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The Gospel Observer
"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations...teaching them to
observe all that I commanded you, and lo, I am with you always, even to
the end of the age" (Matt. 28:19,20).
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October 17, 2010
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Contents:
1) The Kindness and Severity of God (Tom Edwards)
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-1-
The Kindness and Severity of God
by Tom Edwards
It is important for us to see the totality of God as set forth in the
Scriptures, in order that we will come to know who He truly is and how
He deals with mankind -- instead of developing a concept of Him
that is based on merely personal feelings, assumptions, or
conjectures.
Unfortunately, not all strive for the Bible's complete view of God;
and, as a result, they come up with a very distorted image of the Lord,
in their own minds. C. S. Lewis, for example, once said something
to the effect that some people view God as a type of doting
grandfather in the sky who wants nothing more than to spoil his
grandchildren -- and would certainly never even think of
punishing them.
Should that also be our concept of God? Though that belief can
bring comfort and assurance, it is a false belief that, therefore,
leads to a false comfort and a false assurance -- like the
misleading declarations of the false prophets of old whom the Lord says
through Jeremiah, "They have healed the brokenness of My people
superficially, saying, 'Peace, peace,' but there is no peace" (Jer.
6:14). For their message was only humanly devised and contrary to
the truth.
So when people today hold to their belief of a God of "love only
and no wrath," can they not be likened to the idolaters of long ago who
had a wide variety of their own gods to worship, which were also
conceived in merely the minds of men?
Though the love-side of God is an important quality of the Lord, it is
not all He is. For we could also add that God is just and
righteous in all His ways; and, which because of, He cannot unjustly
overlook sin, rendering no punishment for it. For to do so would
make the Lord unjust and, thus, a transgressor against His own
nature. He would then be corrupt and imperfect -- rather than the
sinless perfection He has always been.
It is because of this incomplete view of God that many people think of
the Lord as one who would never condemn a person to hell for all
eternity. For to them, a loving God could never do that -- for it
would be wrong if He did.
Others, who do see a wrath side of God in the Old Testament, view Him
as being a different God than the God of the New Testament who is seen
more as a God of love. But He is the same God, and One who never
changes. In writing about Jesus, the Hebrew writer declares that
"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, yes and forever"
(13:8).
Perhaps many today have forgotten (or never read) of what
happened to Ananias and Sapphira when they lied to the apostles.
Acts 5 records this event. It was because of this sin that this
husband and, soon afterwards, his wife fell down and breathed their
last, after Peter charged them, at separate times, with guilt.
And though we don't find this type of divine wrath being outpoured
every time someone lies during the New Testament period, yet this
account indicates that God's disposition toward this sin has not
changed. Actually, any sin is always a serious matter, regardless
of what dispensation it was committed in; and the Lord's abhorrence
toward that sin would always be the same.
The world, however, has a way of desensitizing people toward sin, and
even to the point that we should have no concern whatsoever about
it. For to many today, there is no such thing as sin.
Rather, it is only a label some people use to describe specific
thoughts and actions that they have taken upon themselves to declare as
sinful.
But sin is not merely a violation of moral and ethical standards
conceived by human minds; rather, sin is a violation of God's laws that
have been handed down to humanity (1 Jn. 3:4), to instill within us
godly principles that will lead to "love from a pure heart, and a good
conscience and a sincere faith" (1 Tim. 1:5). It can also be said
that if the Lord placed no laws on man, then man could have never
become a transgressor. For "...sin is not imputed when there is
no law" (Rom. 5:13). But since every accountable person has
sinned (Rom. 3:23), we can infer that God has always had laws for
mankind -- going all the way back to the first man Adam. For
contrary to the thinking of many today, man does not become a sinner by
being "born into sin"; rather, sin is something that a person commits,
as 1 John 3:4 shows. It is "the transgression of the law."
For those who think that God would never punish the wrongdoer because
of sin, have they forgotten the many verses in the New Testament that
speak of hell? It is spoken of as being a place for the lost; a
place that is "fiery" (Matt. 5:22); a place of "unquenchable fire,
where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched" (Mark
9:43,44); and a "furnace of fire" where "there shall be weeping and
gnashing of teeth" (Matt. 13:42).
The very thought of hell should serve as a deterrent toward living a
life of sin, and be one of the reasons (though perhaps least) for why
we should want to become a Christian and serve God instead. Would
this not be why Jesus wants us to be aware of it? Notice what He
states in Luke 12:4,5: "And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid
of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can
do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear the One who after He
has killed has authority to cast into hell; yes, I tell you, fear Him!"
So the realization of hell is to help us better consider our ways and
determine the course that we should be taking in life. Hell also
causes us to realize the severity of God.
In writing to the Romans, Paul urges the brethren to "Behold then the
kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you,
God's kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also
will be cut off" (Rom. 11:22).
In the previous verses, Paul was addressing the Gentiles and warning
them not to become arrogant for having been a "wild olive" branch
that was grafted into the olive tree -- while natural branches (the
Jews) had been broken off (because of their unbelief. But they
could be grafted in again through faith in Jesus Christ).
One reason why the grafted in "wild olive" branches should not boast is
because, as Paul tells them in verse 18, "...it is not you who supports
the root, but the root supports you."
This reminds us of our need to be abiding in the Lord in order to bear
fruit, as Jesus instructs in John 15. Our dependence on that is
also seen in verse 5: "...for apart from Me you can do nothing."
Realizing our need for the Savior should keep us humble. As He
shows in this verse, without Him, we "can do nothing."
So rather than be conceited, these Gentiles were told to "fear; for if
God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either"
(Rom. 11:21). "Behold then the... severity of God..." (v.
22).
This also implies that salvation can be lost. For otherwise, why
is there a need to fear about not being spared?
It can also be pointed out that since these "natural branches" that
were broken off are representing the unbelieving Jews, then just being
a Jew did not provide them with eternal security. Their
relationship with God -- as well as ours today and of any time -- has
always been a conditional thing. So just because God refers to
the Jews as having been His "chosen...to be a people for His own
possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth"
(Deut. 7:6), we are also aware of the fact that many of these were
destroyed in the wilderness, due to their disobedience (cf. 1 Cor.
10:1-12).
Today, it is the Christians who are referred to as being God's
chosen people. In writing to Christians, Peter declares, "But you
are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for
God's own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him
who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light" (1 Pet.
2:9).
But notice, too, the warning Peter gives to these who are the "chosen"
of God: "For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world
by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again
entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for
them than the first. For it would be better for them not to
have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away
from the holy commandment handed on to them. It has
happened to them according to the true proverb, 'A dog returns to its
own vomit,' and, 'A sow, after washing, returns to wallowing in the
mire'" (2 Pet. 2:20-22).
We can observe from this that Peter is referring to God's people.
For they are the only ones who "have escaped the defilements of the
world by the knowledge of the Lord." But look what happens to
these Peter speaks of: "they are again entangled...and are
overcome." This also again indicates that Peter is speaking about
Christians, for only they can become "again entangled," after having
departed from that -- which the proverb of the dog and sow also
illustrates. But consider now what Peter says about the condition
that these who go back into sin are now in. He says, "the last
state has become worse than the first." In the first state, they
were lost in sin; but now they have gone into something even worse than
that. So, obviously, the Bible does not teach "Once saved
always saved" or "Once in grace always in grace." For if it did,
it could not be worse for the Christian to sin than before he became a
Christian and was lost in sin. So the Christian who goes
back into sin (and doesn't repent of it) will not only be lost,
but he will be in a worse state; and perhaps it is considered worse
because the Christian should have known better. For it was by the
knowledge of the Lord that he had previously been set free from sin;
and he had come to know the goodness of the Lord, but now he has turned
his back on God by returning to a life of sin.
In thinking of the severity of God toward the Christian who forsakes
the Lord, listen to what the Hebrew writer declares in Hebrews
10:26-31: "For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the
knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for
sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and THE FURY
OF A FIRE WHICH WILL CONSUME THE ADVERSARIES. Anyone
who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony
of two or three witnesses. How much severer punishment do you
think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and
has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was
sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we
know Him who said, 'VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY.' And again, 'THE
LORD WILL JUDGE HIS PEOPLE.' It is a terrifying thing to fall
into the hands of the living God."
So that is the severity of God; and since the Lord cannot act corruptly
by overlooking sin, He must, therefore, carry out the proper judgment
and punishment.
But God is a God who doesn't want any to perish; so even before the
world began, He had a plan of salvation that would involve grace
and mercy -- a sacrifice would be made to atone for the sins of mankind
-- so that the Lord could justly grant pardon. And consider, too,
that the Lord knew before He even made man that man would sin and
require this sacrifice -- the death of God's Son Jesus -- but the Lord
went ahead with making man anyway. So, in that, we see that man
is very special to God; and the Lord truly does want all to come to
repentance and not perish (2 Pet. 3:9).
The Bible refers to God's giving of His Son as an act of "love" (John
3:16). And that particular Greek word is expressing the greatest
kind of love that there is. It's a love that loves in spite of, a
love that loves when that love goes unrequited, a love that is
sacrificial, a love that is seen in one who would even give his own
life for his friend.
God's love for us should truly motivate us to want to accept His ways
and live for Him; and in so doing, it also fashions us into being the
way we should be for each other. John writes, "In this is love,
not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the
propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also
ought to love one another" (1 Jn. 4:11).
Notice what Paul speaks of as motivating people to repentance in Romans
2:4. He says, "Or do you think lightly of the riches of His
kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of
God leads you to repentance?" What led them to repentance?
God's "kindness."
Consider also Titus 3:4,5: "But when the kindness of God our Savior and
His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds
which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the
washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit."
By His love and kindness, God wants all to be saved and, thus, has
provided a way that any can be. But since He has given to each of
us a free will, we must make that decision on our own.
Thinking about His love and kindness should help us in making that
choice. But if we reject the Lord, we are then also rejecting
everything that makes God who He is. In 2 Thessalonians 2:10, for
instance, Paul speaks of those who "...did not receive the love of the
truth so as to be saved." Doesn't it seem so unreasonable
-- and terribly foolish -- for a person to reject God's love?
Yet, many people today are doing just that.
So there is a kindness and severity of God that we need to be
mindful of, and may it motivate each of us into making the right
choices in our lives that the Lord would want us to make -- and that we
will not only become Christians, but also, as children of God,
"continue in His kindness," as we have seen the need for in His
word.
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The Steps That Lead to Eternal Salvation
1) Hear the gospel,
for that is how faith comes (Rom. 10:17; John 20:30,31).
2) Believe in the
deity of Christ (John 8:24; John 3:18).
3) Repent of sins
(Luke 13:5; Acts 17:30).
4) Confess faith in Christ
(Rom. 10:9,10; Acts 8:36-38).
5) Be baptized in water
for the remission of sins (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 22:16; Rom. 6:3,4;
Gal. 3:26,27; 1 Pet. 3:21).
6) Continue in the faith;
for,
if
not,
salvation
can
be
lost
(Heb.
10:36-39;
Rev.
2:10;
2
Pet.
2:20-22).
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CHURCH OF CHRIST
201 Rushing Road (at the Hampton Inn), Denham Springs, Louisiana
70726
Sunday services: 9:15 AM (Bible class); 10 AM & 4 PM (worship)
evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (225) 667-4520
tedwards@onemain.com
tedwards1109@gmail.com
http://home.onemain.com/~tedwards/go (Gospel Observer website)
http://home.onemain.com/~tedwards/audioser.html (audio sermons)
Directions:
Take the Denham Springs exit (exit 10) off of I-12. At the end of
the exit ramp, turn north. Go about a stone's throw to Rushing
Road. (You'll see a Starbucks, Circle K, and two other gas
stations; with each on each corner.) Turn left on Rushing Road,
and go a little less than 0.3 of a mile. Hampton Inn will be on
the
right. We assemble in its "Meeting Room," which is very close to
the reception counter. Just walk pass the check-in counter; turn
right at the hall. The first and second doors on the left lead to
where we meet.