The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and
majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him today and what came to my heart and mind in Ephesians 2:1-3,
"As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which
you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the
ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in
those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one
time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its
desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of
wrath."
Some folks, probably many, have a notion that God's relationship with
mankind, on the whole, is one likened to the parent-child
relationship. God is the perfect person, transcendent in wisdom, power
and moral perfection. above and beyond mankind, his creation. As his
creation, we look to him in our frailties and faults for his help in
this life, to aid us as we experience those challenges we find
daunting and beyond our own abilities to handle- much like the
parent-child relationship we are familiar with.
While there certainly is truth to some of this perspective, it is to
me a misreading of what we are exposed to in the Scriptures. My
perspective from the Scriptures is that life on earth is more
accurately viewed as existence within a penal colony. All of us have
sinned, we are all guilty. All of us have been condemned by God's
judgment. All of us are awaiting our final disposition in a fiery lake
of burning sulfur. As Paul says above, "Like the rest, we were by
nature objects of wrath." It is God himself who is poised to cast us
into that lake of fire!
From within this "penal colony", what was once mankind's pristine
environment, created by God for that which he delighted in, but has
now become the repository of those facing God's ultimate wrath
expressed in his judgment, there is wonderful news! News of release
and freedom! News of a way to escape our final judgment! Deathrow can
be escaped!
For those of us who have embraced Jesus Christ in faith, we read, "But
because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us
alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by
grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated
us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in
the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace,
expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace
you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is
the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast." Ephesians
2:4-9.
How important it is to get this message passed around in this "penal
colony" so others may escape certain eternal death by embracing the
gospel message!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to
hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send
me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are
receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply
and let me know.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment