way.  When Jesus’ blood drained from his perfect body (perfect meaning without sin), and his perfect soul left that body, God and Satan both knew that Justice had been served.  The price had been paid.  Sin was atoned for.  Satan was livid.  God was heartbroken, but satisfied.

This is where it all pertains to you and me.

Because God loves us so extravagantly, he sent The Redeemer to salvage stranded, broken, shipwrecked mankind.  No one cares more than the owner.  There is no price too great or sacrifice too large for The One who created each vessel.  Recovery at all costs.

And so, dear friend…

I may or may not know you personally.  This blog reaches people in countries and continents to which I have never been.  I do not know your plight or what personal struggles you face today.  But I do know that God sees you, with your fading hopes and battle with the sea.  You may be fighting to stay afloat and keep your head above frigid waters.  Like the captain of The Redeemer, you are clinging to some flimsy piece of refuse with just enough buoyancy to keep you afloat for a while longer.  You can feel your energy slipping away, and with it, any hope of rescue. 

But there is a vessel chugging your way, with the name Redeemer painted on its beautiful side.  It brings with it Hope and Salvation.  You must only wait for its arrival and then warmth and safety will be yours again.

My bible says that all we must do to claim these priceless treasures is to BELIEVE… believe that Jesus Christ is truly God’s very own son, and believe that He died for you.  Believe that his sacrifice paid the price for your sins once and for all.  Believe, then own up to your shortcomings, failures, and sins.  Confess these things to your Rescuer.  He will freely forgive.

Believing is maybe the easy part, for then we must take ourselves off of that rocky shoal and follow Christ, wherever He may lead us.  But this I promise, to do so brings an everlasting joy that is unparalleled.  He will guide you safely through all the dangerous, choppy waters of this perilous journey we are on and into the snug harbor of Everlasting Life.

This is what I believe… 

I believe it because The Redeemer rescued me.  I was stranded and broken.  But my Creator loved me enough to come for me.  Through Deadly Seas and perilous elements He sought me out.

I will follow Him anywhere…