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Though I don’t think the phrase is popular anymore, many of us grew up with the little phrase, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” That phrase has fallen out of favor, and in some ways rightly so, because people have learned that, of course, words can be damaging.

 

But we should not lose all use of the sticks and stones rhyme, because it also has something in it that we need to remember. Whether children or adults, we will face those who say nasty things about us. That is sadly a part of life in this fallen world. And we have to make a decision as to how we will respond. The big point of “sticks and stones” is to help a little one learn that every insult does not have to be responded to, that every nasty little taunt does not deserve tears.

 

I wonder how well we in the Christian community realize that we are destined for harshness in the world. Consider what Jesus said to his disciples about the kinds of things people would say about them.

 

Matthew 10:24-25 24 “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25 It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household.”

 

As Jesus prepared to send his disciples out on their first mission trip, he warned them that they would face opposition. If people said of Jesus that he did his works by the power of the devil, how much more would the people call Jesus’ disciples devils? He warned them to prepare for nasty words and even threats of physical persecution as they carried the life-transforming message of Jesus through Israel.

 

It is funny, then, that we modern, American Christians often get so upset when the world around us speaks evil of the church. Why is it that we freak out when Christians are portrayed in a false fashion on a movie screen as Hollywood almost always does? Why do we get so upset when people call us out-of-touch or on the wrong side of history? Why do we find ourselves surprised?

 

If you do not know, let me be clear: Genuine Christianity will not be a popular thing to a lost community. We are never going to be the cool people. We are never going to be the people that the world respects. While the world will benefit from the presence of Christians, people who care for the hurting, build hospitals, and dig clean wells, the world will not remain our friends the moment we present a genuine gospel message. Why? The world hated Jesus. The people succeeded in having Jesus put to death once he allowed it. No matter how much healing Jesus had done, no matter how many storms he calmed, no matter how many crowds he fed, no matter how much the crowds cheered when Jesus rode into Jerusalem, it did not take a week for the city to scream, “Crucify him!” And we, dear Christian friends, must grasp that the gospel message is and always will be offensive to those who have not come to Jesus in faith.

 

We should, of course, oppose it when false things are said about the faith or about Christians in general. We should be kind and loving to our communities. We should continue to share the gospel. But, we should not be silly enough to believe that we will ever be the hip place to be in our community. The only way that we will draw crowds to ourselves and be what the world wants around is if we compromise the exclusive message that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone who is our Lord alone. We cannot compromise the exclusivity or the lordship of Christ without ceasing being the church. So, let us be honest. Let us be bold. Let us trust God. And let us have a thick skin, because the world will not say nice things about the church when the world genuinely sees who Jesus is and what he demands. 

Many times I have heard questions that begin with the phrase, “How can God…” Typically those questions are accusatory. How could God allow bad things to happen to good people? How could God make only one way to heaven? How could God command this or that?

 

With the growth of questions like those we see a massive change in human attitudes. In so many ways, people of our generation believe that we have the ability and the right to sit in judgment over God, his principles, and his commands. We think that we have the intellect to examine how the universe is governed and point out flaws and inconsistencies.

 

Years ago, however, people understood something different. People did not ask things like, “How could a loving God send anyone to hell?” Instead, years ago, they asked questions that marveled at the fact that God might be gracious to anyone at all.

 

Psalm 8:3-4

 

3 When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,

the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,

4 what is man that you are mindful of him,

and the son of man that you care for him?

 

In Psalm 8, we see a glorious question being asked. As the psalmist considers the majesty of God, the vastness of space, the beauty of the heavens, and wonders of creation, he is stunned. He recognizes, as we see in Psalm 16:1, that the creation displays for us to see the power and glory of God. Clearly, a God who can create such a universe with the sun, moon, and stars is amazing. Clearly a God who can create our planet with the mountains and the oceans and the deserts and the forests and the rivers and the canyons and the rest must be holy, above and beyond us.

 

As the psalmist considers the obvious greatness and supremacy of God, the right question comes to his mind. With God being so great, who are we? Why would God give us a second thought? Why Would God care? How could God possibly be kind to rebels like us?

 

The psalmist had the right question. The right question is not, “How could God not save everybody?” The right question is, “How could God save anybody?” We should never marvel that anybody is lost. We should be absolutely dumbstruck that God would ever save any one of us. We are rebels. We deserve judgment. That God would consider saving us is beyond our imagining. That God would save us by his grace through faith is astounding. That God would save us by sending his own Son to be the sacrificial substitute who paid our penalty in our place, that is mind-blowing.

 

As you and I consider the questions that our hearts bring up, let us take thought. As we consider the questions that the world asks around us, let us be careful. Let us be sure that we are asking the right question. We do not have the ability or the right to sit in judgment over God or his ways. We should instead look at creation, see the majesty of God, and ask God the simple question, “How could you consider me?” Let this lead us to wonder and worship.

What thing could God tell you to give up that would be too much? What command could the Lord give you that, were he to do so, you would walk away? Where do you think, as a creature, that you have the right to tell your Creator “no?”

 

There seems to be a line in the thinking of most people where, if we do not check it, we will say to God that he has pushed us too far. There seems to be a place in our hearts that, if we are not careful, we will simply tell the Lord that we are unwilling to obey him. Often we will couch our defiance in the guise of inability rather than unwillingness, but the result is the same. We know what God wants, we know what is right, and we simply refuse.

 

Imagine the turmoil that must have racked Abraham when God chose to test his loyalty. God called Abraham to offer his son up as a human sacrifice. Those of us who read the Scriptures know that God did not ask Abraham to follow through with this impossibly hard call—he never intended to—but Abraham did not know it at the time.

 

Genesis 22:1-3 – 1 After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here am I.” 2 He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” 3 So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.

 

What do we see from Abraham. God places an unbearable command on Abraham’s shoulders. What does Abraham do? All we see is that Abraham got up early the next day, gathered supplies, and started out on his journey to obey.

 

Think of what could have happened. Abraham could have argued. He could have accused God of wrong. He could have simply said, ‘I can’t do it.” But we see none of that at all.

 

Now, consider how often we simply tell God that he has asked too much. Perhaps—and this is an off-the-cuff example—there is a person living lonely, and they decide to enter into a marriage forbidden by Scripture. Is that not a case of a person telling God, “I know that you have a standard you are calling me to, and I simply have decided that your command is too hard; I will not obey.” Or, go in an opposite direction and consider a Christian in a difficult marriage, but one that does not meet the biblical standards for divorce. When that person says to God that they just have to get out no matter what he has commanded, is that not them making a statement about how much of their lives God is allowed to have? Or, what about the man who is battling lust? He knows that clicking that site on his computer will dishonor God, but at the time, he has decided that God’s authority just cannot stretch to cover his urges.

 

Even consider what is being said to us now about those who deal with the hardships of same-sex attraction or gender identity issues. Do we not see many people saying that, regardless of the commands of God, no person can be expected to live a celibate life. That is the command too far. That is the area over which we cannot allow God to have authority. That would be too much.

 

Hear me, I have no desire to be cruel or harsh to any person struggling with any of the sins that I just used as examples. But, I would say that we must recognize that those are the kinds of areas in which we can see a person evaluate their lives and declare that they simply will not obey—God has asked too much. And while we deeply sympathize with these struggles, understanding the pain and the difficulty of what is happening, we cannot pretend that to disobey the commands of God is OK.

 

Now, Christians, put on your mental brakes. For many of us, there may be a lot of amens ringing in our brains. If you are not battling one of the examples above, you are probably thinking that that stuff really needs to be said—and it does. But, what about you and me? The things I mentioned above feel like big issues. They feel like things that are really big deals. How, then, do we look back at our own lives and our own failures in areas that are not nearly so big, not nearly so hard, not nearly so painful, but which are still places where we deny the lordship of Christ?

 

We know that God commands us to love one another and to avoid gossip. How often, in our lives, is that the line we just are unwilling to stay behind? We know that God commands Christians not to forsake the assembling of the saints (simply put, don’t skip regular Sunday worship). How often have we decided that this command is only one we obey if it is not a hardship? We know that God has commanded husbands to love their wives as Christ loves the church. How often do we decide that we will do so only if it fits our desires at the time? We know that God has called us to speak with kindness and respect in many relationships, but if our buttons get pushed, watch out.

 

Friends, my point here is not to overload us with guilt. But, I want us to grasp that, every time we disobey the commands of God, whether big or little ones in our opinion, we are telling God that he has asked too much. But God has not asked too much. He is our Lord. He is our Creator. He has saved our souls if we are followers of Christ. He is worthy of our obedience.

 

And, the Lord has given us what we need to enable us to live lives that please him. None of us have to sin. That is not me promoting perfectionism. It is me saying that God has made it so that we do not have to fail. Every temptation has a proper response that would keep us from dishonoring the Lord.

 

2 Peter 1:3 – His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence.

 

1 Corinthians 10:13 – No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

 

When Abraham was in his tent the night after God gave him the call to sacrifice Isaac, I’m sure he hurt deeply. The command had to feel impossible. But, Abraham showed us that obedience, even to the impossible, is actually something that, by God’s grace, we can do. If you have Christ, you can obey. If you are human, you owe God such obedience.

 

These thoughts should do two things to us. First, they should humble us and call us to obedience. We dare not say that there is any command God does not have the right to give us. We must be willing to obey the Lord. We must let this call us to confession, humility, and genuine repentance.

 

And, please, let this turn your heart to Jesus and the cross. We are all failures here. None of us have obeyed God as we should. Only Jesus has actually followed God to the edge of impossible and beyond. Jesus lived out the perfection we could not. Jesus died to pay for our rebellion. Let us see, in this convicting thought for today, that Jesus is so worthy of our praise and gratitude. Let us worship Jesus, and obey all his commands, because he is the one who gave his life to rescue us.

How do you expect people to react when you call them not to do that which is unrighteous? Do you believe that, if you offer them a reasonable explanation, most people will respect your view? Do you think that, if you compromise with them a little bit, giving into a few of their fancies, they will respect the little bit of ground that you offer them and be happy to call you their friend?

 

If you know much about human nature, you will learn that people get very upset whenever you declare their behavior to be wrong. Regardless of how much the world cries out for tolerance, they mean the tolerance that comes from you approving of their actions, perhaps even applauding their actions. If you will not go along with them into the very things they do or at least show that you are willing and even eager to provide them with opportunities to violate the laws of God, they will see you as an enemy. And, if you think you will gain friends by offering them a little compromise, a little approval of what you know is wrong, you are sadly mistaken. Our nature is not to receive a token gesture of tolerance as anything other than weakness, and it makes people press their advantage until all is lost.

 

Such patterns of evil and compromise have been present in humanity for a long time. In fact, we see it is the horrible image of the city of Sodom in Genesis 19. There, Lot, nephew of Abraham, found himself in an aggressively evil culture. Lot must have gotten along with the people for a while. But, one day, things got really bad, so bad Lot couldn’t go along with his culture.

 

The men of Sodom saw that Lot had house guests. The city came to Lot’s house and demanded that Lot turn those men over to them so that they could violate them. Lot, on the positive side, would not go along with this request. On the evil side, Lot wanted to give the people  a compromise so that they would be satisfied. In one of the most unthinkable moments in human history, Lot offered the men of Sodom his daughters—this is evil and inexcusable.

 

Listen, however, to the response of the men of Sodom, as this is something that I think is telling.

 

Genesis 19:9 But they said, “Stand back!” And they said, “This fellow came to sojourn, and he has become the judge! Now we will deal worse with you than with them.” Then they pressed hard against the man Lot, and drew near to break the door down.

 

So, when Lot disapproved of the men’s evil, and when he even offered them a compromise—all be it an evil one—the men of Sodom did not say, “Hey, thanks Lot. Now we see that you are willing to tolerate us even if you disapprove of our actions.” Instead, the men of Sodom looked at Lot’s disapproval, even with his evil offer of compromise, and they were willing to attack Lot for not going with them 100%.

 

Followers of God, we must understand that the world we live in is not our home. We will not ever be a delight to the world around us. No matter how much good we do and no matter how much kindness we show, the moment the standards of God we want to uphold rub up against the world’s desire to sin, they will turn on us in hatred.

 

And, if you think for a moment that you can win the favor of the world by making a few compromises along the way, accepting some of the sin that the world loves while trying to hold your ground on other areas, you are wrong. First, accepting and approving sin dishonors God. Second, however, the world will not see your compromise as something that makes your faith inviting. The world will simply wait until you go against them at some point, and they will hate you as much as if you had stood your ground from the beginning. All you will have done is managed to dishonor God in the process.

 

I’m not calling us to be harsh or aggressive. However, I would suggest that this passage reminds us that, when we live in a fallen world, that world will oppose us no matter how nice we try to be. Compromise with them will not buy us favor. Hear these words of the Lord Jesus and realize how true they are today.

 

John 15:18-21 – 18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. 21 But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me.

The Bible teaches that we are products of the fall of man, guilty of the sin of Adam as well as our own. But for many, this concept is hard to grasp. How can it be that we are sinners before we sin? How can it be that no human being is innocent?

 

Romans 5:19 – For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.

 

Something about Adam’s action changed our very natures as human beings. All of us who are born sons or daughters of Adam carry the stain of his sin as guilt. Thus, without the rescuing work of Jesus, all of us would be destined for total destruction.

 

I was recently reading the children’s book Big Truths for Young Hearts by Bruce Ware in the chapter “How Sin Spread to All People,” and I came across the following illustration to help us to grasp the concept of being sinners, even before we have actually chosen sin. I think it helps. (Sorry, my copy was audio, and I do not have a page number .)

 

***

If you still wonder how we can be sinners before we have sinned, consider this illustration. Would you say that a tree bears apples because it already is an apple tree, or does the tree become an apple tree when it produces its first apple? Well, it is pretty clear. I hope we all would agree that the reason the tree bears apples is because it already has been and is an apple tree. In fact, an apple tree (or orange tree or pear tree) can grow as a small tree for many years before it ever produces its first piece of fruit. In those early years it is still an apple tree (or orange tree or pear tree) even though it isn’t old enough to bear any fruit. And when it does bear fruit, then we would just say that the tree is producing fruit according to its nature. That is, it produces apples because it is, by nature, an apple tree. 

 

 

When we realize that we need to be rescued, not only because of our actions, but because of our very natures, we see something of the depth of the grace of God. We are not naturally good people who have made a few blunders. Because of Adam’s infecting sin, we are rotten to the core and are transformed by a grace that is total. May this cause us to give God even greater praise for our salvation.

God said to us in Genesis 1 that he created humanity in his own image. That concept is broad, and has led to much speculation about all it entails. There are things about humanity which image or depict the attributes of God, displaying his glory for all to see. But what parts those are are a bit mysterious and sometimes debated.

 

There is one way in which the image of God is on humanity that may not be as commonly recognized among modern thinkers, but which is helpful in understanding the value of life and what it means to destroy life. It has to do with the image of God as a mark of his authority.

 

For us who live in the west, we do not often think about the image of a ruler as a sign of his authority. But let your mind go back to the days of empires such as Rome or Grease. It was common in those days for a conquering ruler to have a statue of himself erected in a land. Those who saw that statue knew whose land it was and under whose laws they were expected to live.

 

If you have ever read Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring or seen the movie, you may recall a scene in which the fellowship, traveling by boat down the great river, passes by the statues of ancient kings. Statues such as those on the river were there to let travelers know that they had entered the realm of Gondor. Once you passed those statues, you were subject to the laws of the kings of the land, the kings whose images the statues were.

 

A more modern depiction might be posters or statues of powerful leaders. Sadly, it seems we have only seen this used by dictators such as the late Fidel Castro of Cuba or Saddam Hussein of Iraq, or living dictators like Kim Jong-Un of North Korea. Either way, those who saw posters of those men’s faces or walked past their statues knew under whose government they were walking.

 

Consider what it would mean to deface one of those statues. Consider what it would mean to rip down one of their posters. Consider what was being said in Iraq when American soldiers pulled down a statue of Saddam. Or, if you remember Tolkien’s The Two Towers, consider what it meant when two of the travelers found that the enemy forces had pulled the head off of one of the statues of the ancient kings and scrawled evil things on it.

 

When we topple a statue or when we tear down a poster, we are trying to say that we cast-off the authority of the one that poster images. When we graffiti an image of a ruler, we express our disrespect and utter rejection of that ruler’s right to rule. It is a powerful, emotional, passionate statement that says that the ruler is not our ruler.

 

Now, back to a biblical mindset. Humanity is created in the image of God. People demonstrate by our very existence, that we live in the domain of our Creator, the King of kings. Like a statue is an image or like a poster is an image, humanity is a collection of living images which are to display that the Lord reigns.

 

What then would be the evil of destroying such an image? See what God said to Noah in Genesis 9. 

 

Genesis 9:5-6 – 5 And for your lifeblood I will require a reckoning: from every beast I will require it and from man. From his fellow man I will require a reckoning for the life of man.

6 “Whoever sheds the blood of man,

by man shall his blood be shed,

for God made man in his own image.

 

After the flood, God gave Noah a very clear pronouncement that the death penalty would apply for one who murders another human. What was God’s rationale given for such a punishment? God said that this is the way things will be because people are created in God’s image.

 

To attack another human, then, is an attack on the very image of God. To kill a human is to attack God himself, not because we are little deities or any sort of pantheistic notion, but because we are created in his image. Just as to topple a statue of a ruler is to attack the ruler, to hurt another human is to attack the Lord in whose image the person is made. (Note that this is a discussion of criminal violence and murder, it is not an argument on the ethics of just war theory.)

 

Christians, how should this all impact our worldview? Part of being human is to be a representation of the authority of the Lord. That is true for you, and it is true for every other human on the face of the earth, whether those people agree with the claims of Christ or not. The fact that humans are created in the image of God, and the fact that taking a life is a statement about the authority of God himself, must impact how we value human life. Every human is made in God’s image: the healthy, the sick, the young, the old, the unborn, the rich, the poor, the strong, the weak, those of all ethnicities, those of all backgrounds, those struggling with all sins. We must have, in our mindsets and actions, a respect for every human life as a way to respect the Lord whose image every human life bears.

 

Should this impact our ethics on issues like abortion? Of course. But it should also make us treasure and show mercy and kindness to the young, pregnant girl who is frightened for her very future. Should this make us oppose the international embrace of euthanasia? Of course. But it should also make us be the first to volunteer to help with hospice care to help the dying have the dignity and comfort that someone bearing God’s image should be given. It should make us value a young black man in a dangerous neighborhood and the police officers who are supposed to protect those neighborhoods, including that young man.

 

We should be a genuinely pro-life people because we are a pro-God and pro-God’s-image people. Being pro-life means we most certainly protect and value all human life from conception to natural death. And, being pro-life includes loving our neighbors, caring for the hurting, and sharing the gospel of Christ so that all people made in God’s image might actually live out the glory of God in their lives as the Lord commands.

Often we will turn to the Book of Genesis to help the curious to see God’s design for marriage. In the Garden of Eden, God created one man, united him with one woman, and formed from them the first family of humanity. This, of course, is the framework for the understanding of marriage that has been broadly accepted throughout all human history. God made marriage as one man, one woman, for life.

 

Any look at society today clearly indicates that we have been tinkering with marriage. This might lead us to ask, when did someone first tinker with marriage? Even more, we might ask if such a person was the kind of person God approved.

 

One need not look far in Scripture to see the first perversion of God’s beautiful plan for the human family. In fact, this warping of God’s design appears in the fourth chapter of Scripture, not long at all after the fall of man and Cain’s murdering of his brother.

 

Genesis 4:19  – And Lamech took two wives. The name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah.

 

In Genesis 4, we meet a descendant of Cain named Lamech. This man, in Scripture, is the first to take more than one wife simultaneously. This is the first time in the biblical record that someone tampers with marriage.

 

Now, this chapter of Genesis is given to us to record the history of Cain’s line, and it does not comment very sharply on the actions of its people. However, even here, Moses, the author of Genesis hints to us about what is happening by showing us the character of the man.

 

Was Lamech a godly man? Was he the exception to the evil rebellion against God embodied in the murderous Cain? Was Lamech the kind of guy who wanted to do things God’s way?

 

Just hear a little song Lamech composed telling his story, and you will see that Lamech is not the kind of person after whom we wish to model our lives.

 

Genesis 4:23-24 – 23 Lamech said to his wives:

“Adah and Zillah, hear my voice;

you wives of Lamech, listen to what I say:

I have killed a man for wounding me,

a young man for striking me.

24 If Cain’s revenge is sevenfold,

then Lamech’s is seventy-sevenfold.”

 

So, Lamech sings about his violence and murderous revenge. He sings of killing someone for a wound received. This is not in keeping with the way of the Lord. This is not in keeping with God’s value of life. This is not a godly man. This is not a good man. His arrogant boastfulness over his violence shows us that he is not someone after whom we are to model our lives.

 

Then, remember that it is this violent, arrogant, boastful, aggressive, ungodly man who is the first human to tinker with God’s plan for marriage and the family. Of course I am not trying to say that all who are out to redefine marriage are violent and nasty folks like Lamech—of course they are not. What I am saying, however, is that attempting to redefine marriage from that which God gave us in the beginning is following the pattern of those who oppose God, not those who follow him.

 

Is this the strongest argument for keeping marriage as one man, one woman, for life? Of course it is not. The strongest argument is Genesis 2 along with the words of Jesus in places like Matthew 19. But, it is significant, in developing a biblical theology of marriage, that when we see people changing the boundaries of biblical marriage, it is done by those in opposition to God or by those in obvious sin against the Lord.

The Final Jeopardy Answer is: Hospitals, tax codes, wars, abortion clinics, human traffickers, riots, abusers, cancer, malnutrition, bullying, sorrow, child neglect, heart disease, hospice care, coffins, diabetes,  graves, grief, funeral homes, divorce, rape, addiction, arrogance, apathy, betrayal, adultery, armies, fear, depression, guilt, hatred, failure, sin, pain, and death. 

 

The correct question: What are things that will no longer be with us in the new heavens and new earth?

 

The Bible has told us from Genesis 3 that we live in a world that is fallen, corrupted, mangled by human rebellion against God. While things are not as bad as they could be, all people everywhere have an innate understanding that things are not all that they should be.

 

What do we do with the discouragement that comes as we look at our messed up world. Perhaps it will do us good to remember just one promise of God.

Revelation 22:1-2 – 1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

 

As the apostle John came to the final vision he was given by the Lord Jesus, he saw a holy city situated in a new heavens and new earth. He saw a river of life flowing from the throne of God, a tree of life on the banks of that river, and the leaves of that tree used to purpose. What here is figurative and what is literal? Don’t ask that today. Instead, look at what God wants you to see: healing.

 

At the end, when all is said and done, when the Savior reigns with his people, there is healing. No more are the things that hurt us and ruin us present. No more is there any harm to fear. No more do we muddle through the hardships of life only wishing things could be made a little bit better. In the end, at the very end, and for all of eternity, there is healing.

 

God has promised that all who are under his grace are destined to be made whole. God will heal the universe. He will make all things new. Heaven and earth will be together, fresh, clean, pure, painless, sinless, glorious. God will be with us, right in our midst in a way that we can see. Life will continue. We will worship. We will be creative. We will work and laugh and play and sing and adventure and imagine and love and rest and grow and learn and travel and have all the best of joy. As C. S. Lewis put it, we will go “further up and further in,” always finding that the place to which we have arrived is larger on the inside than on the outside and never-ending with the glory and majesty of our God.

 

I cannot say what all things being made new will look like. I cannot imagine what food in heaven will taste like. I cannot guess what work and play will be like. But, I know this, God will heal. The leaves of the tree of life, however it works, will be for our healing. All pain will be gone. All wrong will be made right. All hurt will be healed. All the rottenness of this world will be replaced with freshness.

 

May we shape our lives in hope of the healing of the universe. May we value the eternity ahead of us more than the broken here and now. May we invite all people to join us in this future by coming to Jesus in faith and repentance to find his grace and mercy. .May we see that God will not let us down. May we realize that every hurt we face in this life is a reminder of the healing to come in the next. May we long for that day to come and say with the saints of all generations, “Come Lord Jesus!”

Whenever Christians talk about law, especially the law of God, what is our tone? Are we grateful for law? Do we look at an Old Testament book like Leviticus and offer God praise for his kindness in giving the law? Not often is this the case.

 

 

Psalm 147:19-20

 

19 He declares his word to Jacob,

his statutes and rules to Israel.

20 He has not dealt thus with any other nation;

they do not know his rules.

Praise the Lord!

 

At the end of Psalm 147, we see that the psalmist offers praise to God for the kindness of revealing his law to the people of Israel. He sees the writing of the books like Leviticus and Deuteronomy as great mercy and grace. How can this be when we see such things so often as a burden?

 

Just consider the horror that would be ours if God did not choose to reveal to us his standards. Can you imagine how hard life would be if you did not know what God wanted, what pleased him, or what would earn his wrath? Can you imagine how horrible it would be to know that you need to be forgiven by God, but not knowing where to go to gain that forgiveness? Life would be a series of us making up our best rules and hoping against hope that maybe we might hit upon something that God would accept. It would be utter chaos and we would all face wrath.

 

It is a great kindness of God to reveal his law. The law shows us several things. For example, the law of God tells us what is wrong. While we may get tired of restrictions, it is still better for us to know that God is against something than for us to assume that something is OK because we are drawn to it. As with a warning label on poison, we may not want to be told what not to do, but obedience keeps us alive.

 

Also, the law of God shows people how to be forgiven. In the Old Testament, the sacrificial system was in place so that people who had sinned against God could come to him and perform religious actions that expressed their faith and repentance. Leviticus tells us time and time again that, when such sacrifices were made by sinners, they would be forgiven. So, the law is the only way out of the mess that we are in.

 

But, most importantly, the law of God points us to the gospel. The law shows us that, no matter how good we think we are, we do not live up to God’s perfection. The law exists because we are naturally law-breakers. It shows us our failings and helps us to see our need. But, it also shows us that God has a plan, a way in mind to bring justice and forgiveness. The law points us to Jesus.

 

Jesus perfectly fulfilled the law’s requirement of righteousness. Jesus died, making himself the perfectly lawful sacrificial substitute for the sins of those God would forgive. Jesus rose from the grave, proving that his offering for sin was perfectly acceptable and that all the law’s requirements are fulfilled for all who come to him in faith.

 

We should love the law of God because it shows us his ways, shows us our need, and shows us Jesus. It was good and kind of God to reveal his law. May we be grateful. May we read his word. May we be glad to know the mind of the Lord. May we obey the word of God as we rest in the finished work of Jesus for salvation.

Sometimes we hear a truth proclaimed so often that we forget how amazing and glorious it is. I wonder if that is the case with the concept of God saving a people by grace through the vehicle of faith alone. Do we forget how amazing it is that God would save us, not based on doing good things, but on belief?

 

Consider the story of Abram—later Abraham. Abram had been selected by God to carry the blessing of God. In Genesis 12, God promised Abram that it would be through Abram’s family line that the entire world would be blessed (Genesis 12:3). Of course, if you read the remainder of chapter 12, you see that Abram immediately doubted the goodness of God so much that he allowed Pharaoh to think that Sarai was his sister instead of his wife, and she was taken into Pharaoh’s house. Thus, we can see that Abram was not a good enough guy to have earned any favor from God. His failure in chapter 12 amounts to a level of spousal abuse that many of us could not imagine.

 

But then comes chapter 15 of Genesis. After things are back to normal for Abram and his wife, God promises Abram that he will have offspring, an entire nation of offspring. There are hints that it will be through Abram’s family line that God will keep his promise to send the ultimate Savior of humanity.

 

Genesis 15:5-6 – 5 And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” 6 And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.

 

God took Abram outside one evening, and told Abram to count the stars if he could. Then God told Abram that he would have an uncountable number of offspring from his family line.

 

Now, here is the amazing thing. Feel the strangeness. Abram believed God. That should not amaze you. God is able to do anything. But what is amazing is this: God counted that belief as righteousness.

 

Slow down and consider. Abram was a guilty sinner. He did not deserve goodness from God. He was guilty of at least one thing we would consider vile. Yet, when Abram believed God, simply trusted that God’s promise was true, God treated Abram as if he had been a righteous man. Although Abram was not righteous in himself, God counted his faith as righteousness, and treated him according to the righteousness that God had credited to Abram’s account.

 

Such a crediting of righteousness is amazing, and it is at the core of Christianity. We are not righteous. We have never been righteous. We could never live out righteousness, at least not in a way that would match the standards of God. But God has chosen to credit righteousness to the account of all who will genuinely believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Stop, today, and allow yourself to be amazed at the concept of God crediting righteousness to your account if you have come to Jesus in faith. God looks at you, a sinner who has earned his wrath, and sees all the sin in your record. Were our lives handled in accounting terms, we have nothing but negative numbers in our ledger. God, however, looks at those he has drawn to faith in Jesus Christ. And he counts it as if our accounts are all positive numbers, the perfect righteousness of Jesus. He does this, not because we have ever lived out any positives, but because of his grace through faith in Christ. He sees faith and counts it as righteousness.

 

Of course, we need to recognize that none of us come to faith without the saving work of God done in our dead hearts; thus God gets all the glory for being the cause of our salvation. And, we recognize that, once we have saving faith and life in Christ, our lives will change and our lives will begin to be marked by obedience to Christ and his commands. But, the truth must be seen, we should be amazed; God receives faith as if it were lives of righteousness lived out. This is the only way that sinners like us could ever be saved. And it should give us great joy and hope.