Have you ever noticed how there is great deal of emphasis placed on how filthy we (humans) are or how bad we are by Christians (and the Church)? We use verses like Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned and fall short…” Or Isaiah 64:6, “Our most righteous acts are like filthy rags…” Yes these verses are there and are true BUT is that really the emphasis? Is this really the WHOLE story?
We know that God limited Himself and came in human form as a sacrifice to reconcile ourselves back to Him. But we hear it conveyed to us something like this, “God SHOULD’NT have come BUT He did anyway.” Or, “All we deserve is death! God had every right to just let us sit there and die BUT He came anyway.”
True. He came because we messed it up. Is it really the mindset of God that we are just so horrible and He is just so Holy that He just throws His hands in the air and says, “Geeze! What a bunch of idiots. I don’t want to come but I guess I should.”
When we say things like, “He SHOULD”NT have…” it almost sounds like He was very reluctant to do what He did. The exact opposite is true. I think He was very very willing to come. Very willing to hand His life over and go though extreme torture and death to bring us (God and man) back together.
When we talk like this it gives people the picture of a harsh father figure having to step in and do what needs to be done with no emotion.
I believe that God agonized over our sin (Genesis 6:6). I believe that he is saddened at our choice to reject Him (John 1:10-11). I believe that He has been in a continual sate of grief over our sin.
The picture I see of Jesus is carefully guiding us and lovingly sacrificing Himself for the sake of our (God and man) relationship. Not that of a fed up father that says in an aggravated voice, “Get out of the way! I’ll DO IT!!.”
The Bible paints a portrait of a God that is so frustrated with sin and the separation that it brings that He decides to step into the world. Not as a the mighty POWERFUL “get out of my way or I’ll destroy you” God. Rather He comes as the most helpless defenseless form you can imagine.
A new born baby.
And it doesn’t stop there at the birth.
He lets His own creation raise Him, teach Him and counsel Him. Lives in a small town in Israel. Make s meager living as a carpenter (I assume it was meager). And at age 30 decides to start His public ministry. Not where you would expect I might add. He doesn’t head straight to the Religious epicenter of Jerusalem. No. He heads to small towns in the north Galilee region. And in these small towns and villages He preforms great miracles. He astounds the crowds. And when He is finished He often says, “Do not tell anyone what you just saw.”
Then the betrayal.
His own creation abandoned Him, rejects Him, runs from Him, turns Him over to the Romans. Then His creation, beats Him, mocks Him and crucifies Him. Even while He is on the cross He is insulted and ridiculed and mocked. Then He dies and is resurrected. Then He turns around and uses that same act of cruelty as our forgiveness. This is humility. This is not the action of a frustrated and fed up father that reluctantly steps in because HE HAS TO.
The Bible also says this about us Who you are in Christ so lets meditate on these as well as the “I am horrible” verses. Of course we are all sinners (Romans 6:23, 3:23 etc…) saved by grace. We are also seated in high places, forgiven, priest and priestesses and so on…
What if my 4 daughters met me everyday after work at my front door and just groveled at my feet saying how unworthy they were and how lucky they were that I came home (because “I DIDN’T HAVE TO” but I did anyway). This is not how a father wants his children to see him. I want my kids to know they are loved, they are priestesses and they are precious. I think the God of the universe is like this as well.
Lets not just fixate on this type of thinking as quoted, “The God that holds you over the pit of hell, much as one holds a spider, or some loathsome insect over the fire, abhors you, and is dreadfully provoked; his wrath towards you burns like fire; he looks upon you as worthy of nothing else, but to be cast into the fire; he is of purer eyes than to bear to have you in his sight; you are ten thousand times more abominable in his eyes, than the most hateful venomous serpent is in ours.” Ouch.
Remember this Who you are in Christ and this is how He thinks of you.
Remember that the deepest truth about you is that you are made in the image of God NOT that you are a sinner.
Hope this helps.
We know that God limited Himself and came in human form as a sacrifice to reconcile ourselves back to Him. But we hear it conveyed to us something like this, “God SHOULD’NT have come BUT He did anyway.” Or, “All we deserve is death! God had every right to just let us sit there and die BUT He came anyway.”
True. He came because we messed it up. Is it really the mindset of God that we are just so horrible and He is just so Holy that He just throws His hands in the air and says, “Geeze! What a bunch of idiots. I don’t want to come but I guess I should.”
When we say things like, “He SHOULD”NT have…” it almost sounds like He was very reluctant to do what He did. The exact opposite is true. I think He was very very willing to come. Very willing to hand His life over and go though extreme torture and death to bring us (God and man) back together.
When we talk like this it gives people the picture of a harsh father figure having to step in and do what needs to be done with no emotion.
I believe that God agonized over our sin (Genesis 6:6). I believe that he is saddened at our choice to reject Him (John 1:10-11). I believe that He has been in a continual sate of grief over our sin.
The picture I see of Jesus is carefully guiding us and lovingly sacrificing Himself for the sake of our (God and man) relationship. Not that of a fed up father that says in an aggravated voice, “Get out of the way! I’ll DO IT!!.”
The Bible paints a portrait of a God that is so frustrated with sin and the separation that it brings that He decides to step into the world. Not as a the mighty POWERFUL “get out of my way or I’ll destroy you” God. Rather He comes as the most helpless defenseless form you can imagine.
A new born baby.
And it doesn’t stop there at the birth.
He lets His own creation raise Him, teach Him and counsel Him. Lives in a small town in Israel. Make s meager living as a carpenter (I assume it was meager). And at age 30 decides to start His public ministry. Not where you would expect I might add. He doesn’t head straight to the Religious epicenter of Jerusalem. No. He heads to small towns in the north Galilee region. And in these small towns and villages He preforms great miracles. He astounds the crowds. And when He is finished He often says, “Do not tell anyone what you just saw.”
Then the betrayal.
His own creation abandoned Him, rejects Him, runs from Him, turns Him over to the Romans. Then His creation, beats Him, mocks Him and crucifies Him. Even while He is on the cross He is insulted and ridiculed and mocked. Then He dies and is resurrected. Then He turns around and uses that same act of cruelty as our forgiveness. This is humility. This is not the action of a frustrated and fed up father that reluctantly steps in because HE HAS TO.
The Bible also says this about us Who you are in Christ so lets meditate on these as well as the “I am horrible” verses. Of course we are all sinners (Romans 6:23, 3:23 etc…) saved by grace. We are also seated in high places, forgiven, priest and priestesses and so on…
What if my 4 daughters met me everyday after work at my front door and just groveled at my feet saying how unworthy they were and how lucky they were that I came home (because “I DIDN’T HAVE TO” but I did anyway). This is not how a father wants his children to see him. I want my kids to know they are loved, they are priestesses and they are precious. I think the God of the universe is like this as well.
Lets not just fixate on this type of thinking as quoted, “The God that holds you over the pit of hell, much as one holds a spider, or some loathsome insect over the fire, abhors you, and is dreadfully provoked; his wrath towards you burns like fire; he looks upon you as worthy of nothing else, but to be cast into the fire; he is of purer eyes than to bear to have you in his sight; you are ten thousand times more abominable in his eyes, than the most hateful venomous serpent is in ours.” Ouch.
Remember this Who you are in Christ and this is how He thinks of you.
Remember that the deepest truth about you is that you are made in the image of God NOT that you are a sinner.
Hope this helps.
A lot of what you write in your blog I like and agree with. Here is where I question some of your thoughts.
ReplyDeleteI have never seen the Bible portray the gospel as you describe it at the beginning of your post--this idea that God shouldn't have had to come but He did anyway. Where do you hear that being taught and the gospel message being that? That is not the gospel and those who teach that would do well to go back and read the Bible again. There are some things that are true, however, and even if they rub against our humanistic tendencies, we cannot ignore that they are lovingly true.
If you want to look at it that way, God did have every right to not save us and we, because of our choices, do deserve death. The fact that we deserve death doesn't make God some cruel and harsh father. It actually shows that He is a loving and responsible father. Do you hold your daughters responsible for their actions? If you didn't hold your daughters accountable for their actions you would be an irresponsible and dysfunctional dad. The fact that you hold them responsible for their actions shows that they have great value and worth in your eyes. Free will and responsibility for our actions are signs of value and dignity; not signs of a harsh father or an unjust standard to be kept.
You can argue that the consequences God gives for our actions are too harsh (the wages of sin is death); but I don't think that is a consequence God is going to back down from nor an argument you would win.
Perhaps you are asking the wrong question or have the wrong emphasis. Its not so much whether God had to step in and save us or not (like its some obligation that He is required to do); but rather that he DID step into humanity and save us. That act says more about who He is than about who we are. God becoming man to save man (instead of man paying the price he rightly and fairly should have to pay) is the ultimate act of unconditional love!
I don't see how someone emphasizing the fact that we deserve death for our choices characterizes God as being harsh. It characterizes God as being a loving Creator who values His creation so much He allows them to choose and be responsible. If we focus on God "having no choice but to save us", then maybe you come away with that. But I don't hear that being taught in the Bible. God isn't obligated to love all people. He chooses to love all people.
Love is a choice. God wasn't obligated to save us. God lovingly chose to save us. He chose to step in and love us even though we only rightly deserve death for our sins. That is awesome love! There is no harshness in that; but only unconditional love from the most loving being there is!
I can honestly say I was baffled by the comments made by the person above me. Seems safe to say they did not read this blog post.
ReplyDelete1. Nowhere in Ezra's blog post did he claim the Bible portrayed the gospel as a message of "God shouldn't have saved us but he did." "But we hear it conveyed to us something like this, “God SHOULD’NT have come BUT He did anyway.” The word "conveyed" instead of "read" shows that this is not something pulled from the Bible, but rather how Christians sometimes interpret what is written. We focus on our unworthiness; there is so much more about God to focus on.
2. You did not read the comment about the harsh father correctly. I have attached it here, try again. "When we talk like this it gives people the picture of a harsh father figure having to step in and do what needs to be done with no emotion." This comment once again addresses how Christians portray the attitude of God the Father when he sacrificed his son for sinners, NOT the wages of sin being death. Context, dear reader, context. It seems Ezra was trying to say that he believes God's attitude when he stepped in to pay the price of our sin was one of joy. This does not make our sin ok or right, but it does change how we approach God. Rather than groveling for the rest of our lives, why not accept this amazing manifestation of the love of God? Why not approach him with gratitude? Why not emphasize the heart of God that LOVES to reconcile humans to himself and chose to do so out of that love? This does not diminish sin in anyway, but exalt our awesome God. I could be wrong about the central theme of this post, but it seems it was not about God being harsh or cruel in his justice towards us as sinners, but rather the awesomeness of his love and the joy he felt at being able to rescue us for the consequences of our own depravity. You seem to have gotten there in a round about way at the end of your post.
Ezra, I liked this. Reminded me of the verse "Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." I want my relationship with God to always be characterized by gratitude for the gift of his son and confidence in my salvation through grace. I can dig it.