Hebrews 5:1-3
Sometimes youth or inexperience can be a source of arrogance. Isn't it true? A young man thinks, I'll never fall into that trap; a young woman thinks, I'll never let that happen. It's easy to say these things before the true temptation comes.
Then, after the temptation has come, after we realize the full weight of the situtation, after we realize the true lure of the temptation, after we see for ourselves the promise of sin, then we begin to see that the people that fall into its snare are not as stupid as we once had thought.
If you went to Sunday school as a child, maybe you remember your wonder at the book of Judges, at the stories of the children of Israel wandering in the wilderness, at the stories of the apostles in their slack-jawed wonder at Jesus' resurrection. How could they have been so dumb? we asked ourselves.
Then the trials come in our own lives, and we find ourselves doubting God and forgetting about God and disbelieving the promises of God, just like God's people before us. Suddenly, the Israelites seem a lot smarter to us, and the temptation seems a lot more wicked.
Whether we fall to temptation or not, it changes us. I believe this is the true reason God allows us to face temptation in our lives: so that we may understand its power, and so we may minister to those still trapped in its power.
Once we have experienced the temptation, we lose the self-righteous wonder that anyone could ever stoop to such a thing; we know how tempting it can be! We know exactly why someone would do it...
This is the story of Jesus. Before Jesus was not a man, not subject to temptation, not subject to change. He was eternal, over time. And then He entered time, and became a man, and underwent all the things that trouble a man.
And when God becomes man, what else can happen but compassion and mercy and grace? This world has never known, nor will ever know again, the miracle that was the life of Jesus. He brought the love of God from the heavens to the earth, and made salvation available to all people so that all people might come to know the wonderful love of God.
This is Jesus' qualification: He's been there. He has faced sin. He knows what we're going through every day. And because of that, Jesus is singularly qualified to be the One and only Savior of us all, the true High Priest and Mediator, the Prince of peace, the King of kings. He does not look at our sin with disgust or revulsion or puzzlement--He looks at us in our sin with compassion.
Since Christ first loved us, it must be our goal to love others, to show the same compassion to them in their iniquities, to help them lay down the heavy burden of their sins at the feet of Jesus the Christ. We have to show the same compassion every day, so we are not judgmental or arrogant toward them--we are humble and loving and gracious with the vilest offenders, because we've done nothing to merit the grace we've received in His name. We are no better than they.
We hypocrites love to stand up and prove our righteousness, because it makes us look righteous. We penitent love to hide in our closets and pour our hearts out to God in prayer, and to shift the credit for our good works to God--because He prepares the good works for us, and has prepared us for them.
I am both a hypocrite and a penitent at various times--I am a man. I am not faithful, but I want to be; and God is faithful, and He heals my heart. Jesus knows my heart, and He knows my desire is for Him, and He has mercy on me, and asks His blessed Father for the same. And it is the same for every person on this earth--I am equally sinful as any other person; they are just as righteous as I am.
But God in my life has made the difference, and He wants to make a difference in their lives, too. I cannot hold my redemption over them, because God didn't give it to me because I was good--He just gave it because I asked. In all good things for me, the credit belongs to God.
Give praise to God for His unyielding love! Give thanks to Christ for His perfect compassion! Praise the Spirit of God for His work of transformation in our lives!
In all things, praise Him Who for our sins shed His blood...
Then, after the temptation has come, after we realize the full weight of the situtation, after we realize the true lure of the temptation, after we see for ourselves the promise of sin, then we begin to see that the people that fall into its snare are not as stupid as we once had thought.
If you went to Sunday school as a child, maybe you remember your wonder at the book of Judges, at the stories of the children of Israel wandering in the wilderness, at the stories of the apostles in their slack-jawed wonder at Jesus' resurrection. How could they have been so dumb? we asked ourselves.
Then the trials come in our own lives, and we find ourselves doubting God and forgetting about God and disbelieving the promises of God, just like God's people before us. Suddenly, the Israelites seem a lot smarter to us, and the temptation seems a lot more wicked.
Whether we fall to temptation or not, it changes us. I believe this is the true reason God allows us to face temptation in our lives: so that we may understand its power, and so we may minister to those still trapped in its power.
Once we have experienced the temptation, we lose the self-righteous wonder that anyone could ever stoop to such a thing; we know how tempting it can be! We know exactly why someone would do it...
This is the story of Jesus. Before Jesus was not a man, not subject to temptation, not subject to change. He was eternal, over time. And then He entered time, and became a man, and underwent all the things that trouble a man.
And when God becomes man, what else can happen but compassion and mercy and grace? This world has never known, nor will ever know again, the miracle that was the life of Jesus. He brought the love of God from the heavens to the earth, and made salvation available to all people so that all people might come to know the wonderful love of God.
This is Jesus' qualification: He's been there. He has faced sin. He knows what we're going through every day. And because of that, Jesus is singularly qualified to be the One and only Savior of us all, the true High Priest and Mediator, the Prince of peace, the King of kings. He does not look at our sin with disgust or revulsion or puzzlement--He looks at us in our sin with compassion.
Since Christ first loved us, it must be our goal to love others, to show the same compassion to them in their iniquities, to help them lay down the heavy burden of their sins at the feet of Jesus the Christ. We have to show the same compassion every day, so we are not judgmental or arrogant toward them--we are humble and loving and gracious with the vilest offenders, because we've done nothing to merit the grace we've received in His name. We are no better than they.
We hypocrites love to stand up and prove our righteousness, because it makes us look righteous. We penitent love to hide in our closets and pour our hearts out to God in prayer, and to shift the credit for our good works to God--because He prepares the good works for us, and has prepared us for them.
I am both a hypocrite and a penitent at various times--I am a man. I am not faithful, but I want to be; and God is faithful, and He heals my heart. Jesus knows my heart, and He knows my desire is for Him, and He has mercy on me, and asks His blessed Father for the same. And it is the same for every person on this earth--I am equally sinful as any other person; they are just as righteous as I am.
But God in my life has made the difference, and He wants to make a difference in their lives, too. I cannot hold my redemption over them, because God didn't give it to me because I was good--He just gave it because I asked. In all good things for me, the credit belongs to God.
Give praise to God for His unyielding love! Give thanks to Christ for His perfect compassion! Praise the Spirit of God for His work of transformation in our lives!
In all things, praise Him Who for our sins shed His blood...
posted by ionathas78 at 6:36 AM
2 Comments:
Hey bro,
Good words. It is powerful that god loves us even though we are at times the most pitiful excuses of mankind.
God loves us and HE will always will even when are not being good.
thanks :)
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