Chapter 6 - Holy Justice
Quotable Sproul: "God does not always act with justice. Sometimes He acts with mercy. Mercy is not justice, but it also is not injustice. Injustice violates righteousness. Mercy manifests kindness and grace and does no violence to righteousness. We may see nonjustice in God, which is mercy, but we never see injustice in God."
"The false conflict between the two testaments may be seen in the most brutal act of divine vengeance ever recorded in Scripture. It is not found in the Old Testament but in the New Testament. The most violent expresssion of God's wrath and justice is seen in the Cross. If ever a person had room to complain of injustice, it was Jesus. He was the only innocent man ever to be punished by God. If we stagger at the wrath of God, let us stagger at the Cross. Here is where our astonishment should be focused. If we have cause for moral outrage, let it be directed at Golgotha."
(This was a very powerful chapter, so to choose just one passage would not do the chapter justice -- pardon the pun. But to choose more would be re-writing the entire chapter.)
Allowing God's Holiness to Touch Our Lives - 4 questions
1) "In what ways does God's justice frighten you? In what ways does it comfort you?"
God's justice frightens me because I fully recognize that I truly deserve it. We so frequently hear people cry out, "We want justice!" But to beg that of God would be foolish. But His justice comforts me becuase the question arises: What good is mercy without justice? If it weren't for God's justice, mercy would be cheap and easily available to all without cost. If it weren't for His mercy, God's justice would seem impossibly harsh, and impossible to please Him. It is utterly astonishing that God would show mercy on just one person, since we are all truly deserving of His divine justice.
2) "What is your response when you realize that you deserve to die because of your sin?"
I agree that I deserve to die. But I've grown up with this notion all my life, so it's easy for me to comprehend. When I speak to friends who are not Christians, however, they tend to think I am too hard on myself when I sin. Their response is, "Quit beating yourself up. You are a good person." But I have a difficulty distinguishing where the line between being one who deserves God's divine justice stops, and where the line begins as being one who is precious and valuable in His sight. I want to be faithful to God's holiness, fully recognizing that I am not holy. (I don't like to say I am un-holy, because that implies I was once holy and now am not. Instead, I never have been holy, except -- and only except -- through Christ.) But I also want to be faithful to recognize that in Christ I am a new creation -- even when I sin -- and because of that I am very precious to God. To say I'm worthless to Him is to say the price Jesus paid for the justice I deserve was unnecessary. I need to see myself as God sees me. After all, my price tag was very high!
3) "What is your response when you realize that God's justice demanded Christ's death for you?"
The second paragraph that I quoted above containing the phrase that Jesus is the ONLY perfect man (person) ever to be punished by God stabbed me in the gut. When I look at my guilt -- or lack of innocense -- I cannot fathom why Jesus took the punishment I deserved. Oh, if I could only apply this principle to my life and how I deal with other people. Why didn't Jesus contend for His innocense? I know I would have.
4) "In what ways has God demonstrated His mercy to you?"
In the chapter, RC provided an example of when he was a college professor. He assigned to his students three term papers due at specific times throughout the semester. When the deadline arrived for the first paper, only 25 students hadn't completed the assignment and pled for mercy in the form of an extention. It was granted. When the second deadline arrived, 50 students pled mercy. Again it was granted. When the third deadline arrived, 100 students pled mercy, having not completed the assignment they knew months prior was due on a specific day. Rather than granting mercy, he meted out justice...flunking all the students for not completing the assignment. "That's not fair!" they cried out. What was not fair, however, was that he gave them mercy in the first place. Twice! What was not fair was that the students who completed the assignments on time were made fools for turning their papers in on time while the others were rewarded for their procrastination.
I'm not like the student who cries, "That's not fair!", because I know the justice due to me is perfectly fair. In fact, it would actually be right thing for God to do! Instead, I'm very much like that student who continues to take mercy for granted and push for forgiveness and mercy. I continued to step on God's holiness, suspecting He will be merciful yet again. But I would hate to discover where God's patience is exhaused.
6.30.2008
THE HOLINESS OF GOD: Chapter 5 Reflections:
Chapter 5 – The Insanity of Luther
Quotable Sproul: “But we are unjust, and therein lies our dilemma. Luther’s legal mind was haunted by the question, How can an unjust person survive in the presence of a Just God? Where everyone else was at ease in the matter, Luther was in agony.”
Allowing God's holiness to touch our lives - 4 questions
1) “When you look into the mirror of God’s holiness, what do you see? What do you learn about yourself and about God?”
The reflection is not very attractive. Scriptural authors emphasize the futility of comparing ourselves with ourselves – others like us. Instead, we ought to compare ourselves to the Almighty. When I compare myself with others, I look pretty good. I’m usually a nice guy, usually polite, I don’t abuse my wife. But when I look at myself with God’s perspective, I see dirty rags. But of course, that’s when I look at myself if I were not covered by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. I’m not perfect and never will be. Instead, I’m sinfully dirty inside. That is why Christ’s sacrifice was so necessary, because I’ll never be able to perfect myself to meet God’s holy standard. Jesus perfects what is ugly and sinful.
2) “What do you do with your guilt about your sin?”
Guilt is a double-edged sword. Satan would love for us to live perpetually under the burden of sin’s guilt. Guilt has a way of oppressing us when used improperly. But, God has sanctified guilt through Jesus Christ and permits it to impact us so we will use it as a tool to gauge our lives. If I feel guilt, it most likely is due to unresolved sin in my life. Sometimes, however, it is much easier said than done to deal with my guilt and beg God for His forgiveness. Oh, how Satan would love for us to believe God would never invite us back to Him after we’ve sinned.
3) “What does ‘the just shall live by faith’ mean to you personally?”
In my job, we have official orders that tell us what we CAN do and what we SHALL do. The SHALL’s are not to be diobeyed; the CAN’s can, because they are more permissive. As the SHALL’s tell me as a professional what I must or must not do, I think the same is true of this passage. But not in the way many think. Because of Christ, I have been justified. Therefore, I am just. The holiness of God has proven that I am filthy, and unable to cleanse myself. And, therefore, I need God to cleanse me. I have faith, because I am justified, that it is only Jesus Christ who justifies me and makes me clean. Therefore, I have eternal life because I have faith in Christ to justify me, since, after all, I cannot do it myself.
4) “How can you worship God for justifying you?”
I can worship God for justifying me because his mercy and justice are simultaneously proven in my salvation. His mercy, because I don’t deserve it; His justice, because it’s justice I deserve, but He has pierced Jesus Christ with the penalty of His righteous justice due to none other than me.
Quotable Sproul: “But we are unjust, and therein lies our dilemma. Luther’s legal mind was haunted by the question, How can an unjust person survive in the presence of a Just God? Where everyone else was at ease in the matter, Luther was in agony.”
Allowing God's holiness to touch our lives - 4 questions
1) “When you look into the mirror of God’s holiness, what do you see? What do you learn about yourself and about God?”
The reflection is not very attractive. Scriptural authors emphasize the futility of comparing ourselves with ourselves – others like us. Instead, we ought to compare ourselves to the Almighty. When I compare myself with others, I look pretty good. I’m usually a nice guy, usually polite, I don’t abuse my wife. But when I look at myself with God’s perspective, I see dirty rags. But of course, that’s when I look at myself if I were not covered by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. I’m not perfect and never will be. Instead, I’m sinfully dirty inside. That is why Christ’s sacrifice was so necessary, because I’ll never be able to perfect myself to meet God’s holy standard. Jesus perfects what is ugly and sinful.
2) “What do you do with your guilt about your sin?”
Guilt is a double-edged sword. Satan would love for us to live perpetually under the burden of sin’s guilt. Guilt has a way of oppressing us when used improperly. But, God has sanctified guilt through Jesus Christ and permits it to impact us so we will use it as a tool to gauge our lives. If I feel guilt, it most likely is due to unresolved sin in my life. Sometimes, however, it is much easier said than done to deal with my guilt and beg God for His forgiveness. Oh, how Satan would love for us to believe God would never invite us back to Him after we’ve sinned.
3) “What does ‘the just shall live by faith’ mean to you personally?”
In my job, we have official orders that tell us what we CAN do and what we SHALL do. The SHALL’s are not to be diobeyed; the CAN’s can, because they are more permissive. As the SHALL’s tell me as a professional what I must or must not do, I think the same is true of this passage. But not in the way many think. Because of Christ, I have been justified. Therefore, I am just. The holiness of God has proven that I am filthy, and unable to cleanse myself. And, therefore, I need God to cleanse me. I have faith, because I am justified, that it is only Jesus Christ who justifies me and makes me clean. Therefore, I have eternal life because I have faith in Christ to justify me, since, after all, I cannot do it myself.
4) “How can you worship God for justifying you?”
I can worship God for justifying me because his mercy and justice are simultaneously proven in my salvation. His mercy, because I don’t deserve it; His justice, because it’s justice I deserve, but He has pierced Jesus Christ with the penalty of His righteous justice due to none other than me.
6.18.2008
THE HOLINESS OF GOD: Chapter 4 Reflections:
Chapter 4 - The Trauma of Holiness
Quotable Sproul: "People have an appreciation for moral excellence, as long as it is moved a safe distance from them."
Allowing God's Holiness to Touch Our Lives - 3 questions
1) "Is your view of God's holiness like Peter's? Do you want to run from it?"
Absolutely! I find, however, that when I am living more in line with God's moral will for my life, that I am less afraid of His holiness than when I am not in line. But I wonder how much of my thought-expectations for how I live is instilled by what others (ie, the Church) think I should do and how I should behave, instead of how God wants them. Do I live my life to please others? Or to please God's holy standards? Do others shape my behaviors? Or does God, by drawing nearer and nearer to Him every day? The latter ought to be the case, but I often think it is the former.
2) "Have you ever experienced the trauma of God's holiness?"
Based on my answer to number 2, I don't know if the trauma I've felt was delt by God's holiness, or my thoughts of others' expectations on me. Because I have sins that regularly beset me, I often feel as though I cannot go to God for forgiveness. I often don't have the desire to repent of certain behaviors or thoughts. I want forgiveness, but I fight change. I'm certain it is one of Satan's schemes, to tell us we shouldn't bother God if we don't want to change ourselves. But then again, who brings us to a point of change? It is certainly not me. Calvinism teaches we are totally depraved, unable to rescue ourselves, and unable to even recognize that we need to be rescued. So, it is difficult to answer this question, because I have difficulty discerning the origin of my "trauma".
3) "Describe a time when you were comforted by God's holiness."
I am always comforted by God's holiness when I remember that His holiness is what drew me to Him in the first place. I would/could never recognize God if His holiness hadn't first drawn me. After all, His holiness permits the Holy Spirit to draw me to Him, not Him to me. My sin would forever separate me from God if it weren't for His holy desire to rescue me from the pit. Thank you, God!
Quotable Sproul: "People have an appreciation for moral excellence, as long as it is moved a safe distance from them."
Allowing God's Holiness to Touch Our Lives - 3 questions
1) "Is your view of God's holiness like Peter's? Do you want to run from it?"
Absolutely! I find, however, that when I am living more in line with God's moral will for my life, that I am less afraid of His holiness than when I am not in line. But I wonder how much of my thought-expectations for how I live is instilled by what others (ie, the Church) think I should do and how I should behave, instead of how God wants them. Do I live my life to please others? Or to please God's holy standards? Do others shape my behaviors? Or does God, by drawing nearer and nearer to Him every day? The latter ought to be the case, but I often think it is the former.
2) "Have you ever experienced the trauma of God's holiness?"
Based on my answer to number 2, I don't know if the trauma I've felt was delt by God's holiness, or my thoughts of others' expectations on me. Because I have sins that regularly beset me, I often feel as though I cannot go to God for forgiveness. I often don't have the desire to repent of certain behaviors or thoughts. I want forgiveness, but I fight change. I'm certain it is one of Satan's schemes, to tell us we shouldn't bother God if we don't want to change ourselves. But then again, who brings us to a point of change? It is certainly not me. Calvinism teaches we are totally depraved, unable to rescue ourselves, and unable to even recognize that we need to be rescued. So, it is difficult to answer this question, because I have difficulty discerning the origin of my "trauma".
3) "Describe a time when you were comforted by God's holiness."
I am always comforted by God's holiness when I remember that His holiness is what drew me to Him in the first place. I would/could never recognize God if His holiness hadn't first drawn me. After all, His holiness permits the Holy Spirit to draw me to Him, not Him to me. My sin would forever separate me from God if it weren't for His holy desire to rescue me from the pit. Thank you, God!
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