Some Things Are Black and White

How can one preach about justification without talking about grace, judgment without talking about atonement, or sin without talking about the love our Father in heaven has for all of mankind? That is an egregious form of malignancy within ourselves that we use to apply human principals to those of the divine. By providing insight into the workings of God based entirely on our current belief of the way the world is suppose to work for us, is our inadvertent need to reinvent God. I am not sinless in this, I am the worst of the worst, I spend everyday thinking about how I can rationalize circumventing my need to obey God with my humanly need to serve myself and my family. Today, I am filled with all kinds of depravity.

“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us… If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar and His word has no place in our lives.” – 1John 1:8, 10

I battle everyday with the notion of grace. Could I as a father deal with the worst of the worst if it were my son committing despicable acts? If my son were to molest a child, would I still love him? Would I give everything I have for the hope that someday he would come back to me and say, “I’m lost, please help me”? And if that call was made would I answer? I would like to think so. I pray everyday that I will never know. But, I do know of one who has the capacity to love so much, to show everlasting grace and mercy upon his children. Our father in heaven has more love and grace for us than we could ever comprehend. Our humanity is finite, His Holiness is infinite. To think any more of ourselves or less of Him is to put the nose before the face.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” – John 3:16

“Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” – John 1:29

How could a father love someone so completely that he would sacrifice so much? Could I sit by while my son is tortured and murdered? I doubt it. As a saint in Christ I would break several commandments to save my son from the hands of a murderer. I would most certainly ask for forgiveness for my need for justice, revenge, and malice upon anyone who would hurt my child. He did not. The scripture is clear, without contradiction, inspired by God, and written with the hands of men. He forgives us, he forgives us all. No purchase required. He gave us a coupon in His love and no one can take it away, not ever.

“He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.” – 1John 2:2

“Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!” – Romans 5:9-10.

We all sin and we all fall short of the glory of God, so why do we feel compelled to point out the indiscretions of others without talking about the grace given to us. Our biggest enemy is ourselves, we are self serving, contemptuous people, lucky to be loved, but lacking love for others, at least those that we judge unworthy.

“The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased grace increased all the more…” – Romans 5:20

How can we see ourselves as better than the lost? Is it not true that we were once lost? To talk to someone about sin without explaining grace is not sound doctrine. They are as entwined as night and day. You can not have one without the other. To separate the two is to separate God from his children. Isn’t that what devil is trying to do?