For God locks up all together in stubbornness, that He should be merciful to all.
Romans 11: 32, Concordant New Testament
Growing up as a church going Christian, I was constantly reminded that if I didn't behave that there would be retribution from the Lord. This could range anywhere from a lack of blessings to physical harm. Imagine that if you will, that the Father who loved you enough to create you in His own image {Genesis 1:27} would suddenly turn His back on you due to your bad behaviors. That your heavenly Father who dispatched His One and only Son that He would become sin on your behalf {2 Corinthians 5:21} would suddenly count those sins against you once again. This is the church narrative in which I grew up. The trouble with this line of thinking is that it's a lie. That's right, the church lied to us. For God is not a liar nor is He a Indian giver. Once He promises that He will do something, it's as good as done. So, if He has provided His Son to bear the penalty of our sin, He would not suddenly rescind that reality. If the Father has provided that sin be put to death on that cross, He will never again resurrect it as something to hold against us. Knowing this leads us into an interesting question. How is it that we explain the bad in this world? This past week, a mentally disturbed gunman ended the lives of eighteen innocent people in Maine. Not only that, but the world once again sits and watches as the middle East prepares for yet another armed conflict. As Christians, we have long thought of ways to explain how it is that a loving God could allow such evil in His creation. So, the narrative was created in the halls of the mainstream church that somehow it must be our fault. Somehow, our behaviors so angered God that He tossed aside His true love nature {1 John 4:8} and meted out His justified punishment. After all, we deserved it, right? Wrong! For what was once counted against us has been dealt with by Christ Jesus at the cross. So, there must be something else in the works here. The apostle Paul speaks of a seldom understood truth. That is, that the Father would allow the stubbornness of His children in the world that He might show His love and mercy to all {Romans 11:32}. Think of that, what is it that the Lords children desire most in times of pain? We seek His love and mercy upon us. We seek out a Lord who does not condemn but reconciles all back to Him. Indeed, that is precisely why He allows the turmoil that we see in the world around us.
Yet God, being rich in mercy, because of His vast love with which He loves us ( we also being dead to the offenses and lusts), vivifies us together in Christ (In grace are you saved!)
Ephesians 2: 4-5, Concordant New Testament
As I've grown, I am amazed at how my own view of the Father has as well. How could I be of the belief that my loving Father would somehow once again count my offenses against me? Yet this is the exact same narrative which continues to be spoken in the mainstream church. This is how church pastors and leaders explain the presence of wickedness in this fallen world. Somehow, it's our fault. Sooner or later, just as in the days of Noah, God will again do away with sinful man, right? That's a good story if you can sell it, and the church is doing a damn good job of doing just that. The trouble is, God has promised us that He will never destroy His creation again with a flood {Genesis 9:11}. Of course, there are many other ways in which God could dish out His just punishment upon us, but why? Has He not already provided for the forgiveness of our sins? Has He not assured us that He is with us always? If God cannot lie, then we should know that He will never mete out His punishment upon us for our sins. That ship has sailed. However, what He can and WILL do is to allow events in the world around us to reconcile His children back to Him. I believe that this is what we have been witness to for many years. The Lord using different events that He would draw His children to Him in love and mercy. Unfortunately, this does not fit the narrative of the mainstream institutional church. For if everyone realized the truth of the Fathers forgiveness, then those in the church would not be able to proclaim that God counts our sins against us. It's that simple. The Fathers desire has never been to bestow His righteous punishment upon the wicked of the world, but to reconcile all to Him. This is His true nature defined.
"Now, go and learn what this is: Mercy am I wanting, and not sacrifice. For I did not come to call the just but sinners,"
Matthew 9: 13, Concordant New Testament
~Scott~
No comments:
Post a Comment