Snatched From the Fire
John Hopper —
In my experience, many people believe there is a heaven awaiting them after this life. They assume it’s the good people who get to go there—and they count themselves among the good. That doesn’t mean they think of themselves as perfect, but as far as they’re concerned, they’re good enough to make the grade. For these people, a little education about God’s view of sin is probably in order.
On the other hand, I’ve found that a significant number of people assess the situation quite differently. Instead of assuming they are “good to go,” people in this group are acutely aware of their own failings and unworthiness. In fact, Satan has done a fine job of making sure they see themselves as forever unforgivable.
That was the case for my friend David. For years, he heard loud voices reminding him of every reason why he could never measure up to God. Those voices paralyzed him in more ways than one. For most of his life, he had heard about the forgiveness Jesus offers, but for whatever reason, it just never clicked—until I took him to Zechariah 3.
That may not be a standard “gospel” passage, so let me explain.
In Zechariah 3, the prophet Zechariah is shown a vision. It involves God, Satan, and a man named Joshua, who was the high priest of Israel in the 6th century BC. In the vision, Joshua is being accused by Satan. We don’t know exactly what Satan was saying, but given that all of us have lots of bad moments, I’m sure Satan had plenty of ammunition.
But then the scene quickly shifts. Instead of God condemning Joshua for his sin, the Lord rebukes Satan, saying, “Is not this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?”
Then, turning to Joshua, God says, “Take off his filthy clothes. See, I have taken away your sin, and I will put fine garments on you.”
As I shared Zechariah’s vision with David, tears quickly rolled down his face. He was stunned and overwhelmed. For years, David had stood in the presence of the Accuser, convinced he was forever banished from the presence of God. But on this day, he realized he was the burning stick snatched from the fire—that God’s amazing grace was for him too!
Is that not what people like David need to hear today? Jesus has taken the sin of the world upon Himself and offers to remove our filthy rags and clothe us anew. He has given us new hope and a future.
That’s the Good News you and I get to share.
John Hopper is the Executive Director of REACH, the author of Questioning God and Giving Jesus Away, a lover of a great family, and a big fan of tennis.
