God Must Adjust!
What shall we say then? Are to continue in sin that grace might increase?
Romans 6:1
Paul asks these questions to an audience of believers. “Are we to continue in sin…?” speaking of the blood provision that was provided by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, that paid for the sins of the world. Jesus’s sacrifice of love that covers us, is explained as “grace” by Paul, who makes believers aware in his teaching and preaching that the blood of Jesus was pure enough and powerful enough to be the one and last sacrifice made to the Lord God that would present one righteous before God if they were to confess with their mouths and believe in their hearts.
Obviously, there were some that were sinning without conscious, abusing the love and sacrifice of Jesus. Some took the attitude that the death of Jesus had made it possible to sin with impunity. Paul steps in to refocus the group on the truth, and to press believers to be discipline, showing appreciation for their newly found freedom in Christ.
Today, we see a similar environment. We have those that have determined that they are able to live a life void of boundaries and discipline.
I asked one of the young adults a series of questions?
1. Do you have friends? Answer: Yes
2. Are all your friends the same? Answer: No
3. Are you alike all your friends? Answer: No
4. Have you ever stopped being friends with a friend? Answer: Yes
The answers given to these questions were alike my own. Her explanation to question 4 set the base of this blog. She explained that the friends she cut off where ones that had abused her kindness. They were people who knew her, and benefited from her started treating her kindness ungratefully and as a sign of weakness. She expressed further that she had always been a kind person, and thus, she set boundaries and rules to protect her feelings and to dictate to future friends how she desired to be treated and loved.
So, a question to you:
Why do we believe we have a right to set boundaries with people,
and refuse to accept that God can set boundaries with us?
It is interesting that we can define ourselves as good and kind all while maintaining enforcing boundaries. We all have our personal likes and dislikes. There are things that bother each of us, that are acceptable to other people. Having boundaries does not make us bad people, nor does it make us unfair or unreasonable. Having rules and boundaries does not mean that we are unjust, lack compassion or are somehow unmerciful. As “good people”/”kind people” we can all understand how good people can set and enforce rules.
Since we can accept this truth, we should be able to understand how our God can be fully just, loving, merciful and compassionate and have rules and boundaries that are dictated and enforced.
How can He do this?
How can God be so mean? How can God determine that one act is right and the other act is wrong? How can God label one act an abomination, and the other holy? How you ask? Because God is sovereign! As Americans, we understand sovereignty. We understand how you can be independent and make your own rules. God determines what he likes! He determines what is unacceptable! NOT YOU! NOT ME!
Just because we are not offended by an act, does not mean that God is not offended by it. We do not know the mind of God. Actually, we do know the mind of God. It’s been documented through His’ Prophets and Apostles. We know what God thinks! How foolish of us to think God’s Word must be validated by us. How unwise of us to feel that we can change and edit His Word because it doesn’t fit our lifestyle or our societal norms. People, God is sovereign. If you can stand by your standards and boundaries, can not God stand by his standards?
What makes us believe God takes our counsel? He hears our prayers. He replies to our petitions, but we must understand that there is a large difference between asking God to heal a sick loved one and asking God to change His mind on what he feels is sin.
God Must Adjust!
We can protest! We can even riot! And God will listen!!!! But scripture tells us that “…God is the same yesterday, today and forever.” Yep, God doesn’t change! It not that God can not alter His will, but God can not change who He is! He can change the actions and events, but the character of God is consistent! He simply doesn’t change. He could have offered Adam and Eve a second chance. He could have forgiven them on the spot. But He stood by His Word, and not only allowed them to experience death (and remember, He loved them), but He removed them from His presence.
How then can we understand this, and then make demands on God not to be Himself? God does not have to come into agreement with humanity, humanity has to come into agreement with divinity. Mankind must adjust. Mankind must change its ways. Mankind must change its mind. Mankind must live up to God’s standard, as opposed to God coming down to the standard of man.
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