“Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, And He saved them out of their distresses. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, And broke their chains in pieces. Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men!” – Psalm 107:13-15

I have not posted anything new this year, not because I was incarcerated as the picture may suggest, but because I have been working on my latest book. This is a short excerpt from that soon-to-be-released Book, EMPTIED. This book details the Biblical evidence supporting the opinion that Jesus, even as the eternal Son of God walked the earth fully as a man. And, as a man, he was our perfect model to imitate much of what He did.

Really? Do What Jesus Did?

Inevitably, when you get into the topic of believing Christ-Followers can “do what Jesus did” it raises concerns. For many Church leaders, perhaps the biggest concern is the guilt associated with failure – failed expectations. In particular, what about exercising Spiritual Gifts? What does it say about our faith if we fail to reach the fullness of our measure? If we step out to exercise spiritual gifts and the results are not what we expect? Are we burdening people with guilt because they lack enough faith or shaming them for just not being spiritual enough? What is the damage if people fall short of expectations?

Hey, what can I say? We are all found guilty of falling short of God’s glory (Romans 3:13). But, Jesus rescues us from our guilt and shame. And, Jesus never motivated through guilt. John 3:17 says, “God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.” He accepts us where we are but is always coaxing us to stretch ourselves to draw closer to His image.

Healthy Guilt?

While Jesus does not motivate through guilt, guilt does have a real purpose in our lives. Consider the story of The Rich Young Ruler. In Mark 10 it says that Jesus “lovingly” responded to The Rich Young Ruler’s question about inheriting eternal life saying, “Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.” But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.”

Ouch! Even reading this makes me feel guilty. Yet, Jesus is not giving him a guilt trip. He responded out of love to the Ruler’s inquiry with an honest answer. But, the ruler enjoyed his possessions more than what it would take to gain an even richer life. He went away sad/distressed (probably feeling guilty) but left with a choice to be made.

There is such a thing as ‘healthy guilt’ that does not depress us but alerts us to strive for greater heights. Noted neurologist & psychiatrist Viktor Frankl wrote, “Healthy guilt helps us find our way back toward what’s right and repair the torn portions of our lives.” It is a means to draw closer to God.

The solution to dealing with our guilt is found in Hebrews 10:22, “let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.”

If we sincerely and faithfully respond to God’s call to exercise a spiritual gift and it doesn’t turn out as we expected, it is not necessarily due to our lack of faith but we can rest in the assurance that God has a better plan. What pleases God most is not the result but our willingness to step out in faith (Heb 11:16) – with the knowledge that God loves us no matter the outcome.

If the following is true: When Jesus leads, we follow as we seek to be imitators of Christ, confident that He rewards those who diligently seek Him, and that we are not perfect but being made perfect – there is no need for guilt.

For those of us who feel shackled by the chains of guilt, the solution always involves choosing to draw closer to God. Once again, not out of guilt but because we know a cool, refreshing shower to wash clean the heart and soul awaits.

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To Be Released in May 2022

Emptied – Jesus: Son of God & The Perfect Man

This book is the result of my personal Bible study relying on God’s promise in Hebrews to reward those who diligently seek Him.
So, what could Dave Tucker write about Jesus that has not already been written?

For years after I first committed to following Jesus, I believed the truth in the identity of Jesus being “Fully God and Fully Man” as one of the great unknowable and Holy spiritual mysteries – an incomprehensible paradox. Yet, as I studied the life of Jesus in the Gospels, a distinction began to become clearer. More of what I read and studied seemed to show Jesus operating as a man and relying on God-the-Father and the Holy Spirit as His source of strength and wisdom – just as Christ-followers are taught to do throughout the New Testament.

This is not a new revelation. What may be new is that I am not aware of there being a complete compilation of the Biblical evidence supporting the conclusion that Jesus, THE ETERNAL SON OF GOD chose to live his life on earth fully as a man.

Many Christians already believe this to be true, while many do not, and likely many more have not even given it significant thought. I do feel strongly that however a Christ-follower comes out on this debate, it may have a dramatic impact on how a Believer lives out their life in Christ. If nothing else, I believe many will find the evidence compelling and well worth every Christian’s consideration.

Reactions To EMPTIED

“Love Dave’s insightful and provocative writing! With Emptied, Dave gives clarity to what it means for Jesus to be ‘fully man’ while not sacrificing any of His divinity. The conclusions are both challenging and motivating for the sincere Christ-follower!” Pastor, Dan McCandless

“In Emptied, Tucker dares to examine one of the most profound mysteries in all of scripture. Theologians call it Kenosis. He masterfully examines how “the Word became flesh” and leads us to a renewed, reverential awe of Jesus Christ.” Keith Guinta, Thought-Provoking Christian Blogger (winepatch.org)