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Watch the Lamb
By Scott Harrup | September 18, 2008
I read of Ray Boltz’s admission to a lifelong struggle with homosexuality and was saddened he has decided the struggle is no longer necessary. I could take the word “homosexuality” out of the previous sentence, substitute any number of sinful tendencies I do battle with daily, and put my name in place of Ray’s.
Ray and I share the common bond of a fallen human nature in desperate need of a Savior. Even factoring in the miraculous transformation Christ brings into a life, that fallen nature is still there ready to do battle at a temptation’s notice.
People outside the Christian faith misunderstand the dynamics of what’s really going on when a high-profile professed follower of Christ does a moral u-turn. They take each public confession as further proof that the gospel is suspect, if not downright false.
Nothing could be farther from the truth. In fact, as counterintuitive as it sounds, the opposite is true. Human failing only demonstrates more clearly the vitally effective power of the gospel. Let me suggest a couple passages from Scripture to illustrate this.
Paul the apostle went to some length to describe his own post-confession-of-faith struggle with sin. You can read about it in Romans 7 and Romans 8. In a nutshell, the dual story of God’s clear-cut laws and His amazing grace create a moral framework in which each of us is confronted with our own sin and God’s offer to rescue us from ourselves. Even when we accept that offer, elements of the battle remain engaged throughout this life. The complete story of salvation is not written until we receive the eternal life promised to us repeatedly in the New Testament.
But the second passage I’d suggest is an Old Testament passage. You know, that bigger chunk of the Bible the skeptics like to reference whenever they’re creating an eyes-blazing, condemnation-wielding caricature of God.
The prophet Micah succinctly referenced the same spiritual struggle Paul talked about: “I will bear the indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned against him, until he plead my cause, and execute judgment for me: he will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold his righteousness” (Micah 7:9).
In other words, there’s no escaping the constant reality of human sinfulness or the constant reality of God’s grace. The fatal mistake too many of us make, unfortunately, is throwing up our hands in despair over our sin. We can no longer stand to “bear the indignation of the Lord” with Micah or acknowledge “O wretched man that I am” with Paul.
We give up. And when we do, those around us who have never accepted that grace point their finger and claim the entire process is a fraud.
I think it’s appropriate to reference one of Ray Boltz’s best-known songs as a touchstone for this whole drama. In it, he described a father and sons coming to Jerusalem the day of Christ’s crucifixion. The apparent madness of the moment overwhelmed them. The boys didn’t know how to react. Their questions, and the father’s reply, speak volumes.
Daddy, daddy,
What have we seen here,
There’s so much
that we don’t understand,
So I took them in my arms,
we turned and faced the cross,
Then I said dear children
watch the Lamb.
Many who have watched Ray Boltz over the years are shaking their heads today in confusion or perhaps derision. But many who have seen my failings over the years have done some head-scratching and perhaps have even doubted the power of the gospel.
The only way to clear up that confusion is to redirect all attention to our Savior.
September 18th, 2008 at 3:24 pm
Exceptional thoughts, but it doesn’t point out one possible contributing factor. Often Christians struggle with problems like homosexuality, but are afraid to get the help they need because of the stigma attached to the struggle. How many times have we heard from the pulpit something to the effect of “Homosexuals [or other sin people struggle with] are going to hell” and there doesn’t seem to be any hope in the message? So instead of seeking help, they sublimate it until it consumes them and they give in. Wouldn’t it be nice if the church environment were more open to giving help.
September 22nd, 2008 at 7:47 pm
So many we hear of today falling from high places. How sad that today the world seems to creep in and captivate. But we still have to pray for those. Thanks for the reminder, “But for the grace of God, there go I.”
September 23rd, 2008 at 10:38 am
There is an unmentioned difference between the comparison between the sin tendencies of the author of this article, Scott Harrup, and what Ray Boltz has done. Yes, we all have sins that as Paul says “so easily beset us.” But, Paul also says that we should lay aside those sins. Ray Boltz has chosen to not lay aside the sin, but rather to embrace it, leave his family, and has been dating men. I am saddened for Ray. Not because he has sin tendencies, but that he has turned his back on God to embrace those sins. I will continue to pray for Ray that he will once again lay aside the sin that so easily besets him and return to the God who will forgive him.
September 23rd, 2008 at 12:48 pm
Scott, I think this is the best commentary/reaction I have seen written on this subject. I also respectfully disagree with Paul’s statement that we often hear from the pulpit “homosexuals are going to hell” with no hope in the message. The only place I hear that is from those crazy street-preacher types. I have been in church all my life, and I have actually never heard that type of message from the pulpit. I have heard, rather, about the need for total abandonment of ourselves and our sin to the transforming, redemptive work of Christ. I hear grace and hope from the pulpit on a weekly basis. I think you hit it out of the ballpark with this blog.