Poem

Poem By Henry Thompson

I didn’t know what love was, until I seen his cross covered with his blood. He came to save men and not to judge. Although that is what we deserve because we didn’t worship God as the Creator. Instead we made idols to serve. But that just didn’t work. So we were left empty, broken and hurt, trapped underneath this curse of idolatry. Until Christ became a curse up on that tree, like Paul said in Galatians 3:13. Now I see how I was tryna do all these things to create my own righteousness and purity. Instead of trusting in the righteousness Christ secured for me. And nowI finallyrealizethatI am fullyjustified byhisperfectlifeand sacrifice, when hewascrucified. Becausethewrath ofGod wasfullysatisfied.

So now in Christ is where I now reside and find thestrength tofightsin daytoday and turn from it and go the other way because the other day I was on the corner of hopelessness and self-salvation and he gave grace. Yea, he gave me grace. Yea, my King died but he also raised. So in him I put all my faith and turned away from trying to earn salvation by my work, because that will never work. And if you trying, you underneath a curse. Due our sin nature we need a rebirth. Now I see what it means in Christ to be free and I can’t wait to be with God for eternity. Yea’, that’s everything. I don’t want nothin’ else. Because I was dead at the bottom of the ocean of my sins and I needed help. Christ swam in better than Michael Phelps. Just to give me life he laid down himself.

Just to give us life abundantly. So Christian, Whywestill living soselfishly? Including me, I’m not here to judge. But Jesus said, ‘They will know you’re my disciple by the way you love.’ So, how you love? Do you forgive or do you hold a grudge? Because I know I did, until I saw the way that my God forgives. Even though I was deserving of wrath, now I’m called his kid. And even though I was enemy, I have been adopted into the family. Because Jesus was nailed to that tree for me. Yea, he was nailed to them wooden beams, so that I could stand before God as holy and clean. And heistheperfectsacrificefortheworld’ssins. And hesaid finished, so he don’t have to do it again. And after he was buried for three days, he rose up and he conquered the grave. And he is coming back and I can’t wait. So Christians,

let’s go and make disciples and share our faith. Let’s lay down our life like he laid down his life. Let’sgiveitall upasliving sacrifice. See, I didn’t know what love was. I was so insecure, never felt good enough. Felt like I had to earn God’s love by my works through the law. But I always fell short, due to my inherited sin nature from the fall. So I had to fall on my knees, because I saw how I had been eating from forbidden trees and covering itupwith myown fig leaves. And I saw how I was stuck in the false dichotomy of living life like the irreligious or the Pharisees. And I saw from God’s presence how I try to hide, until he broke down my foolish pride and showed me my need to trust in the only Savior, Jesus Christ. So I didn’t know what love was until I came to trust in the Son that he lived the perfect life for me, and covered all my transgressions by his blood.

Henry Thompson is in his final year of the Master of Divinity program at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He was raised in Fort Wayne, IN and studied Political Science at Indiana University in Bloomington, IN. He is currently serving on the Mosaic Student Leadership team for a second year. ARTICLES | ART | INTERVIEW | BOOK REVIEW | MOSAIC SPOTLIGHT