Familiarity

No doubt you've heard the phrase "familiarity breeds contempt." While that may be true in some areas of life, I hesitate to apply it to biblical truth.  Instead, I would say that familiarity often breeds apathy.  Here's what I mean: our very  familiarity with the story of the cross may be the very thing that distances us from its impact.  We become, in the worst sense of the word, "objective." There is grave danger in studying theology in third person.  We speak about God. We talk about things like incarnation, justification, atonement, redemption, sanctification, and we do it all from the comfortable distance of third person--He did this. He said that. He is prophet, priest and king.  "He." But God orchestrated human redemption so that we may move from third person to first and second person--  "I" and. "You." "I once was lost but now am found.""You are Lord of heaven and earth." "You are my savior and my God."

We could speak intelligently and convincingly of Jesus Christ and his earthly ministry, compelling teaching, convincing miracles, his courageous response to scourging and triumphant declaration from the cross, "It is finished." But what makes this whole thing matter is when I am able to say honestly and humbly:

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound

That saved a wretch like me.

I once was lost, but now am found,

Was blind but now I see.