On My Mind...
Sunday morning we looked at Acts 5 and the story about God’s judgment on Ananias and Sapphira. There is a part of me that still struggles with that judgment. I want to think, “that’s overkill,” pun intended. It seems harsh, but is it? Too often we fail to take sin seriously. Oh, we know sin is not good, but we’re all sinners. It is part of the human condition going back to Adam. To err is human. True enough, but God is holy. In fact, He is absolutely, perfectly holy. He is, as Isaiah said, “Holy, holy, holy.” That means sin, any sin, is an afront to His character and dignity. Our sin, even the most innocuous, is deserving of His most severe judgment. I mentioned Sunday God’s judgment of the sons of Aaron, Nadab and Abihu (Leviticus 10) and His judgment of Uzzah (2 Samuel 6). Each of these cause us to wonder if it was justified. We are shocked by such judgments, but the true wonder is that we do not find more of these. If we understand the true nature of God’s holiness and the depth of our sin, we start to wonder why the earth is not littered with the evidence of God’s judgment! Our God would have been perfectly justified in ending this whole experiement of humanity when Adam chose rebellion in the garden. He would have been perfectly just if He chose to wipe out Israel and start over with Moses, as He threatened in Dueteronomy 12:9-14. Why didn’t He? Because He is merciful, kind, loving and gracious. Because He is faithful even when we are faithless. He remembers His covenant, even when we do not.
Often in my Bible reading, I think to myself, “Israel was so foolish, so fickle, so faithless – how could they act this way after all God had done for them?” That’s usually when I feel the prick of conviction. “Uh, you want to talk about foolish, fickled and faithless? Why don’t you look in the mirror?” I don’t want to do that because I already know what’s going to happen. I’m going to hear the voice of Nathan, “Thou art the man!” My point is, though I often warn of the danger of presuming upon God’s grac rather than resting in God’ grace, my actions often presume upon His grace. This morning I spent some time considering, contemplating and glorying in the depth and wonder of God’s grace. It is the goodness of God that drives us to repentance. Considering the grace of God causes me to flee to Him in response to my failure. Considering His grace spurs me on toward holiness. Considering His grace keeps ever before me, my dependence on Him. Apart from Him, I can do nothing. Understanding that is not discouraging, it is freeing. To know my dependence empowers me to live as He had called me to live. It reminds me that I have died with Christ and the life I now live, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. It is no long I who live, but Christ who lives in me. That is a glorious thing.
Have a blessed week, and I’ll see you Sunday.
Rod
Often in my Bible reading, I think to myself, “Israel was so foolish, so fickle, so faithless – how could they act this way after all God had done for them?” That’s usually when I feel the prick of conviction. “Uh, you want to talk about foolish, fickled and faithless? Why don’t you look in the mirror?” I don’t want to do that because I already know what’s going to happen. I’m going to hear the voice of Nathan, “Thou art the man!” My point is, though I often warn of the danger of presuming upon God’s grac rather than resting in God’ grace, my actions often presume upon His grace. This morning I spent some time considering, contemplating and glorying in the depth and wonder of God’s grace. It is the goodness of God that drives us to repentance. Considering the grace of God causes me to flee to Him in response to my failure. Considering His grace spurs me on toward holiness. Considering His grace keeps ever before me, my dependence on Him. Apart from Him, I can do nothing. Understanding that is not discouraging, it is freeing. To know my dependence empowers me to live as He had called me to live. It reminds me that I have died with Christ and the life I now live, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. It is no long I who live, but Christ who lives in me. That is a glorious thing.
Have a blessed week, and I’ll see you Sunday.
Rod