The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Luke 6:47-49,
"I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete."
A dilemma that faced me when I was confronted with the gospel message was the message itself forced of me an exercise of faith. Either accepting the claims of the gospel, that I was a sinner and Jesus took my punishment on himself when he died on that cross or not accepting the message (and the One from whom it originated) was going to require faith. Either I embrace Jesus Christ in faith, or in faith embrace the notion I didn't have to respond to it - either at the time or at any time - either choice was an exercise of faith.
"Do you believe in the Son of God?" is a question that requires faith regardless of how we respond to it. Even if I opted for the alternative of putting the decision off till later requires faith that it will be OK to do so. I wonder how many have been thrust into eternity that had opted for the "till later" response and now are awaiting judgment day on their own...
Regardless, here is one of the countless times we find the intolerance of the Son of God. I note as I read the gospel of Luke that Jesus presents his offer of the kingdom of God without give-and-take, without tempering it to mollify the thoughts and feelings of others, without concern for rejection, humiliation and fear, without the "political correctness" that seems to infest our spineless society today.
Perhaps I'm being a little harsh here, but the love of God is manifested in his sending of his Son to die a miserable death to pay the penalty for our sins, all our sins. It is not manifested in any equivocation of the message. Jesus here simply says, do what I say and receive eternal life or do not do what I say and spend eternity in a fiery lake of burning sulfur. What I see in the things the Lord says demonstrate a conviction, a certainty, a confrontation not often seen in our culture and society today. I'm not sure love allows any other approach.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd love to hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
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