Deserving

I loved the book, PEACEGIVER, by James L. Ferrell that I read this year.  I always go back and read my notes from it and I often think of the things I learned from reading it.  It is a book about Christ's atonement and it helped me to see Christ's love different than I ever have before and also helped me to understand the way we should truly love other people.

One of the points that this book made is that no one on this Earth is deserving of love and Salvation.  Harsh right?  I was taken back when I first read that and was kind of offended.  Here is the quote from the book...the story of Jonah is used to help illustrate this information...

pgs 96-98
"It is true that we are commanded to love and honor others, and it is likely true that Carol (a fictional character in the book) fails always to do that--just as you and I fail.  But what's false is this idea that you or I deserve that love and devotion--that we are somehow entitled to it.  The truth is that there is only one thing we truly deserve, and that's to be sent to hell--you, Carol, me, Jonah, Nineveh, all of us.  Love and salvation are gifts.  How grateful we should be to receive them in any measure!

Hell is all we could ever hope for if it weren't for the redeeming power of the Savior's atonement.  It is only his love, offered not because we deserve it but even though we do not, that saves us.  We don't want what we deserve, believe me.  Jonah is finding that out right now.  Our only hope is to receive what we don't deserve--the mercy that brings the gift of eternal life.  And Jonah is about to learn that as well." 

----Ok, there is more so bear with me.  It is just that good.  In fact, you all should read this book.  Really.  Go start reading it right now.  Here is more...---

"I understand that without the Savior, we are all equally lost--you, me, Carol, Jonah, Nineveh.  I understand that.  But the fact is we're not without the Savior.  And his atonement requires our righteousness--we are saved by grace 'after all we can do,' right?  So it does matter in Jonah's case, for example, that he is more righteous than the Ninevites, notwithstanding this ill-fated run to Tarshish.  Doesn't that mean something? said Rick. 

"Yes, but not what you think it does.  Whether or not Nineveh is righteous is critical, of course--but only for Nineveh.  It has nothing to do with Jonah.  And if he thinks it does--if he thinks he is more deserving because he is somehow better than Nineveh, then he in that moment becomes more 'Ninevitish' than the people he is blaming. " said Grandpa.

"But what if the Ninevites really are that bad?  What if Jonah really is better than they are? What if he really is more righteous? Why would it be a problem for Jonah to acknowledge the truth? said Rick.

"Because he wouldn't be acknowledging the truth, that's just the point.  If he really is more righteous than they are, it will not occur to him to think that he is more righteous than they are because he will understand fully and deeply that he is entitled to nothing but hell.  At least in one sense righteousness is simply a humble understanding of how unrighteous one is, coupled with a deep commitment to be better.  The truth leaves no room for feelings of superiority.  Such feelings are nothing but lying vanities."

Ok, there is so much more.  But I will leave it at that for now.  So good.