May 14, 2002
The witness presented his evidence to my father. He said, “She was at the country dance driving your car, and she appeared to have been drinking. I know she is under the legal age.”
My father listened. He knew where I had been; he’d given me the keys to the family car. He also knew that I took three or four of my girl friends with me, and that when our group did anything together, we had fun and laughed ourselves silly. Dad knew me better than the witness. He quickly made his judgment, “She is innocent.”
At seventeen, I didn’t think much about what would happen had my dad believed this “witness.” My dad knew my attitude toward drinking and my ability to have fun without it. I also knew my dad. He was not a person to jump to conclusions, nor did he believe everything he was told. He was fair. More than that, he loved me too much to let slander turn him against me. He would defend me against any accuser.
Not everyone has such a father. For some, harsh parents have made “judgment” a scary word. Their children fear condemnation every time the gavel falls. This fear carries over to their view of God. They see Him as a harsh “judge,” a stern, frowning, bearded image with a huge hammer and a list of rules. They are repelled by such a god and rightly so.
That does not mean God looks the other way when people violate His laws. He is holy and hates sin. He is merciful and loves sinners. How can such a contradiction exist?
The Bible says God will judge sinners and punish sin: “The wages of sin is death,” meaning those who die in their sin will face eternal separation from God. No one can escape. We are “by nature objects of wrath” because all of us “sin and fall short of the glory of God.”
However, God does not sit on His throne with a hammer and an expression of anger. The Bible says, “God is not willing that anyone should perish but wants everyone to repent (of their sin).”
To partly understand this contrast, I think about my dad. He was not perfect, but he was always quick to show mercy and come to my defense. He would rather declare me innocent than listen to any accuser who brought my sins (actual or not) to him. Yet my dad would also take away my driving privileges if I abused his rules.
Sin against God is far more serious than breaking my dad’s rules. Sin is an offence against Him that requires severe punishment, yet God is also a wise and loving heavenly Father. How does God handle the seeming contradiction between not wanting us to perish, and the fact that our sin demands a penalty?
God’s love solved it. He came to earth, put on flesh and became one of us. Then He took the blame of our sin on Himself and paid our penalty. By dying on a cross, God the Son satisfied the judgment made on sin by God the Father. When we believe this, accept His solution for sin, and turn from sin to God (repentance), He comes to live in our hearts. Then we can confidently say, “Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right had of God and is also interceding for us.”
Our sin, and the accusations of any enemy who takes our sin to God, are no match for the grace of God. The Lawgiver on the throne becomes the Law keeper in our hearts, all because His love provided a way for us to escape His judgment.
Showing posts with label judgment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label judgment. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 6, 2018
Friday, March 30, 2018
Illegal, immoral, or fattening? ............. Parables 722
July 3, 2001
Don’t you love those self-sticking postage stamps? They save time. Besides, regular stamp glue tastes bad. Did you know that each time you lick a stamp, besides that bad taste you consume 1/10 of a calorie? This makes self-sticking stamps even more appealing.
Notice how many things are either illegal, immoral, or fattening? People crave relief from the pressure of so many temptations. We are glad to see more low-cal or no-cal foods, even in sour cream, candy bars and soft drinks. These guilt-free products ease the pressure we feel when stocking up on greasy hamburgers and fries — at least the drink can be non-fattening.
Maybe cities should offer “speed as you will” zones. We can now eat food without getting fat and a speed zone would offer the option to drive as fast as we want without getting a ticket. “Crime days” might be an idea too. If, for one day a year anything goes, then people could steal from their boss, cheat on their income tax, or even rob a bank without feeling any fear of getting caught.
In case it doesn’t sound like it, I am being sarcastic. Our culture seems to have the idea that we should overrule any guilt from doing what is illegal, immoral or fattening. All we need are guilt-free options, and the added plus of someone saying it’s okay to indulge.
It happens. A Sherpa guide in the docudrama “Into Thin Air” voiced his fear of what might happen because a man and woman were having an extramarital affair on Mount Everest. One American passed it off as okay by saying, “We think about these things a little differently in our culture.”
No kidding. Most North American television programs depict adultery as a normal way of life. Everyone does it and few express indignation, except of course the spouse who suffers when someone he or she loves and once trusted takes off with another person.
The realm of food and drink has one unalterable law: if we eat more calories than our bodies can use, they are stored as fat. To get around that law, we must either eat less or burn more calories. Oddly enough, some think a better solution is a pill or a food that makes fat pass through our bodies. That way, we can break the law of stored fat and eat what we want.
The realm of law and order has one unalterable law too; if civil law is not upheld, anarchy will reign, and everyone becomes a victim of those who do whatever they want. At the same time, who can say they have not bent civil law “just a little” when it suited a personal need? We want the law but we also want to declare ourselves above it when necessary.
Moral law has some unalterables too. First, it exists; it is written in our hearts. We know certain things are wrong even without the code of Scripture and the rules given by our parents. Nevertheless, everyone ignores or defies moral law at some point or other. We make excuses or rationalize our transgressions. Others try another tactic by dismissing the biblical moral law and saying Scripture is obsolete or out-dated and irrelevant. Or they burn the Bibles. Those who turn their back on moral law think themselves clever and above rules but another unalterable law exists: God sees their attitudes and actions and one day will call them to account for what they have done.
The psalmist wrote about those who turn away: “They encourage each other in evil plans, they talk about hiding their snares; they say, ‘Who will see them?’ They plot injustice and say, ‘We have devised a perfect plan!’” (Psalm 64)
Yet “the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he knows their day is coming” (Psalm 37).
God cares about our physical condition yet likely won’t say much about licking a few calories off the back of postage stamps. Nevertheless, He has already spoken judgment on those who persist in breaking both civil and moral law.
As someone said, we can go through the supermarket of life and put whatever we want in our basket, but one day we will go through the checkout. What rings up at that till is what counts.
Don’t you love those self-sticking postage stamps? They save time. Besides, regular stamp glue tastes bad. Did you know that each time you lick a stamp, besides that bad taste you consume 1/10 of a calorie? This makes self-sticking stamps even more appealing.
Notice how many things are either illegal, immoral, or fattening? People crave relief from the pressure of so many temptations. We are glad to see more low-cal or no-cal foods, even in sour cream, candy bars and soft drinks. These guilt-free products ease the pressure we feel when stocking up on greasy hamburgers and fries — at least the drink can be non-fattening.
Maybe cities should offer “speed as you will” zones. We can now eat food without getting fat and a speed zone would offer the option to drive as fast as we want without getting a ticket. “Crime days” might be an idea too. If, for one day a year anything goes, then people could steal from their boss, cheat on their income tax, or even rob a bank without feeling any fear of getting caught.
In case it doesn’t sound like it, I am being sarcastic. Our culture seems to have the idea that we should overrule any guilt from doing what is illegal, immoral or fattening. All we need are guilt-free options, and the added plus of someone saying it’s okay to indulge.
It happens. A Sherpa guide in the docudrama “Into Thin Air” voiced his fear of what might happen because a man and woman were having an extramarital affair on Mount Everest. One American passed it off as okay by saying, “We think about these things a little differently in our culture.”
No kidding. Most North American television programs depict adultery as a normal way of life. Everyone does it and few express indignation, except of course the spouse who suffers when someone he or she loves and once trusted takes off with another person.
The realm of food and drink has one unalterable law: if we eat more calories than our bodies can use, they are stored as fat. To get around that law, we must either eat less or burn more calories. Oddly enough, some think a better solution is a pill or a food that makes fat pass through our bodies. That way, we can break the law of stored fat and eat what we want.
The realm of law and order has one unalterable law too; if civil law is not upheld, anarchy will reign, and everyone becomes a victim of those who do whatever they want. At the same time, who can say they have not bent civil law “just a little” when it suited a personal need? We want the law but we also want to declare ourselves above it when necessary.
Moral law has some unalterables too. First, it exists; it is written in our hearts. We know certain things are wrong even without the code of Scripture and the rules given by our parents. Nevertheless, everyone ignores or defies moral law at some point or other. We make excuses or rationalize our transgressions. Others try another tactic by dismissing the biblical moral law and saying Scripture is obsolete or out-dated and irrelevant. Or they burn the Bibles. Those who turn their back on moral law think themselves clever and above rules but another unalterable law exists: God sees their attitudes and actions and one day will call them to account for what they have done.
The psalmist wrote about those who turn away: “They encourage each other in evil plans, they talk about hiding their snares; they say, ‘Who will see them?’ They plot injustice and say, ‘We have devised a perfect plan!’” (Psalm 64)
Yet “the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he knows their day is coming” (Psalm 37).
God cares about our physical condition yet likely won’t say much about licking a few calories off the back of postage stamps. Nevertheless, He has already spoken judgment on those who persist in breaking both civil and moral law.
As someone said, we can go through the supermarket of life and put whatever we want in our basket, but one day we will go through the checkout. What rings up at that till is what counts.
Wednesday, September 28, 2016
When evil wins .......... Parables 490
November 7, 1995
The arguments continue. Did O. J. really do it? Will this case forever have a cloud hanging over both the crime and the decision? Will we ever know? Maybe, maybe not.
What irks those convinced of his guilt is that he appears to have gotten away with it. Those who disagree are irked because his case became a racial issue and because the police appeared to be on the wrong side of the law. Either way, evil seems to have won.
Whenever law-breakers (or supposed law-keepers) walk away from their rotten deeds without due consequence, Psalm 37 comes to mind. It say: “Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away... Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret — it leads only to evil. For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land. A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found.”
In historical context, the psalmist was encouraging God’s people. While things looked bad for the moment, evil would not prevail; eventually they would live safely in their land.
The psalm contains an important principle: “The wicked plot against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them; but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for He knows their day is coming. The wicked draw the sword and bend the bow to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose ways are upright. But their swords will pierce their own hearts, and their bows will be broken. Better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked; for the power of the wicked will be broken, but the LORD upholds the righteous.”
There is a day coming for those who escape the long arm of human law. God’s arm is longer. He, in perfect justice, will deal with all who do evil, whether their crime is murder, violence, hatred, racism, abuse, robbery, envy, lying, blasphemy, or even gossip and unbelief.
If I could rephrase Psalm 37 in regard to the O. J. Simpson case, I would write, “Don’t get bent out of shape because a double homicide goes unpunished. Whether guilt lies with unknown assailants, a football player, the police, or (as my dad says) the lawyers, the Lord will deal with them. It is better you do not get riled. Instead, trust God and hold your tongue and your temper. Don’t let evil prevail in your own heart. A vehement desire for revenge, hatred, or even scorn are punishable by God too, just as are those other evil acts.”
The Gospels say the same thing. When people came to Jesus and told Him about a certain disaster that happened to other people, they seemed to imply God was punishing some secret evil they had done. However, Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”
He makes the psalmist’s point. While unpunished evil is not desirable, and the killer (O. J. or otherwise) needs to be found and proven guilty, personal hatred, vindictiveness, or a “I would never do that” pride is evil also. Instead, the psalmist invites us to, “Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him and He will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.”
We may not see the day that the guilty are punished here, but if we trust God, their judgment day will come and we will not only miss seeing it then, but be glad we are not standing in the crowd on that terrible day when the guilty finally receive what they deserve!
The arguments continue. Did O. J. really do it? Will this case forever have a cloud hanging over both the crime and the decision? Will we ever know? Maybe, maybe not.
What irks those convinced of his guilt is that he appears to have gotten away with it. Those who disagree are irked because his case became a racial issue and because the police appeared to be on the wrong side of the law. Either way, evil seems to have won.
Whenever law-breakers (or supposed law-keepers) walk away from their rotten deeds without due consequence, Psalm 37 comes to mind. It say: “Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away... Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret — it leads only to evil. For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land. A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found.”
In historical context, the psalmist was encouraging God’s people. While things looked bad for the moment, evil would not prevail; eventually they would live safely in their land.
The psalm contains an important principle: “The wicked plot against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them; but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for He knows their day is coming. The wicked draw the sword and bend the bow to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose ways are upright. But their swords will pierce their own hearts, and their bows will be broken. Better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked; for the power of the wicked will be broken, but the LORD upholds the righteous.”
There is a day coming for those who escape the long arm of human law. God’s arm is longer. He, in perfect justice, will deal with all who do evil, whether their crime is murder, violence, hatred, racism, abuse, robbery, envy, lying, blasphemy, or even gossip and unbelief.
If I could rephrase Psalm 37 in regard to the O. J. Simpson case, I would write, “Don’t get bent out of shape because a double homicide goes unpunished. Whether guilt lies with unknown assailants, a football player, the police, or (as my dad says) the lawyers, the Lord will deal with them. It is better you do not get riled. Instead, trust God and hold your tongue and your temper. Don’t let evil prevail in your own heart. A vehement desire for revenge, hatred, or even scorn are punishable by God too, just as are those other evil acts.”
The Gospels say the same thing. When people came to Jesus and told Him about a certain disaster that happened to other people, they seemed to imply God was punishing some secret evil they had done. However, Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”
He makes the psalmist’s point. While unpunished evil is not desirable, and the killer (O. J. or otherwise) needs to be found and proven guilty, personal hatred, vindictiveness, or a “I would never do that” pride is evil also. Instead, the psalmist invites us to, “Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him and He will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.”
We may not see the day that the guilty are punished here, but if we trust God, their judgment day will come and we will not only miss seeing it then, but be glad we are not standing in the crowd on that terrible day when the guilty finally receive what they deserve!
Friday, April 8, 2016
Preparing to die .................. Parables 416
April 12, 1994
On Easter Sunday, before we left for church, my husband turned on the television set. One of the religious programs was just ending with a choral rendition. The song stirred our hearts. It was called “He is Risen,” and vividly described how Jesus conquered death. Right after the music finished, the station went to a commercial break--an advertisement for funeral services!
How ironic that a message about the glorious hope of life after death should be followed by another that was essentially twentieth-century marketing. The main gist of it was that without prepaying on a casket and funeral plot, no one can prepare for dying.
Every culture does make plans for burial, even people who lived the same time as Jesus was on earth. For instance, a rich man named Joseph of Arimathea had a tomb, a new one he must have bought for himself, but he was not the first to use it. When Jesus was crucified, this man asked Pilate for His body and placed it in his own tomb.
However, preparing for death involves more than buying a coffin and a cemetery plot. We all experience birth, life and death, but the Bible says we all face judgment after we die (Hebrews 9:27). It seems to me judgment requires some preparation also.
My husband used to think that if he did his best, God would evaluate the good against the bad and make a fair decision. Bob later realized his concept of what would please God is something like serving an omelet made with three good eggs and three rotten ones. No judge would even smile at that mixture.
Some people think judgment will not be a problem for them because they have tried their best. They have been “basically good people” and no doubt, they are right. They have not committed gross sins, robbed banks, abused their family, or murdered anyone. Instead, they have been good neighbors, had a generous heart, and served their home and community well.
However, imagine good swimmers lined up on the west coast of Canada. Hawaii is heaven and swimming is the only way. Good swimmers would cover at least twenty-five or thirty miles, maybe more, yet in regard to getting to heaven by goodness, Romans 3 says, “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” That means the “good” people may seem closer than others, but in reality, no one can make the distance. The standard is too high.
How then can a person prepare for a judgment he or she is sure to fall short on? There is only one way: by realizing the outcome of this judgment is not based on the relative goodness or badness of our lives but on what we have done with Christ. John 3:36 says: “He that believes on the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.”
Some say of Jesus, “We don’t want this man to be our king.” Jesus said they will get their wish. Those who spend eternity outside of His kingdom, in outer darkness, away from His presence are those whose preparation for death did not include Christ. By rejecting Him in this life, they cannot be with Him in the next one.
Others gladly receive Jesus. They receive from Him forgiveness of sin and the right to be called the children of God (John 1:12). He said, “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes Him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.”
The Bible says because Jesus lives, we can also. According to these spiritual realities, the Easter song has more about funeral planning in it than the commercial did!
On Easter Sunday, before we left for church, my husband turned on the television set. One of the religious programs was just ending with a choral rendition. The song stirred our hearts. It was called “He is Risen,” and vividly described how Jesus conquered death. Right after the music finished, the station went to a commercial break--an advertisement for funeral services!
How ironic that a message about the glorious hope of life after death should be followed by another that was essentially twentieth-century marketing. The main gist of it was that without prepaying on a casket and funeral plot, no one can prepare for dying.
Every culture does make plans for burial, even people who lived the same time as Jesus was on earth. For instance, a rich man named Joseph of Arimathea had a tomb, a new one he must have bought for himself, but he was not the first to use it. When Jesus was crucified, this man asked Pilate for His body and placed it in his own tomb.
However, preparing for death involves more than buying a coffin and a cemetery plot. We all experience birth, life and death, but the Bible says we all face judgment after we die (Hebrews 9:27). It seems to me judgment requires some preparation also.
My husband used to think that if he did his best, God would evaluate the good against the bad and make a fair decision. Bob later realized his concept of what would please God is something like serving an omelet made with three good eggs and three rotten ones. No judge would even smile at that mixture.
Some people think judgment will not be a problem for them because they have tried their best. They have been “basically good people” and no doubt, they are right. They have not committed gross sins, robbed banks, abused their family, or murdered anyone. Instead, they have been good neighbors, had a generous heart, and served their home and community well.
However, imagine good swimmers lined up on the west coast of Canada. Hawaii is heaven and swimming is the only way. Good swimmers would cover at least twenty-five or thirty miles, maybe more, yet in regard to getting to heaven by goodness, Romans 3 says, “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” That means the “good” people may seem closer than others, but in reality, no one can make the distance. The standard is too high.
How then can a person prepare for a judgment he or she is sure to fall short on? There is only one way: by realizing the outcome of this judgment is not based on the relative goodness or badness of our lives but on what we have done with Christ. John 3:36 says: “He that believes on the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.”
Some say of Jesus, “We don’t want this man to be our king.” Jesus said they will get their wish. Those who spend eternity outside of His kingdom, in outer darkness, away from His presence are those whose preparation for death did not include Christ. By rejecting Him in this life, they cannot be with Him in the next one.
Others gladly receive Jesus. They receive from Him forgiveness of sin and the right to be called the children of God (John 1:12). He said, “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes Him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.”
The Bible says because Jesus lives, we can also. According to these spiritual realities, the Easter song has more about funeral planning in it than the commercial did!
Friday, August 21, 2015
Environmentalism ................ Parables 316
May 5, 1992
Fort Saskatchewan’s air sometimes falls short of mountain fresh, but as nauseating as some of those chemical fumes are, many people who live in large cities would rather have our “air” than theirs.
For instance, a recent environmental report says canaries live only three minutes in downtown Mexico City. In the few weeks since that report, respiratory illness has gone up 70 percent. During the first week of April, fuel-burning industry was ordered to cut production by 50 percent and students have been forbidden to exercise outdoors.
Most of us are well aware of the narrow boundaries of an ecological balance. We know how important it is to preserve those boundaries because our lives depend on very basic items threatened by their removal. We need air to breathe, food and water to survive. Although industrial progress has its benefits, personal and industrial irresponsibility and taking these precious God-given resources for granted has had destructive results.
The environmentalists are not the only ones that admonish us to take care of our world. Scripture is replete with principles regarding responsible behavior. When people follow these principles (whether they know Scripture or not), many people enjoy the benefits. When people disobey God, knowingly or unknowingly, we find ourselves suffering in many areas, such as air so thick children cannot play outside and birds cannot sing.
Job 12:10 says, “the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind” is in God’s hands. Acts 17:28 echoes with, “For in Him we live, and move, and have our being...”
Surely God is the Giver and Sustainer of life. He created an environment highly suitable for us to live in, one with just the right balance of oxygen and other gases in the atmosphere and an ample supply of food and fresh water. But we have senselessly polluted the air and water.
Not only that, we have allowed greed and selfishness to govern the production and distribution of food. Just this week, one nation decided to withhold resources from a part of its peoples. Some claim political reasons or religious persecution, but certainly this was not done out of the kindness of someone’s heart nor a concern to be good managers of all that God provided.
The Apostle Paul reminded the Romans how some people refuse to acknowledge God and never thank Him. He said these become futile in their thinking yet assume they are wise, then go from there to more obvious sins until God turns His back on them. He says they will not escape the judgment of God and asks, “Do you not realize how good God has been to you?”
He might ask this generation the same question. The goodness of God is still evident in the forests that remain, in the rare fresh breezes and occasional still sparkling mountain streams. But does that goodness have any effect in drawing us toward God? Does it cause thankfulness and responsible living? Does it make us think twice about the way we manage what He gave us?
Paul adds, “...don’t you know that the goodness of God ought to lead you to repentance?” Apparently these people didn’t, because he adds, “Because of your hard, unrepentant hearts, you are storing up for yourself wrath in the day of... the righteous judgment of God...”
Many of the passages in the book of Revelation describe the judgment of God. Lest we think He simply hurls bolts of lightning on unrepentant sinners, some of those passages seem to describe a polluted world that can no longer support life, a judgment expressed through creation — it turns on those who have ruined it — and destroys them.
Fort Saskatchewan’s air sometimes falls short of mountain fresh, but as nauseating as some of those chemical fumes are, many people who live in large cities would rather have our “air” than theirs.
For instance, a recent environmental report says canaries live only three minutes in downtown Mexico City. In the few weeks since that report, respiratory illness has gone up 70 percent. During the first week of April, fuel-burning industry was ordered to cut production by 50 percent and students have been forbidden to exercise outdoors.
Most of us are well aware of the narrow boundaries of an ecological balance. We know how important it is to preserve those boundaries because our lives depend on very basic items threatened by their removal. We need air to breathe, food and water to survive. Although industrial progress has its benefits, personal and industrial irresponsibility and taking these precious God-given resources for granted has had destructive results.
The environmentalists are not the only ones that admonish us to take care of our world. Scripture is replete with principles regarding responsible behavior. When people follow these principles (whether they know Scripture or not), many people enjoy the benefits. When people disobey God, knowingly or unknowingly, we find ourselves suffering in many areas, such as air so thick children cannot play outside and birds cannot sing.
Job 12:10 says, “the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind” is in God’s hands. Acts 17:28 echoes with, “For in Him we live, and move, and have our being...”
Surely God is the Giver and Sustainer of life. He created an environment highly suitable for us to live in, one with just the right balance of oxygen and other gases in the atmosphere and an ample supply of food and fresh water. But we have senselessly polluted the air and water.
Not only that, we have allowed greed and selfishness to govern the production and distribution of food. Just this week, one nation decided to withhold resources from a part of its peoples. Some claim political reasons or religious persecution, but certainly this was not done out of the kindness of someone’s heart nor a concern to be good managers of all that God provided.
The Apostle Paul reminded the Romans how some people refuse to acknowledge God and never thank Him. He said these become futile in their thinking yet assume they are wise, then go from there to more obvious sins until God turns His back on them. He says they will not escape the judgment of God and asks, “Do you not realize how good God has been to you?”
He might ask this generation the same question. The goodness of God is still evident in the forests that remain, in the rare fresh breezes and occasional still sparkling mountain streams. But does that goodness have any effect in drawing us toward God? Does it cause thankfulness and responsible living? Does it make us think twice about the way we manage what He gave us?
Paul adds, “...don’t you know that the goodness of God ought to lead you to repentance?” Apparently these people didn’t, because he adds, “Because of your hard, unrepentant hearts, you are storing up for yourself wrath in the day of... the righteous judgment of God...”
Many of the passages in the book of Revelation describe the judgment of God. Lest we think He simply hurls bolts of lightning on unrepentant sinners, some of those passages seem to describe a polluted world that can no longer support life, a judgment expressed through creation — it turns on those who have ruined it — and destroys them.
Monday, July 28, 2014
Will God “get you” for that? ................... Parables 149
Remember the TV show “Maude?” The lead character was loud, bossy, domineering and sometimes funny. Whenever someone crossed her, she almost always retorted, “God’s going to get you for that!
In November, someone stole a tropical bird from an Edmonton pet store. Last week the thief telephoned the store to let them know the bird was safely in a box at the door of the pet shop. He returned it because he was afraid “God would get him” for what he had done.
I’m not well acquainted with many thieves, but what I know about criminals indicates most don’t plan on getting caught nor do they consider before the crime just what the penalty might be. Neither does it occur to them (or to very many other people for that matter) what God might do. This thief seems an exception rather than the rule. No wonder his confession made headlines.
Maybe he was a paranoid fanatic who had watched too many episodes of Maude. I would like to think better. Perhaps a faithful parent taught him something about consequences. Maybe a Christian Sunday school teacher explained how unjust people may go through life without getting caught and even enter the grave unpunished, but there is one more check stop after that one. At least this thief paid heed to his conscience.
Some ‘holier-than-thou’ types might suggest if he was so spiritually minded, why did he take the bird in the first place? While he can’t plead “everyone gives in to temptation now and then” before a court of law, the fact of the matter is that everyone does give into temptation at times.
No one can point a finger in utter innocence at anyone else. Perhaps all of us have taken something that didn’t belong to us at one time or another. The difference between this fellow and a “common” thief is that he let the fear of God motivate a turn-around after his sin was committed.
The fear of God is a rare commodity. Atheists, agnostics, and skeptics claim God is dead or never was, or God doesn’t care. A vast majority simply form their opinion through personal experience without checking what He says about Himself in His Word.
When personal experience becomes the Bible, then if bolts of lightning don’t fall from the sky after every sin is committed, “judgment” is dismissed as an imaginary iron fist that religious people hold over poor souls.
Others argue that God is much too loving to punish anyone, and guilt is simply a human quirk that needs to be ignored. But what does God say about His judgment?
First, Romans 9:22 says God may withhold punishment so we will know that His character includes both anger at sin and great patience with sinners. Some think God is a vindictive tyrant without compassion, while others think He is loving and kind, looking the other way when we disobey Him.
Neither are true. This verse asks, “What if God, choosing to show His wrath and make power known, bore with great patience the objects of His wrath. . . what if He did this to make the riches of His glory known to the objects of His mercy?”
Because we tend to ‘make God in our own image,’ our view of God is often more like we are than He is. Our common reaction when offended is instant retaliation. Since God does not take immediate vengeance, we tend to think He just isn’t looking, or caring what happens because “if I were God, my reaction would be instant . . . I’d get him for that!”
But the Bible says God is patient, merciful, and long suffering. Simply put, that means He does not deal with us according to what our sins deserve. He has put His wrath on hold, as it were, waiting for responses to His mercy. “God is not slow in keeping His promise, but is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).
When Maude said, “God is going to get your for that,” she got a laugh. When God said it, He hoped to get repentance and faith — so He can forgive whatever ‘it’ is and give the offender eternal life.
In November, someone stole a tropical bird from an Edmonton pet store. Last week the thief telephoned the store to let them know the bird was safely in a box at the door of the pet shop. He returned it because he was afraid “God would get him” for what he had done.
I’m not well acquainted with many thieves, but what I know about criminals indicates most don’t plan on getting caught nor do they consider before the crime just what the penalty might be. Neither does it occur to them (or to very many other people for that matter) what God might do. This thief seems an exception rather than the rule. No wonder his confession made headlines.
Maybe he was a paranoid fanatic who had watched too many episodes of Maude. I would like to think better. Perhaps a faithful parent taught him something about consequences. Maybe a Christian Sunday school teacher explained how unjust people may go through life without getting caught and even enter the grave unpunished, but there is one more check stop after that one. At least this thief paid heed to his conscience.
Some ‘holier-than-thou’ types might suggest if he was so spiritually minded, why did he take the bird in the first place? While he can’t plead “everyone gives in to temptation now and then” before a court of law, the fact of the matter is that everyone does give into temptation at times.
No one can point a finger in utter innocence at anyone else. Perhaps all of us have taken something that didn’t belong to us at one time or another. The difference between this fellow and a “common” thief is that he let the fear of God motivate a turn-around after his sin was committed.
The fear of God is a rare commodity. Atheists, agnostics, and skeptics claim God is dead or never was, or God doesn’t care. A vast majority simply form their opinion through personal experience without checking what He says about Himself in His Word.
When personal experience becomes the Bible, then if bolts of lightning don’t fall from the sky after every sin is committed, “judgment” is dismissed as an imaginary iron fist that religious people hold over poor souls.
Others argue that God is much too loving to punish anyone, and guilt is simply a human quirk that needs to be ignored. But what does God say about His judgment?
First, Romans 9:22 says God may withhold punishment so we will know that His character includes both anger at sin and great patience with sinners. Some think God is a vindictive tyrant without compassion, while others think He is loving and kind, looking the other way when we disobey Him.
Neither are true. This verse asks, “What if God, choosing to show His wrath and make power known, bore with great patience the objects of His wrath. . . what if He did this to make the riches of His glory known to the objects of His mercy?”
Because we tend to ‘make God in our own image,’ our view of God is often more like we are than He is. Our common reaction when offended is instant retaliation. Since God does not take immediate vengeance, we tend to think He just isn’t looking, or caring what happens because “if I were God, my reaction would be instant . . . I’d get him for that!”
But the Bible says God is patient, merciful, and long suffering. Simply put, that means He does not deal with us according to what our sins deserve. He has put His wrath on hold, as it were, waiting for responses to His mercy. “God is not slow in keeping His promise, but is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).
When Maude said, “God is going to get your for that,” she got a laugh. When God said it, He hoped to get repentance and faith — so He can forgive whatever ‘it’ is and give the offender eternal life.
Wednesday, April 2, 2014
All shook up ........................ Parables 100
Did you remember to circle February 8th on your calendar? Or did the “BOOM” catch you off guard? I thought someone drove into the side of my house with their car, or worse still, one of the industrial plants blew up. It didn’t last long but the house definitely shook. My knees did for a moment or two as well.
Of course the sound and shaking was a result of the railroad bridge demolition. This large landmark disappeared from view sometime around 10:00 a.m. February 8, 1988. It is forever gone.
I immediately thought of a couple of verses of Scripture because they talk about things being shaken, not by a demolition crew with some dynamite but by Almighty God who says “... I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.”
This comes out of a passage in the New Testament book of Hebrews. It was written to Hebrew Christians during a time of intense pressure and persecution. Some of them were wondering if following Christ was worth it. They were thinking seriously about turning back to their traditions, back to their former sacrificial system.
Among other things, the author of Hebrews pointed out to his readers that those former things were shadows or symbols pointing to the true sacrifice, the one that is acceptable to God for all time, for all sin, for all who believe. Of course He referred to the death of Jesus Christ, when He sacrificed His own life. It made no sense to turn back to a temporary sacrificial system that did not give them a new life as does Christ.
This passage in Hebrews 12 reminds these unsteady people of when the Commandments were given to Moses on Mount Sinai and how the mountain shook and so did the people. “The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, ‘I am trembling with fear.’” But even with all that, some of the people who heard the warning Moses gave, rejected it -- and God destroyed them.
The writer of Hebrews goes on to contrast that with what happened to them when they heard the gospel of Jesus Christ, “You have not come to a (literal) mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm... but you have come to (spiritual) Mount Zion... to the city of the Living God. You have come... to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word... see to it you do not refuse Him who speaks...” (Hebrews 12:22-24).
Like the people of old, they too were on the verge of turning away. So just as Moses warned them of what would happen if they did, they are again warned of what will happen: “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens...”
God does not offer promises of a glorious future for all mankind. He said there will be a day coming when He will test all things by such a powerful force that not only will all the bridges come down, so will everything that has no eternal value. In verse 27, the words “once more” indicate the removing of whatever can be shaken - that is, “created things - so that whatever cannot be shaken may remain.”
He also explains what it is that will remain (or pass the “shake test”). It will be His Kingdom, a realm which includes all those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ and in His sacrifice for them.
Since His Kingdom cannot be shaken, God urges the Hebrew believers (and all who stand at the same place of indecision): “See to it that you do not refuse Him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from Him who warns us from heaven? At that time, His voice shook the earth, but now He has promised, ‘Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens’... therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptable with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.”
Monday morning’s blast was a reminder; there is another one coming.
Of course the sound and shaking was a result of the railroad bridge demolition. This large landmark disappeared from view sometime around 10:00 a.m. February 8, 1988. It is forever gone.
I immediately thought of a couple of verses of Scripture because they talk about things being shaken, not by a demolition crew with some dynamite but by Almighty God who says “... I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.”
This comes out of a passage in the New Testament book of Hebrews. It was written to Hebrew Christians during a time of intense pressure and persecution. Some of them were wondering if following Christ was worth it. They were thinking seriously about turning back to their traditions, back to their former sacrificial system.
Among other things, the author of Hebrews pointed out to his readers that those former things were shadows or symbols pointing to the true sacrifice, the one that is acceptable to God for all time, for all sin, for all who believe. Of course He referred to the death of Jesus Christ, when He sacrificed His own life. It made no sense to turn back to a temporary sacrificial system that did not give them a new life as does Christ.
This passage in Hebrews 12 reminds these unsteady people of when the Commandments were given to Moses on Mount Sinai and how the mountain shook and so did the people. “The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, ‘I am trembling with fear.’” But even with all that, some of the people who heard the warning Moses gave, rejected it -- and God destroyed them.
The writer of Hebrews goes on to contrast that with what happened to them when they heard the gospel of Jesus Christ, “You have not come to a (literal) mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm... but you have come to (spiritual) Mount Zion... to the city of the Living God. You have come... to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word... see to it you do not refuse Him who speaks...” (Hebrews 12:22-24).
Like the people of old, they too were on the verge of turning away. So just as Moses warned them of what would happen if they did, they are again warned of what will happen: “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens...”
God does not offer promises of a glorious future for all mankind. He said there will be a day coming when He will test all things by such a powerful force that not only will all the bridges come down, so will everything that has no eternal value. In verse 27, the words “once more” indicate the removing of whatever can be shaken - that is, “created things - so that whatever cannot be shaken may remain.”
He also explains what it is that will remain (or pass the “shake test”). It will be His Kingdom, a realm which includes all those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ and in His sacrifice for them.
Since His Kingdom cannot be shaken, God urges the Hebrew believers (and all who stand at the same place of indecision): “See to it that you do not refuse Him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from Him who warns us from heaven? At that time, His voice shook the earth, but now He has promised, ‘Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens’... therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptable with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.”
Monday morning’s blast was a reminder; there is another one coming.
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