In the Disney Pixar Movie, “Finding Nemo,” one of the fish (Dory) reminds her shark friends a very important lesson; she says, “Remember fish are friends not food.” Although this is a very funny line it does make us think about the effectiveness of our ability to change our primary nature.
The Bible describes humans as being sinful by nature. (Rom 3:23) Even though we endeavour to change and live more appropriately as Christians we must never forget that our true human nature is corrupt and prone to sin just as a shark’s nature is to be hungry for blood. In trying to change ourselves we often end up setting ourselves up for failure. Jesus never taught us to change our nature because it is impossible. We will always be sinners in need of Christ’s forgiveness. Instead His word says we are to “fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith,” (Heb 12:2). He alone is able to perfect our faith - not us. When we realise that we can’t and He is the only one who can, we begin to look to Him for the change we so desperately desire and in that is transformation.
The greatest revelation I have ever had of the love of God took place at the maternity wing of our local hospital the very day my eldest son was born. The moment the doctor placed my newborn heir into my hands I was overwhelmed by love. This new person didn’t know me yet. He had not said or done anything to earn my love and yet there was nothing he could do at that moment to make me love him more. Then it dawned on me that this was the love of a father. It was there that I understood for the first time how much God loves me. So often I try to win the approval and favour of God by our good works, but the truth is, God loves me simply because I am His. Nothing could make him love me more.
Recently while I was putting my son to bed he began to cry over the events of the day. He was saddened by the fact that he had been so disobedient to his mother and me. Now that the ‘heat of the moment’ had passed, the shame of his bad behaviour was shockingly obvious to him. “I am so bad,” he began to say sobbing deeply. Watching him feel the shame of his sin was very overwhelming for me as his father. The weight he carried actually made me want to cry. I did my best to reassure him time and time again that all was truly forgiven and that our love for him had not changed because of his behaviour. It did little to subdue his emotion.
On Father’s day Sharon preached about how Jesus came for Barabbas. As I listened to her sermon, I was again impressed by the heart of God to seek after the lost and wayward. Immediately the Holy Spirit challenged me about my professed desire to follow the example of Christ in all areas of my life, and I found myself asking: