Grace and Justice
It will probably be many more months before I am able to post on this so I figured I might as well send out a “status update”. Like at work. Yeh! Hiya boss, yeah, the project is a lot of work, things happened and now I’m behind. Well, not so bad that the schedule is in utter chaos but we should talk just in case. (I’m a software engineer, btw.)
Oh no. Not that kind of update.
As I posted before I am working through the book of Numbers. In “The Message” I am now in Deuteronomy because I got so caught up in the story. I totally forgot how interesting Numbers and Deut. can be. My study Bible is call The NET Bible which is really good for doing things like study. Haha. (Late, I’m a bit punchy - get it study bible - for study! study!).
Over the last many months I have been pondering some pretty deep questions like “what makes God tick”. Well that kind of question really doesn’t get a good answer given that I am ... well, an average human being and have not been around since the beginning of time.
The specific grande idea that I have been struggling really comes out of a dissatisfaction that I hear some times. It’s the lovie-dubbie Jesus gospel that we preach to get new believers some times. So - where does Justice and Grace and Mercy find perfect unity? In God, of course. My heart is awakened to a plight that I don’t even quite understand but I just feel uneasy about it. Maybe it is because I don’t understand it all personally.
No wonder the Israelites wanted Moses to talk to God - can you image a voice coming out of something like this:
For instance:
In Numbers 16 God opens the earth and swallows three large families of priests alive! Yuck. (Now they were challenging Moses to create a second political party, per se) [Also Deut. 11]
In Numbers 13 God gives instructions on stoning to death those that go to foreign gods. (Off topic side note - In Deut. 17:17 we learn that the witness to the crime that testify are the ones who are supposed to toss the first stone according to Jewish law. Interesting.) In Joshua 7 we see this used.
We see God pour out devastation on the local pagan countries around Israel.
But then God shows extreme mercy like in the story of Ninevah and Jonah and the whale.
And the entire OT and (might I add much history of the historical NT church) has been of a people waning in love from God and God calling them back. Oh, wow. His patience is amazing.
The NT records Ananias and Sapphira getting struck down by God for holding back from the nascent church He was forming.
The church fathers suggested tossing out people, handing them over to Satan for un-repented sin. Gosh that’s harsh. The goal there at least is for restoration.
And what does “not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters,1 because you know that we will be judged more strictly” really mean? (In the OT the father is responsible to some degree for the sins he passes down to the third or fourth generation!)
And what about “not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters,1 because you know that we will be judged more strictly.” Golly, that hits close to home.
And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. And God will exalt you in due time, if you humble yourselves under his mighty hand by casting all your cares on him because he cares for you. Be sober and alert. Your enemy the devil, like a roaring lion, is on the prowl looking for someone to devour. Resist him, strong in your faith, because you know that your brothers and sisters18 throughout the world are enduring the same kinds of suffering. And, after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory in Christ will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him belongs the power forever. Amen. (NET)
But if we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous, forgiving us our sins and cleansing us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar and his word is not in us. (My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin.) But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous One, and he himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for our sins but also for the whole world. (NET)
So I am on a quest. I am learning things slowly. Things like that Taizé service help to center me on the love of Christ and his mercy towards me. And I appreciate the grace he gives to me to enter into worship. The OT is helping me to learn and want to learn His nature so that if God calls me to the table that I can say “I loved you” depsite my sin, instead of being like those Korahites: priests of God that wanted the power but not the heart.
Oh no. Not that kind of update.
As I posted before I am working through the book of Numbers. In “The Message” I am now in Deuteronomy because I got so caught up in the story. I totally forgot how interesting Numbers and Deut. can be. My study Bible is call The NET Bible which is really good for doing things like study. Haha. (Late, I’m a bit punchy - get it study bible - for study! study!).
Over the last many months I have been pondering some pretty deep questions like “what makes God tick”. Well that kind of question really doesn’t get a good answer given that I am ... well, an average human being and have not been around since the beginning of time.
The specific grande idea that I have been struggling really comes out of a dissatisfaction that I hear some times. It’s the lovie-dubbie Jesus gospel that we preach to get new believers some times. So - where does Justice and Grace and Mercy find perfect unity? In God, of course. My heart is awakened to a plight that I don’t even quite understand but I just feel uneasy about it. Maybe it is because I don’t understand it all personally.
No wonder the Israelites wanted Moses to talk to God - can you image a voice coming out of something like this:
 |  |
For instance:
In Numbers 16 God opens the earth and swallows three large families of priests alive! Yuck. (Now they were challenging Moses to create a second political party, per se) [Also Deut. 11]
In Numbers 13 God gives instructions on stoning to death those that go to foreign gods. (Off topic side note - In Deut. 17:17 we learn that the witness to the crime that testify are the ones who are supposed to toss the first stone according to Jewish law. Interesting.) In Joshua 7 we see this used.
We see God pour out devastation on the local pagan countries around Israel.
But then God shows extreme mercy like in the story of Ninevah and Jonah and the whale.
And the entire OT and (might I add much history of the historical NT church) has been of a people waning in love from God and God calling them back. Oh, wow. His patience is amazing.
The NT records Ananias and Sapphira getting struck down by God for holding back from the nascent church He was forming.
The church fathers suggested tossing out people, handing them over to Satan for un-repented sin. Gosh that’s harsh. The goal there at least is for restoration.
And what does “not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters,1 because you know that we will be judged more strictly” really mean? (In the OT the father is responsible to some degree for the sins he passes down to the third or fourth generation!)
And what about “not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters,1 because you know that we will be judged more strictly.” Golly, that hits close to home.
And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. And God will exalt you in due time, if you humble yourselves under his mighty hand by casting all your cares on him because he cares for you. Be sober and alert. Your enemy the devil, like a roaring lion, is on the prowl looking for someone to devour. Resist him, strong in your faith, because you know that your brothers and sisters18 throughout the world are enduring the same kinds of suffering. And, after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory in Christ will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him belongs the power forever. Amen. (NET)
But if we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous, forgiving us our sins and cleansing us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar and his word is not in us. (My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin.) But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous One, and he himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for our sins but also for the whole world. (NET)
So I am on a quest. I am learning things slowly. Things like that Taizé service help to center me on the love of Christ and his mercy towards me. And I appreciate the grace he gives to me to enter into worship. The OT is helping me to learn and want to learn His nature so that if God calls me to the table that I can say “I loved you” depsite my sin, instead of being like those Korahites: priests of God that wanted the power but not the heart.
posted by B. | 11:41 PM
1 Comments:
that is some serious pillar of fire, really makes it... real. Thanks for your insight, and questions. Gets the wheels turning.
Post a Comment
<< Home