God Without Religion_ Can It Really Be This Simple_ - Andrew Farley [69]
Many from the time of Jonathan Edwards until now have been impacted by this early American’s dynamic sermons. Edwards’s most recognized sermon is his “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” But in light of what we’ve seen, is it really accurate to think of us Christians in that way? Are we sinners in the hands of an angry God?
It makes no sense to claim Jesus as our satisfying sacrifice for sins and then believe in an angry God, a God who still has punishment in store for us as recompense for our sins. No, instead of being “sinners in the hands of an angry God,” we are saints in the arms of a loving God.
The Tiger Woods Affair
On November 25, 2009, reports began surfacing that Tiger Woods, the greatest golfer in the world, was having an affair. Shortly thereafter, Tiger was found at the scene of a car accident just outside his Orlando home. His Cadillac Escalade had collided with a fire hydrant and then a tree. Emergency vehicles rushed to the scene and carried Tiger away. Early police reports indicated that Tiger’s wife had smashed the rear window in an attempt to pull Tiger to safety. Later it was alleged that she had actually broken the rear window during a domestic dispute with Tiger.
It’s unlikely that any of us will ever know the details of what happened that night. But one thing we can be sure of—this was the beginning of a very stressful period in the life of Tiger Woods.
Things got worse from there as Tiger’s numerous affairs became public. These events led to Tiger losing sponsors and fans and going through a heartbreaking divorce. Eventually he would return to the game of golf, but not before months of counseling and treatment for what was termed “a sexual addiction.” Tiger experienced public humiliation, a lengthy hiatus from the profession he loves, and major damage to his personal life.
When asked about Tiger’s behavior, Tiger’s caddy, Steve Williams, had this to say:
When you’re a true friend of somebody, that’s when somebody needs your support and needs you the most. That’s when you don’t walk away. Tiger’s one of my closest friends and he needs my support right now, and I’d never think of walking away. When I talk to him, I don’t talk to him about what’s happened. I talk to him about the future and about what we’re going to try to accomplish and how we’re going to get over it.[1]
Mr. Williams apparently knows something of grace. And he chose grace when it mattered most. Sure, Tiger has committed heinous acts, but he has also paid dearly for those, publicly and privately. It appears that his caddy recognized this and decided to play the role of a loyal friend, comforter, and encourager.
Tiger was already remorseful. Would it have done him any good for Williams to point a finger in Tiger’s face and tell him how ashamed he ought to be? Williams chose differently. Did you catch what he said? “I’d never think of walking away,” and “I talk to him about the future,” and about “how we’re going to get over it.”
If a friend can be this gracious in circumstances this bad, how much more is our Father inviting us to “approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Heb. 4:16). Yes, we quickly nod our heads that God is good. But realizing that God is “good to me” is an entirely different thought. And actually believing that God is “good to me all the time” is absolutely life changing. It’s not about religion. It’s about family ties to a supportive Father that are stronger than we can possibly imagine:
Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers. (Heb. 2:11)
How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! (1 John 3:1)
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Around the time I was born, there was a nationwide evangelistic campaign going on in churches across America. At my parents’ church,