Feeling Too Far Gone? | Wonder Wk 4

The article “Feeling Too Far Gone? ” features insights from Dr. Chip Bennett and Dr. Warren Gage, focusing on the themes of identity, redemption, and grace as explored in the book of Revelation. Dr. Gage emphasizes the significance of Lady Babylon, a central figure in Revelation, and invites readers to reflect on their own journeys of faith and redemption. He draws parallels between Lady Babylon and biblical figures like the Samaritan woman and Rahab, illustrating the transformative power of God’s love and forgiveness.

Key themes include the complexity of sin, the depth of God’s love, and the importance of recognizing one’s own need for grace. The article encourages readers to confront their sins honestly while marveling at the redemptive work of Jesus, who embraces even the most broken among us. Through personal reflections and scriptural references, the discussion culminates in a vision of hope, highlighting that true beauty and redemption are found in acknowledging our flaws and accepting God’s unconditional love.

Speakers: Dr. Chip Bennett  and Dr. Warren Gage

[Dr. Warren Gage]

Understanding the Identity of Lady Babylon

Key Themes in Revelation

We have approached Revelation with the aim of providing categories for understanding its complexities. We committed to two essential tasks before delving into the book’s details: identifying the city of Babylon and understanding the identity of the whore of Babylon, a significant character alongside Jesus.

Identifying Lady Babylon

In Revelation 17:9, we find clues for identifying Lady Babylon. One clue comes from the wisdom of God, presented through John’s words: “Here is the mind that has wisdom” (Revelation 17:9). Lady Babylon has a relationship with seven kings: five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come. The second clue is our reaction upon seeing her; we will respond with wonder and a speechless awe, just as John did.

Reflecting on my own journey, after graduating from law school, I aspired to be a trial attorney. However, I never imagined I would find myself defending Lady Babylon. Yet, here I am, personally invested in this defense.

The Evidence and Final Argument

As we analyze the evidence, it’s time for our concluding argument. Who is this lady, clothed in scarlet and intoxicated with the blood from the chalice of abomination? John declares her guilty, stating she deserves everlasting death, similar to the judgment on her city, Babylon (Revelation 18:2).

Our task involves evaluating the credibility of the witnesses and the consistency of their testimonies, akin to any human trial. All our witnesses come from scripture; we have not drawn from newspapers or historical accounts. The credibility of our sources is unquestionable.

Consistency of Testimony

The testimonies we have gathered are consistent. Revelation itself reveals that the narrative retells the story of Joshua’s battle at Jericho. Rahab, the harlot rescued by Joshua, symbolizes the church (Hebrews 11:31). This illustrates the breadth of God’s redemption, calling us from harlotry to a royal and bridal destiny. The contrast is striking: while Babylon faces destruction, the whore of Jericho is saved.

Revelation tells the story of a whore who transforms into a bride, which resonates with our own journey. This realization evokes wonder. John shows us that Jesus takes upon Himself the shame of the whore to rescue her. In His trial, Jesus is also dressed in scarlet and made to drink from a loathsome cup given to Him by His Father (Matthew 26:39). He endures false charges of blasphemy and fornication to pay the debt of sin, which can only refer to Lady Babylon.

This narrative is our story as well, for we have all been redeemed by the sacrificial Lamb (1 Peter 1:18-19). How can we, who have received such grace, do anything but marvel?

The Samaritan Woman as a Portrait of Redemption

John provides divine wisdom, illustrating a portrait of the bride through the Samaritan woman. She has had relationships with seven men—five husbands and a current partner who is not her husband (John 4:17-18). The seventh, who truly loves her, is Jesus. She discovers living water and, filled with joy, goes into the city to invite others who are thirsty to come and partake (John 4:14, 29).

John is meticulously crafting her portrait, drawing parallels not only to the whore of Babylon but also to the bride of the Lamb, inviting all to receive living water. This depiction is profoundly beautiful.

Additional Examples of Redemption

We can also consider other examples, such as the woman caught in adultery (John 8:3-11), Mary Magdalene (Luke 8:2), and the unfaithful wife of Hosea (Hosea 1:2). Each of these figures reflects themes of redemption and transformation, further enriching our understanding of God’s grace and love.

In conclusion, the exploration of these themes in Revelation invites us to recognize our own stories within the broader narrative of redemption.

Recognizing Sin and the Depth of God’s Love

And what do we say? What can I say? The only thing that impedes me from recognizing my sin is my imagination.

From the vantage point of heaven, what must it look like for the angels to see Father God espousing His holy, perfect Son to a whorish bride? How could that appear in heaven? Yet, what prevents me from recognizing the extent and horror of my sin from that heavenly perspective?

This leads me to wonder and marvel, leaving me speechless and stunned. How could God have done such a thing?

What love He must have! What eyes He must possess to see such beauty in earth and ashes—heavenly beauty in earth and ashes. Do I have the courage to accept this truth? I believe it invites me to reflect.

Do I have the courage to face the true character of my own sin? If I refuse to understand the desperation of my sin, I will fail to see the beauty of my Savior. If I am forgiven little, as the Lord teaches, I will love little (Luke 7:47).

A Personal Reflection on Scripture

I want to share a passage of scripture that I remember reading as a boy. God has given me much, including an incredibly wonderful Christian mother and godly Sunday school teachers who raised me in the faith and loved it. I remember a youth filled with joy in the Lord. At the age of 16, I came across a story that fits our theme perfectly.

This story comes from the Gospel of Luke. It tells of a Pharisee who invited Jesus to dinner. During this dinner, a woman, described as a sinner, came to wash His feet. Let me read it and offer a few comments.

One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him, and He went into the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table (Luke 7:36). Whenever He is invited, He comes in. The Pharisee wants to judge Jesus, pondering whether this man is truly a prophet.

During dinner, a woman from the city, known for her sin, learned that Jesus was reclining at the Pharisee’s house. She brought an alabaster flask of ointment. Standing behind Him at His feet, weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears (Luke 7:37).

She wiped His feet with her hair, which represents her glory, kissed His feet, and anointed them with the ointment. This ointment was part of her trade, used to sweeten the breath. She poured it all out on the feet of Jesus, knowing she would not need it anymore.

When the Pharisee who had invited Jesus saw this, he thought to himself—this is crucial. I missed this detail when I was a boy. He wondered, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who and what sort of woman is touching him, for she is a sinner” (Luke 7:39). He believed that Jesus should have pushed her away and not allowed her to touch Him.

Simon was judging Jesus in his mind, thinking that He must not be a prophet after all. But Jesus, knowing Simon’s thoughts, said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you” (Luke 7:40). Simon replied, “Say it, Teacher.” This moment reveals that Jesus knows what Simon was thinking.

He understands every thought of the imagination of our hearts from the very beginning. Every lustful glance, which He equates to adultery (Matthew 5:28), and every unjustified anger, which is equivalent to murder (Matthew 5:21-22)—He knows all of that. Much of it we have forgotten, but God knows everything.

Jesus continued, “A certain money lender had two debtors. One owed 500 denarii and the other 50. When they could not pay, he canceled the debt of both. Now, which of them will love him more?” (Luke 7:41-42).

Simon answered, “The one I suppose for whom he canceled the larger debt.” Jesus replied, “You have judged rightly” (Luke 7:43). Then, turning toward the woman who was broken at His feet, He said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house, and you gave me no water for my feet. But she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in, she has not ceased to kiss my feet” (Luke 7:44-45).

Reflections on Love and Grief: A Personal Journey

At 16 years old, I encountered a profound moment while reading a passage that described a woman weeping at the feet of Jesus, her tears wetting His feet (Luke 7:38). I had never witnessed such overwhelming grief before. Yet, I recognized the truth in her actions and felt a deep jealousy. I yearned to see Jesus as she did and to love Him with the same intensity. However, my awareness of sin was limited at that age. I thought to myself, “I will never be able to love the Lord as much as she did.” The saying, “He who is forgiven little, loves little” (Luke 7:47), resonated with me.

Even at 16, I understood that God had given me much. I questioned whether I could ever love the Lord as she obviously did. Fast forward many years, after college, seminary, and law school, my wife and I found ourselves in a church we loved, which sadly split apart. This experience was deeply hurtful. Many who have faced such church conflicts know how the enemy can tear everything apart, and it was painful.

I remember a specific moment when the hurt became unbearable. I was not typically prone to weeping, but I went upstairs, fell onto my bed, and cried. Then, unexpectedly, I stopped. I was stunned by this sudden cessation of tears. It was as if the emotional turmoil had overwhelmed me to the point of shutting down. Although the circumstances remained unchanged, something within me had shifted.

I had already started law school when the church split, and it was a difficult situation to navigate. Friendships were lost, and I threw myself into my studies and career. I completed my education and landed an incredible job, but I did not realize that a bitterness was slowly creeping into my soul—a bitterness and anger directed at God. I questioned why He allowed such suffering in my life. Why did we have to endure such sorrow? Wasn’t He always with us? (Matthew 28:20).

During this time, I focused on my career. Surprisingly, God blessed me abundantly in my work, even as my commitment to Christ waned. I had studied the Bible all my life and loved it, yet for two years, I set it aside completely. It seemed to me that my faith wasn’t working, and I lacked answers. I never denied God’s existence; I simply felt distant.

Despite my detachment, God continued to bless my career in remarkable ways. It was difficult to express the magnitude of these blessings. I found myself taking on more cases than anyone else in my 120-person law firm by my second year. By my fifth year, I had become national counsel for a Fortune 500 defense contractor, handling cases with demands reaching $3 billion—far beyond anything I could have imagined (Ephesians 3:20). I knew these blessings were from God, yet I was perplexed. Why was He blessing me when I had turned away from Him?

I was aware of my spiritual state, yet I sensed that God was smiling upon me, despite my lack of reciprocation. Eleven years later, after that night when my tears had ceased, my best friend invited me to a praise concert. As a Presbyterian, I had never attended such an event, and my friend had recently embraced a charismatic faith. Despite my reservations, I agreed to join him.

The concert was unlike any worship service I had ever experienced. The venue was packed, and the atmosphere was filled with joy and exuberance. I sat in the back, feeling out of place, and when it ended, I wanted to leave. However, the worship leader announced another concert for the following night at McFarland Auditorium, a large venue in Dallas. My friend confidently claimed they would fill it, but I was skeptical.

The next evening, I visited my mother nearby. When the hour arrived, curiosity got the better of me, and I decided to see if they could truly fill the auditorium. I chose a seat in the third balcony, thinking it would be a safe distance. As I watched the crowd, I was struck by their joy and worship. It reminded me of a joy I once knew, though I had never expressed it as they did. Now, that joy felt like a distant memory, and I longed to experience it again.

Sitting almost alone in that balcony, I bent over in my chair and began to cry. It had been 11 years since I had wept. I was overwhelmed by the music, which spoke to my heart. The singer conveyed God’s love for me despite my sin. The lyrics resonated deeply: “There is no chain that can’t be broken. Anyone here in bondage? There is no pain that He can’t feel. There is no life that can’t be rescued. There is no wound too deep to heal. There is no mountain He can’t conquer. There is no storm that He can’t still. There is no foe that can defeat Him. There is no heart that He can’t fill.”

As I listened, I found myself crying uncontrollably. When I opened my eyes, my hands were drenched with tears. In that moment, I understood how the woman had wept at Jesus’ feet. I realized that I could love the Lord just as much as she did because He loved me immensely and had drawn me back to Himself. The issue was that I had been viewing Jesus through the eyes of a Pharisee, rather than through the eyes of someone who was desperate for His love and grace.

This realization marked a turning point in my spiritual journey, reminding me of the depth of God’s grace and the power of repentance (Acts 3:19).

Understanding Sin and Redemption

I remember once thinking, why would Adam and Eve deserve hell for taking a morsel of fruit? It seems such an insignificant act in many ways. However, I fail to grasp that they violated the holiness of an infinite God as finite creatures; their sin is thus infinite. As Romans 6:23 states, “For the wages of sin is death.”

The just punishment for sin is eternal death. It was justice, not excess, that was concerned with that morsel of fruit. Then consider adultery and murder. Christ teaches that to look at a woman with lust is equivalent to committing adultery (Matthew 5:28).

How many thousands, or perhaps many multiples of thousands, of adulterous glances convict all of us, especially men, of sin? Speaking as a man to man, what about murder? In God’s eyes, unjustified anger is equivalent to murder; that reflects His holiness, as seen in Matthew 5:21-22.

Now consider all of that sin, much of which we have forgotten or suppressed. Every one of those sins, as James tells us, is a violation of all the commandments (James 2:10). I recall studying the sin of David. Many believe it was simply murder and adultery, but upon closer examination, the chronicler carefully shows that he broke all ten commandments, starting with his violation of the Sabbath command (2 Samuel 11). Every sin is a violation of the entire law.

The Importance of Self-Reflection

Why is it important to imagine this? There is a song that came out some years ago, “I Can Only Imagine,” which speaks to the glory of heaven. I believe this is true. However, I can only imagine the glory of heaven if I first recognize how desperately needy I am. If I can calculate my sin and see a reflection of myself, I find that the Savior becomes so much more precious to me. When I look into the law and do not walk away, as James advises (James 1:22), we can truly love Jesus when we identify with the desperate and see Him with new eyes.

When reading scripture, do not view Him through the eyes of the crowd. Instead, seek the Savior through the eyes of the tax collectors and the prostitutes. What did they see in His eyes? An inviting, loving forgiveness (Luke 7:47). Look at His eyes through the perspective of the lepers. What did they see in the one who would touch them and make them clean? They saw hope. Consider the demon-possessed, the desperate, the sick, the broken, and even the dying.

If you can imagine seeing the Savior through those eyes, you will perceive Him in a new and wonderful way. He becomes incredibly beautiful. I can only see His increase, as John said, when I decrease (John 3:30). When I can see and marvel at His love, He who perceives earthly beauty in our earthly ashes, a holy and pure bride among an unfaithful and sinful people.

The Nature of Mercy

Who is Lady Babylon? I am. All of you who know His mercy can relate. He knows our sin and loves us anyway. He espoused us to Himself and has been faithful through all our wanderings, like Hosea, loving us and calling us home (Hosea 2:19-20). One day, He will deliver us forever from the burdens of sin and death.

He promises never to leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). Where is wonder, and where is fear? What about the fear of the future that this book often prompts? Jesus says, “I am the beginning and the end” (Revelation 22:13). He knows not only our sin but everything we will do and have done, and He loves us regardless. We will always have Him; nothing can separate us from His love (Romans 8:38-39).

A Vision of Heaven

One thing that struck me while studying John is how he illustrates a vision of heaven with the throne of God and the Lamb at the top, flanked by two trees of life (Revelation 22:1-2). Flowing down from the throne is a river of crystal waters, with the tree of life on either side. This language and vision of heaven is deliberately used by John to depict Calvary on earth. At the top is the title of the cross: “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews” (John 19:19). On either side are trees of death—dying thieves. Flowing from that throne of God and the Lamb is a river of blood and water for the bride’s purchase and purification (John 19:34).

I realized that John had the imagination to see that on the day our Savior was crucified, that was heaven. He conveys a profound message: heaven is a place, undoubtedly wonderful, but more importantly, heaven is wherever Jesus is, even if that is on a cross at Calvary.

A Story of Hope

Charles Spurgeon told a story about the friendship between an old Christian man and a young skeptic. They enjoyed debating matters of faith for months. However, as the old man was dying, the young skeptic was informed that he should visit him one last time. When he arrived, the old man spoke only of heaven and his hope of soon seeing Jesus. The young man, unable to contain himself, asked, “Have you ever thought that when you die, you might wake up in hell instead of heaven?”

The old man paused and replied, “Young man, if I wake up in hell, the Lord has promised that where He is, I will be there with Him (John 14:3). If I wake up in hell, Jesus will be there with me. I will throw my arms around Him, and that will be heaven to me.”

Oh, that God would grant us the eyes to see the weight of our sins—not to crush us, but so we can understand the magnitude of the love He has for us. This love is immeasurable and infinite, capable of redeeming even those like us. If anyone feels burdened or chained in life, they can find hope in Jesus, who invites us to come to Him for rest (Matthew 11:28). In Him, we discover true fulfillment, grace, and the promise of eternal life.

Sources