Living between grace and truth
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ChatGPTThe king will mourn, the prince will be clothed with despair, and the hands of the people of the land will tremble. I will deal with them according to their conduct, and by their own standards I will judge them. 'Then they will know that I am the LORD.' " —Ezekiel 7:27 NIV
Some pastors and evangelists I've known through the years have enjoyed saying things like, "If God doesn't judge San Francisco (or Las Vegas or New York City), then he is going to have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah."
Thank God, God is kinder and more patient than we are.
The Apostle Peter knew something about the patience and kindness of God, didn't he?
He was quick to judgment on a number of occasions, and then he fell as flat and as hard as a person can. He experienced God's patience and kindness firsthand.
Here's what he wrote many years later:
"The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." —2 Peter 3:9 NIV
God doesn't want anyone to perish. God wants everyone to come to repentance.
And yet our current political season includes a bunch of people saying a lot of stupid things that do not reflect the heart of God at all.
Some recent political ads sound a lot like old black-and-white Cowboy-and-Indian movies from years ago, the kind of movies where someone utters the phrase "the only good Injun's a dead Injun."
It would not be a far leap for some of these politicos to say "the only good Muslim is a dead Muslim."
I have it on good authority that Jesus loves Muslims (and Hindus and Buddhists and Daoists and the followers of all other religions you can think of).
He wants Muslims to see him as more than a Great Prophet. He wants them to know him as all true Christians do, as the risen Savior.
Jesus never said, "Kill 'em all." Instead, he said, "Love 'em all." (See Matthew 22:37-40.)
The verse above from Ezekiel 7 should scare the snot out of us. God says
and by their own standards I will judge them.
'Then they will know that I am the LORD.' "
What if God judged us by our own standards?
What if God judged us by the standards of these very angry political candidates?
Judgmentalism is not a godly disposition.
The opposite extreme is also true. The kind of religion that says sin is not serious is just as foolish. John 1:14 is helpful to us here:
"The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."
John 1:14 NIV
Jesus came "full of grace and truth." Grace to save sinners from every kind of sin, truth by God's standards that do not change from age to age, but are consistent, direct, kind, and compassionate.
Human standards shift from age to age, century to century, decade by decade. God's truth stands the test of time. Whereas people are capricious and unstable, God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. We can depend on him.
Psalm 136, among others, says over and over again, "His love endures forever." The Psalms also note that his anger lasts only a moment. Check out Psalm 30:5:
"For his anger lasts only a moment,
but his favor lasts a lifetime;
weeping may stay for the night,
but rejoicing comes in the morning." —Psalm 30:5 NIV
Political seasons tend to bring out the worst in people. Knowing the heart and mind, the will and ways of Jesus brings out the best in us.
More Jesus, please.
Maybe we can coin a new phrase. The only good Christian is a Christ-like Christian.
Let's be good Christians.
Prayer: Our Father, please forgive my judgmental heart and mind. Deliver me from judgmentalism. Deliver me also from that lack of clarity about any kind of judgment that thinks anything goes and that you wink at sin and wave it off. Empower me to live right there in the broad beauty of grace and truth. Empower me to live and love like Jesus. Amen.
 | David Bowman, (DMin, PCC) is the Executive Director of Tarrant Baptist Association in Fort Worth, Texas. He also serves as a Multiplying Trainer for Future Church Co. Learn More » |
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