The Same God

Last night I got to be apart of a training for Respond Conference with our Redemption Group leaders and apprentices. The main objective was to learn how to love and serve victims of sexual assault. It hit me as I was reading through the devastating effects of sexual assault about just how dark and grievous this problem is in our culture, churches, and communities.Somehow seeing these effects I’ve felt and feel labeled made me angry beyond words. I couldn’t help but think, "is this why I’m so jacked up? I don’t want this to define me, but look at this freaking list! It’s unending, and almost every single one of them has my name next to it." I wanted to panic. I was then reminded of how this story ends. The beginning and middle parts of the story are important, but not nearly as important as how all of this ends.If you read through that list and you are a victim of sexual assault who has not seen Jesus as the champion in your story, I’m writing mostly to you. You need to know how Jesus feels about your sexual assault. The Bible speaks very candidly about sexual assault and the toil that tarries. Last night Pastor Ryan walked through 2 Samuel 13. It is a horrendous account of sexual assault. Tamar, King David’s daughter was a beautiful virgin. Her wicked half brother Amnon was sick with his lust for Tamar. Amnon devises a twisted plan to gain access to Tamar privately so to carry out his sick fantasies. After Amnon cons Tamar, he rapes her despite her begging and pleading for him not to. At one point, she even asks Amnon, ‘Where could I carry my shame?’. Then he demands that Tamar leave his house. Tamar then sees her other brother, Absalom who essentially tells her to shut up and “don’t take it to heart”. King David, her father hears about this and is angry, but does nothing. She’s raped by her step brother, her pain with the rape is minimized by her other brother, and then it’s completely dismissed by her father. In case you’re thinking, "well her father probably wasn’t a good guy…" God said that David was a man after God’s own heart and who also is in the lineage of Jesus (Acts 13). …who failed miserably to respond to what happened to his daughter; his own flesh and blood. Probably also okay to speculate that she was left with a torn robe, ashes on her head, crying in her brother’s house.People fail to respond biblically to sexual assault. It’s often treated (though not a treatment at all) with minimization, denial, disbelief in the event(s) that occurred, stigmatization, and so on. We need to see that people are 1) completely sinful, flawed and in proving this as fact is Jesus needing to come as a Savior for us in spite of us 2) we never going to be able to fully respond well to sexual assault based off of the first point. There is only One who can fully sympathize with our sufferings. (Hebrews 4: 14-16) Only One who truly knows the pain of rejection (whilst being naked on a cross no less). Only One who has suffered in every way imaginable and yet did so without any sin of His own. 

There is only One who can fully sympathize with our sufferings. Only One who truly knows the pain of rejection.

 The same God that crushed His Son on your behalf stands willing and able to be in your suffering with you. He does not stand distant just waiting for you to get your act together and dry your tears so that you may join Him. No! He says, "You are mine. I chose you. I want you." No sin too great, no burden too heavy that He cannot carry it, and make it but a vapor to display His extravagant grace. The same God that delivered the Israelites from Pharaoh’s rule is your Savior. He is well acquainted with what happened to you. He knows you. The same God that rules and reigns today is the same God on the day Jesus was crucified, and the day(s) you were being sexually assaulted.In Christ, you are pure. You are clean. You are redeemed. You are whole. You do not have to deny what happened to you because God does not deny what happened to you. He saw it; He believes you. You are God’s child and your identity rests in His work for you. You are His and he cannot disown Himself. Because of Jesus’ work on the cross in scorning death and shame; you are fully accepted, fully loved, and declared innocent. God is angrier over what happened to you than you are. He is angry because what happened to you is evil and it harmed you. Jesus conquered death and evil by scorning God’s wrath on the cross for you so that your story ends with the hope from a Savior – not damnation from sin. 

"The same God that crushed His Son on your behalf stands willing and able to be in your suffering with you."

 A friend told me the other day that we can hear truth from a friend, spouse, pastor, etc., but we need to hear it from God in order for it to be believed as truth. (She said it much better than this, but you get the point.) It rang true for me and I imagine you need to hear the truth from God also. Ask Him. He is faithful; He will tell you.Lacey Kesler is a partner of The Paradox, and is a member of the Wedgwood City Group. You can find her personal blog here.Learn more about the Respond Conference by visiting their website here.Pray for our Redemption Group Leaders as they serve at the Respond Conference by praying for and counseling victims of sexual assault on the spot.