Deep Calls to Deep
/“Deep is calling out to deep, and it’s calling out to those who want to go deep.”
I recently heard this quote, and like a few others I’ve heard from Pastor Joe Green, it resonated deeply. Now y’all know, I love a good quote. The catchier, the better, right? But more than tickle my ears, this one touched my spirit. It stuck in a way I can’t quite explain. I promise I’ll try for the sake of this post, but more than my feeble attempt to dive deeper into the meaning of Pastor Green’s words with my words, I’m praying for us all to have a passion and desire to dive deeper into God’s Word.It is only in His Word we will find the only truth in which to trust, the only depth in which to delve, and the only hope in which to hope. Nothing else will satisfy. This is not something new, it is an age old truth, and it is truly calling out to me and you...
“Deep is calling out to deep, and it’s calling out to those who want to go deep.”
“Deep calls to deep at the roar of your waterfalls; all your breakers and your waves have gone over me.” ~ Psalm 42:7 ESV
God’s desire for His people is not that we would pick and choose the truths that are easy to use. In fact, when we do that, we often misuse and abuse God’s truth and its original intent to not only inform us, but transform us.
We cheapen grace every time we justify sin.
Sin was evil then, and it’s evil now. Yes, those in Christ are covered by His blood, and His grace is powerful and sufficient enough to cover our sin and make us right with Him. But Paul says in the New Testament,
“What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?” ~ Romans 6:1-2 ESV
What was evil then, is evil now. Just because God loved us so much to make a way through His son, Jesus, to save us from sin, does not mean He suddenly changed His mind in regard to how He feels about sin or what He defines as sin.
If it was an abomination to the God of all creation, then who are we to think just because He set us free from the bondage of that sin, we are free to continue in that sin? The perpetuation of any abomination grieves the heart of the Father who sent His son for our sanctification. Like Paul said, “By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?” ~ Romans 6:2
“Deep is calling out to deep, and it’s calling out to those who want to go deep.”
Going deep requires total immersion, not a quick dip or a short stint. Going deep is not splashing around in the shallowness of some substitute truth. Substitute truths are merely lies in disguise. They do not have the depth and power required to cover that sin that so easily entangles us.
We have beautified lies because we cannot handle the plain and simple truth. “If you love me you will obey my commands.” (John 14:15) Jesus said that because He meant it. Obeying Him does not diminish the grace he calls us to embrace. By all means, we are to praise God for it, because without it, we would have no way overcome sin and be set free.
But we must also embrace what what God says about sin. There are action steps we must take into the depth He’s calling us to. What does He say about sin? What are we to do? We are to repent and turn from it, not keep living in it so that grace can abound, not explain it away because we’re too weak and fragile to handle the whole truth that sets us free from it.
Pastor Green also said recently, “People prefer a beautiful lie over an ugly truth.” And the truth is that pretty little lie is wretched in God’s eyes while that “ugly” (more accurately, hard) truth has a depth of true beauty this world will never recognize because it doesn’t realize the power of the lies that are keeping it blind.
If the deception keeps getting deeper and deeper (and it does), then we must go deeper and deeper into the truth of God’s Word. It is the only way we will stay grounded, rooted, and established. When we abide in Him, we cannot hide from Him by giving into sin.
“Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart. But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” ~ 2 Corinthians 4:1-6 ESV
Did you get that? “The {little g} god of this world {Satan} has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” (2 Corinthians 4:4)
Only DEEP truth can defeat DEEP lies. C’mon Church, it is time to rise up and do the work God has called us to do! But we cannot do it by wading in the waters of shallow faith and cheapened grace.
Oh no...
“Deep is calling out to deep, and it’s calling out to those who want to go deep.”
Something I heard Pastor Green pray hit me in a way that called me to sit with it for day. It opened my heart (and opened my eyes), and it had become a way I, too, want to pray against the lies...
“We don’t want to change you, God. We want you to change us.”
Church, are we trying to change God? Are we trying to make Him more relatable by making His Word more palatable? Are we embracing things we like or things that make people feel good and replacing the things we don’t like in fear of being misunderstood?
It’s time to stop this shallow living. It’s empty and hollow and can never hold the fullness and the depth of God’s great love — a love that is truly unfathomable, but oh so attainable when we go deep and take hold of all the promises of God.
“Deep is calling out to deep, and it’s calling out to those who want to go deep.”