Its rather difficult to say anything during times like these without offending someone. Im going to throw in my two cents but not about the recent tragedies in America. I will speak to the root of all of these events. The root of racism, the root of suppression, and the root of social injustice is based on the simple idea that we have taken on the role of God. We have said that God doesnt know whats right, he made a mistake in the formation of certain races, certain people and its our responsibility to get rid of those. We have said that God doesnt know whats good for us, he doesnt work fast enough, and we say things like well if God was here now, he would do the same thing while in fact, God would do the exact opposite. Because of Gods ultimate reign, and his ultimate sovereignty, knew that we would be in this exact position. He sent His Son to come and live the perfect life so that He would save us. While Jesus was on earth, He ate with the least of these. He ate with the sinners, the tax collectors, the unclean, the broken, the weary, the outcast, and those with diseases. The diversity that is included in this group of people is so much that almost no one is excluded. The only people that arent included are those who thought they were clean, who thought that they were better than everyone, those who thought that they had nailed all of the mosaic law, and those who thought that Jesus shouldnt be eating with the lowliest. These people who thought this way failed to acknowledge their own sin, their own weariness, and believed that by taking things into their own hands, they would 1) save themselves and 2) fulfill Gods purpose. That is the same thing that is going on right now. Instead of turning to God, we are taking matters into our own hands. If we as Christians join along in this idea, then Jesus died for nothing. If we believe that we can do this then we have forgotten the idea of love and Gods ultimate love for us. We have made this all about us and we have become self-centered. John Piper says this in an article “But let us not tell Jesus what love is. Let us not instruct him how he should love us and make us central. Let us learn from Jesus what love is and what our true well-being is. Love is doing whatever you need to do even to the point of dying on the cross to help people see and savor the glory of God forever and ever. Love keeps God central. Because the soul was made for God.” We need to return back to this idea. God isn’t about making us happy. He’s about making His name and glory known. “He does everything He does to preserve and display that glory, for in this His soul rejoices”(Piper in Desiring God). When we take that from Him, the beautiful order of the world is messed up. We try to take His position, His crown, His authority, His power, His reign, and His sovereignty; we end up belittling His magnificent work and say “no I got this”. No one would say this out right but it’s the posture of our hearts. We want to make everything about me, which completely goes against what is said in Isaiah. “Remember this and stand firm, recall it to mind, you transgressors, remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’ (Isaiah 46:8-10 ESV). All of scriptures point to this truth, I can’t, Jesus died, God Can, which simply means that I can’t pick myself up, I can’t clean myself up, so God sent His Son to die on the cross for my sins which means God is the only one who can change me. Our response to this should be to pray, seek The Lord God Almighty and His presence, let His word change your heart, and realize that we are not God, we will never be God, and go to the one who is Love, Peace, Joy, Happiness, and creator of everything. Lets make this our prayer.. Gracious Lord, Thy name is love, in love receive my prayer. My sins are more than the wide sea’s sand, but where sin abounds, there is grace more abundant. Look to the cross of thy beloved Son, and view the preciousness of his atoning blood; Listen to his never-failing intercession, and whisper to my heart, ‘Thy sins are forgiven, be of good cheer, lie down in peace.’ Grace cataracts from heaven and flows for ever, and mercy never wearies in bestowing benefits. Grant me more and more to prize the privilege of prayer, to come to thee as a sin-soiled sinner, to find pardon in thee, to converse with thee; to know thee in prayer as the path in which my feet tread, the latch upon the door of my lips, the light that shines through my eyes, the music of my ears, the marrow of my understanding, the strength of my will, the power of my affection, the sweetness of my memory. May the matter of my prayer be always wise, humble, submissive, obedient, scriptural, Christ-like. Give me unwavering faith that supplications are never in vain, that if I seem not to obtain my petitions I shall have larger, richer answers, surpassing all that I ask or think. Unsought, thou hast given me the greatest gift, the person of thy Son, and in him thou wilt give me all I need. “The marker of those who understand the gospel of Jesus Christ is that, when they stumble and fall, when they screw up, they run to God and not from him, because they clearly understand that their acceptance before God is not predicated upon their behavior but on the righteous life of Jesus Christ and his sacrificial death.” ― Matt Chandler, The Explicit Gospel
Posted on: Thu, 11 Sep 2014 15:35:21 +0000
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