Standing In The Gap

Man Standing In The Gap Of A Wall

For many people, this has been a traumatic week.  Seeing a person executed in real time for sharing his opinions, debating anyone with gentleness and reverence, and expressing his personal faith in Jesus Christ has been unsettling for people of all persuasions.  The fact that it was in front of his wife and two small children only heightened the trauma. 

I will always think of Charlie that was someone that spent his life standing in the gap for the Savior, people, and country that he loved so dearly.  Upon hearing of his death, I was immediately reminded of Ezekel 22:30 “I searched for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before me for the land, so that I would not destroy it; but I found no one.”

Whether you agreed with him or not, Charlie believed that he was one of those people standing in the gap pointing people to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and imploring God to save this land and turn our hearts back to Him. 

His personal testimony and journey always reminded me of another Old Testament passage.

Isiah 6: 8-10 “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I, Send me!” He said “Go and tell this people: ‘Keep on listening, but do not perceive; Keep on looking, but do not understand.’ “Render the hearts of this people insensitive, Their ears dull, And their eyes dim, Otherwise they might See with their eyes, Hear with their ears, Understand with their hearts, And return and be Healed.”

He was willing to take up God’s calling on his life and to be a bold witness for salvation for other people.  One encouraging thing that we have witnessed in the aftermath of his killing has been that may others ---- of all ages, ethnicity, genders, etc --- have accepted his challenge to be strong in their faith and to also become bold witnesses pointing people to Christ as Lord and Savior and standing in the gap for our nation and world.

Upon hearing the news of his murder on Wednesday, my personal emotions ran the full gamut. Disbelief. Anger. Wanting vengeance. Righteous anger (much different from Anger). Grief for his wife and two small kids.

The response to this senseless killing has been world-wide.  People have felt his loss personally, without ever knowing him.  People across the spectrum politically felt the loss and the grief, if not for him, then for his wife and small children.

As a born-again Christian, I am taught and commanded that the foremost commandment is to love my God with all my heart, soul, mind and strength. The second is that you shall love your neighbor as yourself. (Mark 12:30-31).

While the person who perpetrated this crime will face earthly justice, I am called to forgive him.

How is this possible?

Anyone’s journey to healing after some grievous hurt involves forgiveness.  Martin Luther King had a quote that “forgiveness is not an occasional act; it is a constant attitude”.  Some hurts are so deep that I have found that I have to forgive multiple times, sometimes in increments.  In my life journey so far, I have found Martin Luther King’s quote to be absolutely true, I must have a constant attitude of forgiveness.

Forgiveness is a process. It doesn’t happen overnight.  Recently I started reading a book recommended by David Jeremiah in a sermon. He said it was tremendously impactful in his own life. The book is entitled Forgive & Forget, Healing the Hurts We Don’t Deserve, by Lewis B Smedes.  I have found it helpful in my own journey too.

To forgive someone fully, I must receive God’s forgiveness fully. We do not earn God’s forgiveness. God does not “get even” with us when we fail. He forgave us fully with the death of His son, Jesus, on the cross. Jesus was a one-time sacrifice and His death / resurrection covers the sin of anyone who accept His invitation to become our (my) Lord and Savior. God was able to forgive us fully with Jesus’ blood (II Cor 5:10). He made us righteous through Christ’s righteousness.

We forgive others because God forgave us. It is not because we deserved or earned forgiveness. When we do not forgive, we are playing God with others.  To become the man God intended me to be, I need to be able to forgive others unconditionally, the way that God has forgiven me. Forgiveness is paramount for us to heal on the inside.  

Resentment, anger, bitterness, and unforgiveness only hurt me.  They will destroy me.  Many people develop unhealthy and ungodly habits to compensate for their hurt.  We can become hard-hearted and hateful. My unforgiveness impacts the people and relationships around me. Especially those who had no part in the original unforgiven act. It can destroy relationships with others --- especially those we love dearly. 

If you ever want to understand a journey from betrayal to forgiveness, read the story of Joseph in Genesis (chapters 37-50).  God gave Joseph two dreams at age 17.  They were God’s future vision of the man He intended him to be. Joseph was not ready for his destiny yet.  God had to prepare him over the next 40 years by transforming him into the leader required to fulfill his God given destiny and purpose.  Joseph encountered trials and persecution along the way to grow him into the person and leader God intended him to be. His trials involved enslavement, prison two different times, and long periods of God’s silence.

God intent is to grow us where we are while He develops us into the person that He always intended us to become. Think of it this way: God determines the direction, but we determine the speed in becoming that person by how quickly we learn along the way.  We often do not understand God’s direction, but God works out the details of our journey along the way because he is omnipotent and in control. Only we can derail our destiny.

As we work through forgiveness and healing for hurts, we need to let God be God. Romans 12:19 says “Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to God’s wrath; for it is written, vengeance is Mine, I will repay”, says the Lord. 

Our forgiveness and healing grow our relationship with God.  He ultimately judges all for their actions.  Those who have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior spend eternity with Him.  Those who do not accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior spend eternity in a place of torment and pain.

We forgive others because God forgave us. It is not because we deserved or earned forgiveness. To become the man God intended me to be, I need to be able to forgive others unconditionally, the way that God has forgiven me.

Unforgiveness hurts us much more that the offending party. Living with unforgiveness, bitterness, resentment, hate, etc only destroys us on the inside and does not allow us to have healthy relationships. Forgiving those who we believe have wronged us is a journey, but an important one. I believe that I need to forgive others, because of the grace and forgiveness that I received through Jesus Christ. That does not relieve the offender from the earthly consequences or criminal justice that they may incur, but it allows me to heal on the inside and to develop healthy relationships.

God is continually looking for people who will respond to His call and to stand

in the Gap pointing others to a personal relationship with His Son, Jesus Christ. As we consider all the evil, pain, suffering, and chaos in the world around us, will you stand in the Gap? Let us together pray for healing in our nation and the world around us. In these dark days, be willing to stand in the Gap and to say, "Lord, here am I, send me".