Good Morning,
Whoops, I was just delightfully interrupted by an accidental call from my 1 year old granddaughter. Did you know it is hard to type and talk on FaceTime simultaneously ?
In the previous 2 blog entries I concentrated on you and your identity. Today, instead, I would like for us to consider God and His identity.
Many of us have been raised with the idea that God is a stern task master who is never quite satisfied with us or with the people around us in the World. We are continuously bombarded with voices bemoaning our sins and the even more horrific sins of the World. We hear proclamations of God’s judgement. Many are convinced that God is judging the people of islam, the people with AIDS, the abortionists, the political candidates, and us the ordinary people. And, we think this must be true because “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” We have been told of hundreds of rules found in the Bible from honor your parents and do not murder to love your neighbor and confess your faults.
When we try to explain to people that God is Love, rational people rise up with questions. If He is love why does He hate people with different sexual preferences and people with AIDS and people who are poor and all those billions of people that He has judged and condemned to hell and damnation.
When I was a young attorney working in a downtown Washington, DC, law firm, my boss’ son had become my friend. He decided that He was going to go off traveling to give himself time to think about his life and plans. Just before he left he stopped in my office and asked me if I could give him any advice. I paused to listen to Holy Spirit and then picked up my Bible and held it up where he could see it. I said, “Dan, as you travel, stop reading this Book as a set of rules about what you should do and should not do. Instead, read it as an introduction to the character of the God who loves you.”
From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible presents God as one who when confronted with our sin and disrespect is continually providing us with the opportunity to be redeemed from our own bad choices. At the same time the Bible presents Him as one who loves us so much that even when it is very painful for Him, He will not insist on having His own way in our lives. When we choose to go our own way instead of choosing to be with Him, He loves us enough to permit us to go.
God is not the harsh task master. He is the loving redeemer who gives us freedom of choice. He loves us so much that when we choose to be with Him, He will adopt us as His own children and give us all the benefits of being sons of God. Conversely, when we choose to not be with Him, He will permit us to separate ourselves from His presence, His grace, and His influence both now and in the eternal realm. Hell is not the product of His anger it is the product of His love and our choices to refuse to receive Him.
God is not continually sitting in judgement of us. Rather He is continually supporting us with His grace and wooing us with His love in hope that we will choose to be adopted as His sons. He withholds His judgement until our time for choosing has come to an end. “It is appointed unto man once to die and then the judgement.”
God loves you and wants you to choose Him and receive all the benefits of that choice. He desires to fill your life with love and joy and peace. He wants to empower you to walk as His son victorious over the evil in the World around you. But all of that remains your free choice.
God loves you so much that He has given you the right to reject Him if you choose to do so. If you do, He will be very sad but He will honor your choice.
I recommend that you choose Him right now. Choose to love and follow Jesus. Choose to accept that He has redeemed you from your past. Choose to let Him be your Lord who lovingly guides you in every decision.
It really is quite simple. Choose. Then simply talk with Jesus and tell Him you choose Him and want Him to be your personal Lord.
You are loved.
His, thus Yours,
Stuart
His-Family 