Somebody Get Me a Latte!

Mike Erre, from Rock Harbor Church in Costa Mesa, along with Todd Proctor as Worship Leader, were our guests at Biola’s undergraduate chapel this morning. I got a rare opportunity to ditch the office for a while to enjoy worship with the Biola student body, and was blessed by the message that was delivered.

A survey was taken at Rock Harbor asking it’s congregants about their biggest obstacles in the faith. Surprisingly, the most popular answer was their skepticism toward the forgiveness of God. How can God repeatedly forgive my sin?

I’m sure the answer to this question was a paradigm-shift for many students, as it was for me. When we ask God to forgive us, typically we appeal to the MERCY of God. That is to say, if God is in a “good mood,” perhaps he’ll forgive us. Doubt arises out of this mentality because we think that one day God’s mercy will expire if we tap it too many times. Our appeal, rather, should be to the JUSTICE of God.

He used this illustration: It’s like going to Starbucks, and ordering a latte from Joe behind the counter. Let’s say that the next day you come in, you have forgotten your wallet. In desperate need of a caffeine fix, you beg Joe to give you a latte. Since you are a good customer he agrees. The next day you do the same thing. Appealing to his MERCY, you beg for a latte. Somewhat agitated, he concedes again. If you were to do that a third time, Joe may not be so gracious as to help you. His mercy has run out. We often view God in the same way.

But, here is a second scenario: Let’s say your mom knows you are quite irresponsible with your wallet, and also recognizes your need for a daily latte boost. Unbeknownst to you, your mom calls Joe at Starbucks and buys a gift card for you. Knowing you will probably lose it, she asks Joe to keep it at the counter, and charge her whenever it runs out. This time, when you come in without your wallet, Joe gladly rings you up for a latte…and even offers you a scone.

The justice of God is the reason we can be completely forgiven, because it would be unjust of God to charge you for what has already been charged. Jesus was this pre-paid transaction; not that it gives us license to sin freely, but that when my fallible self screws up, Jesus has satisfied the justice of God on my behalf.

I loved this word picture, and hope it sheds new light for you on this difficult concept to embrace. Have a beautiful day, and bask in the grace of God.