Sunday 19^th October 2025

The next day John saw Jesus coming towards him and said,
‘Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!’ …
Then John gave this testimony: ‘… the one who sent me to baptise with water told me,
“The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain
is the one who will baptise with the Holy Spirit.”‘
John 1:29, 32-33 (NIV)

Flawed Heroes
What are we to make of the ceasefire in Gaza, President Trump’s role in it, and the prospect that he may be awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace?  Now, we don’t yet know whether the ceasefire will hold, nor whether it will lead to a lasting peace, but commentators on all sides are hailing it as a remarkable achievement.

Now, there are those who see Donald Trump as such a hero, they can hardly imagine him doing any wrong.  For them, this is just another triumph.  Admittedly, there are probably not many reading this who will think that, but there are plenty who do.

Meanwhile, on the other side, there are those who think him so flawed, they can scarcely imagine him doing any right, and if he does it can only be accidental and for entirely selfish reasons.

There are two vital Bible doctrines which should help us to steer a better course between these two extremes.  First is the doctrine of common grace, which tells us that God gives some grace to all people regardless of who they are.  In simple terms, ‘Bad people can do good things.’  Second is the doctrine of total depravity, which tells us that there is no part of any of us which is untainted by sin, and that includes Christian believers.  Again, in simple terms, ‘Good people can do bad things.’

A moment’s reflection should reveal that the Bible is full of flawed heroes whom God uses to accomplish his good purposes.  Abraham is willing to hand his wife over to protect himself.  Joseph is a cheat, Moses a murderer, King David an adulterer and a murderer.  Among Jesus’s own disciples, James and John ask for positions of influence, Peter denies him, and they all desert him.

These two doctrines should mean we’re not surprised when bad people do good things, nor when good people do bad things.  And both point us to the only unflawed hero: “Only one individual has ever demonstrated perfection … with a heart as pure as God’s and such power to change history that we date it from his birth” (Anne Atkins, Thought for the Day, Radio 4, 15th October 2025).

I was reading John’s Gospel with a friend this week and we saw there how Jesus is both “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” and “the one who will baptise with the Holy Spirit” (John 1:29, 33).  So, not only is Jesus the only and only unflawed hero, but he’s the only hero who can deal with our flaws, taking away our sins and giving us his Spirit, providing us with both forgiveness for the past and power for the future.

Prayer
Lord, thank you that you use flawed people for your good purposes, so there’s hope for me yet; and thank you for your totally unflawed Son who promises to mend all my flaws, taking away my sins and giving me his Spirit.  May it be so. Amen.

Yours warmly, in Christ,
Chris Hobbs (Senior Minister)