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A Jealous God

Posted in God's Faithfulness, God's Love, tagged Commandment #2, Exodus 20:4-5, Exodus 34:14, God, God's Jealousy, God's Love, Ten Commandments on May 27, 2013| 8 Comments »

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Remember Commandment #2?

“You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God am a jealous God” (Exodus 20:4-5a, emphasis added).

God reaffirmed this trait of his several chapters later: “Do not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God” (34:14, again, emphasis added).

Doesn’t that seem…odd? Jealousy seems such a petty, immature emotion. By contrast, God is holy and perfect, so how can he be jealous?

First, we can’t compare God’s jealousy to that of people. Human jealousy often grows out of discontent and selfish desires. It can cause reactions of bitterness, unkindness, and anger.

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

By contrast, God’s jealousy is “holiness reacting to evil in a way that is morally right and glorious” (J.I. Packer, Knowing God, p. 169). His jealousy grows out of a desire to preserve his relationship with his people. After all, he made us. Every human being belongs to him, whether he/she acknowledges that fact or not.

God’s jealousy is an aspect of his love that motivates him to action. He knows that loyalty to himself and his ways is what’s best for us. So he provided the way for mankind to experience full, abundant life with him. Through his Son, Jesus, he bought us with his own blood.

The Death of Jesus (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

And what does that full, abundant life include?

Close companionship with the King of the universe. His love, joy, peace, strength, and more overflowing in a continuous supply.

And then, when our time on earth is complete, a perfect life with him in a perfect place—forever.

Therefore, God cannot bear that we would choose other gods—people, activities, or things that seize all our attention. He’s been known to take strong action when his children disregard him.

Think of the Israelites taken captive by the Babylonians.

Think of Jonah in the belly of the great fish.

Jonah (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

And then consider the situation from God’s point of view. “If God has to choose between your eternal safety and your earthly comfort, which do you hope he chooses” (Max Lucado, Grace for the Moment, p. 226)?

God’s jealousy is simply a case of eagerness to protect what belongs to him, what is precious to him—you.

Thank you, Heavenly Father, for being a jealous God, for being passionate about your children. How I want to be zealous in return, seeking to please you, to reflect your glorious moral attributes into a hurting world. Keep me mindful of my desire so that I can make moment-by-moment choices for what is good, right, and loving. Help me to be strong for you.

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A Person on Whom Nothing Is Lost

Posted in Faith, God, God's Goodness, God's Love, God's Power, God's Wisdom, Holiness, Uncategorized, tagged Ephesians 3:19, Faith, God, God's Goodness, God's Power, Henry James, Living Aware on April 15, 2013| 4 Comments »

Henry James, by John Singer Sargent (died 1925). See source website for additional information. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

“A writer should strive to be a person on whom nothing is lost.” – Henry James.

Some of you may recognize that name from literature class. Does Portrait of a Lady or The Turn of the Screw sound familiar?

Henry James became known for well-developed characters and for stories with an undercurrent of commentary on politics, the social classes, feminism, and morality.

With many works to his credit, his advice for writers–to “live aware”–is advice worth taking.

So we writers become observers–of people, situations, and creation.

We try to see more – the swirling rainbow on a bubble; the slight arch of the eyebrow indicating doubt.

We try to hear more – the squirrel’s staccato tapping as he scampers up a tree; the brief pause of uncertainty.

We try to smell more – the promise of harvest in the freshly turned soil of spring; the aroma of love in a Thanksgiving feast.

We try to taste more – the flavor of winter in a snowflake; the delectable sweetness of moments spent with family or old friends.

We try to feel more – the downy softness of silk on a milkweed seed; the comforting warmth of traditions.

As a result, we’re better equipped to convey meaning to our readers—with clarity and specificity, we hope.

And it occurred to me, Christians should also strive to be persons on whom nothing is lost.

We Christians need to live aware, so as not to miss what God reveals.

We must try to see more – in His Word, His people, and creation.

We must try to hear more – of his still, small voice.

We must try to smell more – in the fragrance of His presence.

We must try to taste more of God’s goodness in our everyday circumstances.

We must try to feel more of the wonder.

And what will be the result?

Out of the glorious riches of all these things, “we may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:19). God wants to fill us with His attributes:

His love—everlasting, mindful of our needs, caring.

His wisdom—truthful, trustworthy, impartial.

His holiness—pure, separate from all else, beautiful.

His righteousness—promise-keeping, miracle-working, faithful.

His power—creative, sovereign, protective.

Think of it. The King of the universe wants us to fully enjoy all that He is, all that He has to offer.

Oh, how I want to be a person on which nothing of the King is lost.

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The Glory of the Cross

Posted in God's Faithfulness, God's Grace, God's Love, God's Power, God's Salvation, Jesus, Salvation, tagged 1 Corinthians 1:7, Calvary, Christ, Ephesians 1:18-23, Ephesians 1:7, God, Grace, Romans 3:23-26, Romans 5:8, Salvation on March 28, 2013| 7 Comments »

Crucifixion IV (Photo credit: Remara Photography)

Seems like a cruel oxymoron, doesn’t it—to put the words glory and cross together. Glory carries positive connotations of splendor, radiance, and goodness. The cross is a symbol of horrific pain and suffering.

But the cross is also “an exhibition of the nature of God” (Oswald Chambers). You see, God’s glory is the fullness of who God is, his nature, and includes all his attributes and characters traits. Many of those attributes were at work when God provided the way of salvation for us. The glory of the cross includes:

1. Love

“God demonstrated his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

Such love is incomprehensible. How could he possibly desire to be in relationship with us? How could he delight in us, frail and self-centered as we are? It makes no sense.

Yet, he sent his Son, Jesus, to take the punishment we deserved and to offer us eternal life. When we invite Jesus into our lives, God takes us from the gutter of depravity and elevates us to the status of beloved children. We are adopted into the family of God (Ephesians 1:5). Incredible!

2. Grace

“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace” (Ephesians 1:7).

What is grace? All the facets of God’s love—his forgiveness, benevolence, presence, peace, provision, and more—made available to us, who don’t deserve it. Grace prompted God to provide a way for us to experience his love—through the sacrifice of his only Son.

Did you notice? God is the one who provided the way to him; we do not have to figure it out for ourselves, and then hope for the best. By God’s grace, he has made salvation (rescue from death) a sure thing. We can know our place in heaven is secure!

God’s grace, put on display at Calvary, sets Christianity apart from any other belief system in the world.

3. Power

“I pray that…you may know…his incomparably great power for us who believe…, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead” (Ephesians 1:18-21).

No one can raise someone from the dead except God. When Jesus was resurrected, he demonstrated his power over death, and proved the validity of eternal life, not only for himself, but for all those who believe in him.

But Jesus’ resurrection was not the end of his mission. Read the next couple of verses (22-23) to discover that, after Jesus rose from the dead and ascended back to heaven, God seated His Son at his right hand (the seat of honor). Now Jesus’ power and authority is above all other rule and authority in the universe.

And someday, Jesus will share that power with us. Those of us who have accepted Jesus into our lives will reign with him in heaven (2 Timothy 2:12). My heart is filled with wonder and awe at such a privilege.

4. Faithfulness

“God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord is faithful” (1 Corinthians 1:7).

Faithful to forgive. Faithful to see us through the journey of this life. Faithful to win the battle over evil in the end. Faithful to keep his promise of eternal life, because of the sacrifice of his Son on the cross.

Our faithful God made salvation so simple for us, but it cost him so much.

5. Justice

“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus…He did this to demonstrate his justice” (Romans 3:23-26).

We all deserve punishment, and our guilty consciences confirm that truth. But God made it possible for us to be forgiven and ushered into relationship with him. He declared us “not guilty” because Jesus paid the penalty..

I love the way Eugene Peterson explains it in his paraphrase, The Message: “Out of sheer generosity he put us in right standing with himself. A pure gift. He got us out of the mess we’re in and restored us to where he always wanted us to be. And he did it by means of Jesus Christ” (Romans 3:23-24).

A pure, precious gift; paid for at Calvary. The glory of the cross.

For you. For me.

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