Opus 2026-002: Chosen People Syndrome

I think that ancient Israel was impressed with themselves because they were the chosen people.  God had said that He picked them.  That much is clear.  He also said he didn’t choose them because of their sterling qualities, but they were chosen.

I think they fell into the trap of thinking just because God chose them, their theological professors had declared them enternally secure, and that God was so rigid and immutable that once he declared them chosen, nothing could unchoose them.

What a tragic place to be.

How did that work out for you Israel?  When the Chaldeans were descending upon Jerusalem, were they still sitting there sticking in their thumbs and pulling out a plum and saying what a chosen boy am I?  Judging from what scripture tells us many of them didn’t even stop drinking and partying until the enemy was actually breaking down the gates.  At that point, it was a little bit late to repent.

I sometimes think that our modern theologians fall into the same trap.  They seem to think that God is bound by the system that they have put together.  They think that God has to follow their charts and graphs.  They think they have the final word from God and since God by their definition is immutable, they’ve got the winning hand.  Do they feel like they have five aces in a poker game?  Unfortunately God seems to be playing a different game and five aces in a poker game can get you shot.

I don’t think it will work out any better for us than it did for Israel.  God’s patience amazes me, waiting for Israel to respond, hoping for repentance, reaching out time and time again, and being rejected.  It should be very revealing when God says that He doesn’t care about the sacrifices.  He’s more concerned with obedience.

If God is immutable, then remember those people that say if He doesn’t punish America, He’s going to have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah.  I think you could take that statement and substitute the church.  You might be getting closer to where we are today.

Think of your position as more being the waitress in the restaurant rather than the customer.  How many times has a customer ordered the wrong thing and when he realizes the mistake, changes his order, and gets what he really wants.  The waitress doesn’t have much choice in the matter.  God is the customer.  The customer is always right, even when he decides he wants his fish grill instead of fried.

Are you chosen?  So was Judas and look how that worked out for him.

homo unius libri

Opus 2026-001: Three D Vision

There are three realities, at least, that are totally beyond my control, and yet are waiting to transform my life.  Actually, I think they have already transformed my life, but they still remain beyond my control or ability to influence.

The first, of course would be grace.  I define grace as God’s love in action.  It is not something that we can control in any way shape or form.  It is the act of God.  That is the glory of,

(Eph 2:8 KJV)  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Grace is the beginning of our hope.  It is believing that God is willing to extend His omnipotent power toward our salvation and eternal destiny.  I cannot pressure Him.  I cannot force Him.  He extends it, purely by His choice.

The second reality goes by a different names, but let’s just say the blood.  You can reference the substitutional atonement.  I’m sure there are many other names for it.  The point is that our salvation, even allowing for grace, is based upon the fact that Jesus died on the cross as the perfect Lamb of God making the perfect sacrifice to wipe out the blot of sin on our lives.  Because of the character of God and the fact that He is a just God, He can’t just wave His celestial wand and say, “It’s good.  Go in peace.”  Sin requires death.  We can’t pay that debt by our death.  Therefore God sent His son to pay the price.  Again, there are many ways of defining it and explaining it, but the reality is still there.

The third reality that totally transforms even that assurance is the resurrection of Jesus.  I’m talking here about a physical resurrection, not just some kind of spiritual fantasy.  Jesus rose from the dead.  He conquered death.  That conquest is a promise to us that we have any internal hope.  Paul explains how vital this is,

(1Co 15:17 KJV)  And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.

People in different theological persuasions may interpret these a bit differently, I think they would put them together in a different way, they might even insist on adding some other elements.  Good for them as long as they accept these three is being essential.

As far as I’m concerned, the first two have already been applied to my life and I live in expectation of the third.

What a way to enter a new year.

homo unius libri