God - Jeremiah's Vow

The Reformed Wesleyan, Part 1

Enjoying the Journey

Last year (2010) I was invited by a friend to attend a minister’s meeting in another town. It was an interesting assortment of folks. This group was made up of pastors in our local area. I was the only participant from the Wesleyan tradition. All the others were senior pastors of their churches and I the sole youth pastor. Did I mention that they were all Baptists? The name on the front of a church has never really mattered to me, but it is amazing how these distinctions can create boundaries between people.

I felt (and still do feel) a strong affinity to those guys because I grew up the eldest son of a Baptist minister. He was also a military chaplain which imprinted in my mind an informal concept of church structure that has always remained. I may talk about this in later posts, but for me the hierarchical nature of the military appealed to me as I was growing up. This led to me feeling very comfortable and “at home” within the Methodist church when God opened that door in the fall of 2006. While the structure of the Methodist church appeals to me, its principles and theological history has also been instructive over the last few years. (Which is why I bring it up and why I see myself as a Methodist.) John Wesley was an amazing individual. I will definitely be writing about him and what he had and has to teach the Church of today.

I think, that to a large extent, we all are the products of our experiences. We should not be governed by them because some of them may not have been healthy, but they do inform what we believe. The hard part of this is that there are events, circumstances and experiences that color our perspective and our perception that may need to be amended. By this I am thinking of both positive and negative experiences. What we should do is to take the time to consider and evaluate the impact these experiences have on our choices and beliefs. Being raised Baptist there are certain “Baptist” traits that I carry with me, i.e., preaching a certain way, primacy of the Bible for faith development, generally more conservative, etc. But, with each new experience new opportunities for growth happen. This is the case for me as I have moved out of the Baptist tradition into the Methodist/Wesleyan tradition.

This change has brought some interesting and needed changes to what I believe. I have realized that I was not as accepting as I once thought. I jokingly told a friend that, “I used to be judgmental.” That is just a silly thing to say, but I was trying to describe how my capacity to receive people as they are before I decided how to feel about them has changed. Another area is in the practical application of Gospel convictions. While I am not saying that Methodists get it right and others don’t, I have found a “structural and organic” approach to living out what one believes in the Methodist church. This is part of the DNA of the church, even if not lived out perfectly everywhere and at all times. One critique that I have is that there is a lot of emotion, but not enough affection in this work, but that is another subject for another day.

The Worst Methodist Ever!

This brings me back to the conversation that I had with my group of brothers. We were talking about something and one of them looks me straight in the face and says, “You are the worst Methodist ever!” Now, how do I take that? I said, “Thank you.” Every opportunity that you have to break through someone else’s perception of you is a good opportunity. I am thoroughly Wesleyan. I, however, do not take that as a whole-sale endorsement of everything that may be considered “Wesleyan” and yet may not fit what I have come to understand in the Bible. There are overarching principles and assumptions that the Wesleyan tradition has made and makes that, for me, accurately represent what I find in the Bible and in my faith journey.

Does that make them right, perfect or prescriptive for others? No. It does however provide me with a framework to work within so that as I engage the world, others and God I am not just randomly putting together belief’s and doctrines to suit me. These principles and assumptions do point in a particular direction. They do lead somewhere. It is one way of arranging the facts of the Scriptures. While for some there is a definite order for all the facts, that assumes too much (as far as I’m concerned) about my ability to discern and know what was going through God’s mind when He did what He did (I think that’s a third subject for another day).

If this makes me “the worst Methodist ever,” I am really not sure. As I strive to live my life in light of God’s word and in his presence I have come to the conclusion and conviction that God’s word must be the standard for anything and everything that I do in my life. The main reason we as Christian’s talk about the canon of scripture is because the word “canon” speaks of a measurement or standard that had to be met in order for a book of the bible to “make it.” Why should we hold each other to any less a standard.

I am a follower of Christ first. I have chosen to make my home within the Methodist/Wesleyan tradition because I believe that it helps me to organize my thoughts and beliefs in a consistent way. I have not thought everything through, but I am working on it.

So in good Methodist tradition: Join the Journey!

Next Time:
Where did the idea of The Reformed Wesleyan come from?

Chrysalis Journey #15 | Just when you thought you knew…

Just when you thought you knew what God was up to He demonstrates that you have no idea whatsoever. One of the most amazing things about this weekend was that God is not in a hurry. We might be, but not God. God is able to work out His plan on His time without any help on our part. On the first night with this group I began to “size up” several of the participants. In general there are two types of people that end up at these kinds of retreats: Those who think they need it and those who think they don’t. The first will find the weekend to be refreshing and memorable. These are the ones that are hungry for something more than than the stale bread of religion. They will be fed by the living bread of Jesus. These who are thirsty for the living waters to spring forth and will be satisfied beyond measure. I am continually surprised at how God is able to do this over and over again.

The second group, however, can sometimes fail to see the point in everything that happens. These are the ones that one wonders about. These are the ones that one looks to God and says, “God, I don’t know how you are going to get through, but I hope that you do.” The weekend is drawing to a close and you find yourself just standing in awe of how God subtly and softly moves in, on and through people. And then all of a sudden, the wave of God’s power crests and the dam of stubbornness is broken. In the end this is what it is. “I don’t need this,” or “I know what’s missing. And this isn’t it,” attitudes are just ripped right out and you begin to feel God’s presence for the first time.

You see I was among the second group. I was a “professional Christian.” How was this weekend going to be any different than all the others? What was I going to find that I didn’t already know about God? You see, that’s the problem. This weekend wasn’t about getting to know or learn something else about God. No, it was about knowing God as He is. We all who are a part of this journey of faith must battle the attitude of Job within us. It is not enough to have heard of God. For when we see God for the first time, that moment will imprint itself within your mind, heart and body. You will yearn for it. You will seek it, for you will understand that only in the presence of your maker is life to be found.

The beauty of God’s hand stripping away every conception that is not in line with His character, purpose or plan is freedom. That is what Paul said to the Galatians, “For freedom Christ has set you free” (5:1). God sets us free so that we can enjoy the freedom that He provides! For it is only then that we are able to truly enjoy God.

Just when you thought you knew… God shows up!

Romans Series (Pt. 21) – Romans 5:6-8

Our Great Weakness (5:6)
After giving us a brief lesson about perspective we move into a short discussion about the condition of the lost soul. He describes humanity as being weak and ungodly. These are not very flattering references, but we have to see ourselves as God does in order to understand why we need Him. The hardest part of salvation is coming to terms with why we need to be saved. Until this becomes a reality for us we never come to the moment where we truly understand the depth of our need for God.

Separated from God we are weak. Weak here is talking about our ability to climb up to God. We do not have what it takes to get to God. King David asks in Psalm 15 who is able to live on the mountain of God? David responds that only the one who is blameless and righteous can. Even David understood the inability of any man to meet the standards set by God. Paul reminds us that there is no one who is righteous. What are we to do with these two realities? We have to do what Paul does and accept the remedy that God provides. Any other solution to the problem is to miss what God has offered in sending Jesus. At the heart of what Paul is saying is the reason why God Himself had to come down.

It is interesting what Paul says in verse six. He says that “at the right time Jesus died.” The simplest explanation is that God is in control. I think that this is the best way of understanding this. There may be others, but this basic understanding continues to show us that God has us on His mind. He is thinking about us. God knows that we are unable to rise and so He comes down in Jesus Christ.

While We Were Yet Sinners (5:7-8)
Paul then moves to a statement that contrasts the difference between the way that God and men evaluate who will be helped. Craig Keener in the IVP Background Commentary makes this statement with regard to Paul’s reference to a “good person.”

“Well-educated Greco-Roman readers were aware of the Greek tradition in which “the good man” was extremely rare. Greeks considered laying down one’s life for someone else heroic, but such sacrifice was not common; among Jewish people it was not particularly praised” [Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary : New Testament (Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1993), Romans 5:6-9.]

Marvin Vincent in his Word Studies in the New Testament helps us to understand the nuance of what Paul is saying about these two kinds of men. Paul wants to make it perfectly clear that the criteria that men use to decide whom the will help or praise, is not the reason that Jesus came to save.

Righteous — good (δικαίου — ἀγαθοῦ). The distinction is: δίκαιος [dikaios] is simply right or just; doing all that law or justice requires; ἀγαθός [agathos] is benevolent, kind, generous. The righteous man does what he ought, and gives to every one his due. The good man “does as much as ever he can, and proves his moral quality by promoting the well-being of him with whom he has to do.” Ἀγαθός [agathos] always includes a corresponding beneficent relation of the subject of it to another subject; an establishment of a communion and exchange of life; while δίκαιος only expresses a relation to the purely objective δίκη right. Bengel says: “δίκαιος [dikaios], indefinitely, implies an innocent man; ὁ ἀγαθός [agathos] one perfect in all that piety demands; excellent, honorable, princely, blessed; for example, the father of his country.”

Therefore, according to Paul, though one would hardly die for the merely upright or strictly just man who commands respect, he might possibly die for the noble, beneficent man, who calls out affection. The article is omitted with righteous, and supplied with good — the good man, pointing to such a case as a rare and special exception. [Marvin Richardson Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2002), Romans 5:7.]

There are two features here that have to be noticed. The first is another expression of salvation through grace. “While we were still sinners” tells us that we are unable to make right the broken relationship with God. The second feature to notice in the text is that of love. John in his first letter helps us understand something about the nature of love in relation to our sin.

God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent His One and Only Son into the world so that we might live through Him. Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation [hilasmos] for our sins. [1 John 4:9-10, HCSB]

This is probably the best biblical definition that we have about the nature of love in general, and of the love of God specifically. Love is given before it can be reciprocated, or given back. Love is seen through its initiation not in its response. The one who acts first is showing love.

John tells us of a particular aspect of this love when he uses the word propitiation. The propitiatory nature of Christ’s love reveals to us that because of Christ the wrath of God is deflected away from us and is absorbed by the Son of God. If ever there was a word to understand and believe it is this one. Lawrence Richard unpacks this word for us.

Propitiation: love’s atoning sacrifice (4:10). Divine love by its nature is unselfish. It is even more: It is self–sacrificing. John proves this by pointing to Christ’s sacrifice as a hilasmos. This word in Gk. thought described an act which in some way averted the destructive powers of the gods and, ideally, won their favor. It is used in the Septuagint to translate kippur, the word for “atonement.” In the O.T. the concept emphasizes the covering of sins by the offering of the life of a substitute in place of the life of the sinner. Jesus’ death for us averted the punishment our sins deserve and enables God to shower blessings on us. [Lawrence O. Richards, The Bible Readers Companion, electronic ed. (Wheaton: Victor Books, 1991; Published in electronic form by Logos Research Systems, 1996), 895. (Emphasis added)]

J. I. Packer also provides some helpful insights to what propitiation does for us.

The cross of Christ has many facets of meaning. As our sacrifice for sins, it was propitiation (Romans 3:25; 1 John 2:2, 4:10; cf. Hebrews 2:17); that is, a means of quenching God’s personal penal wrath against us by blotting out our sins from his sight. (“Expiation” in the RSV rendering of these texts signifies only “a means of blotting out sins,” which is an inadequate translation.) As our propitiation, it was reconciliation, the making of peace for us with our offended, estranged, angry Creator (Romans 5:9–11). We are not wise to play down God’s hostility against us sinners; what we should do is magnify our Savior’s achievement for us in displacing wrath by peace. [J. I. Packer, Growing in Christ, (Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway Books, 1996, c1994), 53.]

We have to keep in mind that while propitiation is “a means of quenching God’s personal penal wrath against us by blotting out our sins from his sight,” this act of appeasing God’s wrath can not be done by any work that we perform.We, as long as we are in sin, are unable to satisfy God.

We should also keep in mind that God does not interact with the world according to His hatred of sin. If that were the case then judgment would have immediately followed the fall. What we see is that God does love His creation in spite of its rebellion. It is because He loved the world that He sent His Son to redeem it (John 3:16). In light of this we have to see that the nature of propitiation in this context is to satisfy the requirement for holiness that God has set, and that sin has made impossible. Due to the inability of humanity to overcome sin God must rightly and judiciously bring His wrath to bear on sin.

His wrath against sin cannot be placated by good works. Only the infliction of the penalty of sin, death, will satisfy the just demands of His holy law which the human race violated, maintain His government, and provide the proper basis for His bestowal of mercy, namely, divine justice satisfied. This is the hilasmos (íλασμος), that sacrifice which fully satisfies the demands of the broken law. It was our Lord’s death on Calvary’s Cross. [Kenneth S. Wuest, Wuest’s Word Studies from the Greek New Testament : For the English Reader (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997, c1984), 1 John 4:10, emphasis added]

It was our Lord’s death on Calvary’s Cross that made salvation not only possible, but sure. God’s wrath against the repentant sinner has been fully extinguished upon Jesus.

Romans Series (Pt. 20) – Romans 5:1-5

Peace With God (5:1)
Paul begins chapter 5 with a word about the effect that all of chapter 4 implies to us now that we have become children of God. It is important to see the connections that Paul is making from chapter to chapter.

What Paul is describing here is not that we have peace because of God’s presence in our lives. Paul is actually describing the relationship that existed between us, the sinner, and God, the righteous. We were enemies of God. Paul is not mincing words or playing games. What has happening is that the way that God looks at us has changed. John Gill summarizes for us what Paul has down up to this point in the letter:

The apostle having set the doctrine of justification in a clear light, and fully proved that it is not by the works of men, but by the righteousness of God; and having mentioned the several causes of it, proceeds to consider its effects, among which, peace with God stands in the first place… [John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible, Romans 5:1]

Peace with God is not an incidental reality for the sinner who is now a believer. Peace with God is the wonderful truth and new reality that all have moved from the category of enemy with God to that of sons and daughters of God. We are not longer in danger of hell. Paul is bringing the first four chapters into its finest relief with verse 1.

Adam Clarke in his Commentary on the Bible says this about verse 1 regarding our peace with God:

Before, while sinners, we were in a state of enmity with God, which was sufficiently proved by our rebellion against his authority, and our transgression of his laws; but now, being reconciled, we have peace with God. Before, while under a sense of the guilt of sin, we had nothing but terror and dismay in our own consciences; now, having our sin forgiven, we have peace in our hearts, feeling that all our guilt is taken away. Peace is generally the first-fruits of our justification. [Adam Clark Commentary, Romans 5:1]

The burden of our offense against a holy God has been lifted. This is the very definition of peace with God. To no longer have to fear the judgement of God’s righteous wrath, but rather feel the full measure and expression of His compassionate love, is to have peace with God.

God’s Grace and Love are Ours (5:2-5)
Paul then moves on to say we not only have peace with God because of our relationship with Jesus, but we have much more also. Because we have peace, we have access to grace. We can’t have either peace or grace without Jesus. But there is still more. Having peace with God simply unlocks the door to all that God desires to give to us. One of the benefits of peace with God is that our outlook on what is happening around us changes too. Paul says that we have peace and we have grace so that when tribulations come we see them as opportunities to grow closer to God. These times of trial are God’s means of maturing us into Christ who is our head [Ephesians 4:13-15].

It is not normal to glory, or to be happy in or to boast about difficult times. But when the greatest trouble, the trouble of a lost soul, has been removed all other things appear minor and almost trivial to us. The hymn by Helen H. Lemmel has helped me to make sense of this interesting and difficult passage.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus, / Look full in His wonderful face, / And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, / In the light of His glory and grace. [Words & Music: Helen H. Lemmel, 1922]

In 1 Corinthians 4:17-18 Paul says it this way underscoring this new perspective:

¹⁷For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, ¹⁸as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. [ESV, emphasis added]
¹⁷For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. ¹⁸So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. [NIV, emphasis added]
¹⁷ For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! ¹⁸ So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. [NLT, emphasis added]

This peace reminds us that we don’t have to lose our joy in tribulation. In difficult times when we know that there is a spiritual and divine purpose for what is happening. We many not always be able to make sense of it, but the reality of our peace with God helps us to trust God through whatever comes our way. Look at how the God’s Word version of Romans 5:3-5 puts it:

But that’s not all. We also brag when we are suffering. We know that suffering creates endurance, endurance creates character, and character creates confidence. We’re not ashamed to have this confidence, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. [Romans 5:3-5, God’s Word]

Will there continue to be difficult times in the Christian’s life? The answer is a resounding, “Yes.” What the Christian has that the non-believer does not have is that we can see that there is more than meets the eye in our troubles. We can see, as mentioned above [2 Corinthians 4:17-18], that what is before is not all that there is. And we have the Holy Spirit continually reminding us of God’s love in and through or circumstances. We boast not in ourselves, because we know that does no good. We boast in God who is able accomplish what doesn’t seems impossible and which doesn’t make sense in the midst of our difficulties and confusion.

Perspective is helpful, particularly in our faith journey. Are you a half-full or half-empty kind of a person? Consider this story:

The Right Perspective:
When Goliath came against the Israelites, the soldiers all thought, “He’s so big we can never kill him.” David looked at the same giant and though, “He’s so big I can’t miss.” [From SermonIllustrations.com, “Perspective“]

The perspective we have determines the course of action we take. If our perspective is not defined by the Word of God as the Holy Spirit instructs we will find ourselves ill-equipped to handle the obstacles that may come. We must learn to have God’s perspective of things. A “God’s-eye” view. We don’t always have to understand what we see. As long as we continue to trust in God to see us through we will be alright.

Romans Series (Pt. 18) – Romans 4:17-21

The Content of Genuine Faith (4:17-21)
What we find in the next few verses is what Abraham believed, what was the content of his faith, that was counted to him as righteousness. It is important to remember that faith, in order for it to be Biblical faith, must have a specific content. Faith is not supposed to be ambiguous. Faith is not like trying to grab the fog, but rather it is more like grabbing hold of something solid.

It is almost funny the way that Paul writes it. The Message paraphrase does a good job of capturing the emotion of this moment in both Abraham and Sarah’s lives.

¹⁷We call Abraham “father” not because he got God’s attention by living like a saint, but because God made something out of Abraham when he was a nobody. Isn’t that what we’ve always read in Scripture, God saying to Abraham, “I set you up as father of many peoples”? Abraham was first named “father” and then became a father because he dared to trust God to do what only God could do: raise the dead to life, with a word make something out of nothing. ¹⁸When everything was hopeless, Abraham believed anyway, deciding to live not on the basis of what he saw he couldn’t do but on what God said he would do. And so he was made father of a multitude of peoples. God himself said to him, “You’re going to have a big family, Abraham!” ¹⁹Abraham didn’t focus on his own impotence and say, “It’s hopeless. This hundred-year-old body could never father a child.” Nor did he survey Sarah’s decades of infertility and give up. ²⁰He didn’t tiptoe around God’s promise asking cautiously skeptical questions. He plunged into the promise and came up strong, ready for God, ²¹sure that God would make good on what he had said. [Romans 4:17-21, The Message, emphasis added]

These are some remarkable words. When we begin to understand the story of Abraham and the circumstances of God’s interaction with him, we get a clearer picture of what faith truly is. Whatever we call faith, if it is going to be worthy of that name, must be based on something that is true (God’s Word), undeniable (God’s Faithfulness), and outside of myself (God’s Character) . That is why faith is not a “work” on our part, but a work of God in us [Ephesians 2:8-9]. When we look at the heavens, when we take God at His word and agree that it is only God who is able to do what He has said and promised, then faith has been exercised.

Do we trust in ourselves too much? Are we living according to what we see and not what God has promised? Have we taken the plunge into the promises of God and come up reassured that God is not a man that He should lie about what He is able to do ?

¹⁹God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it? [Numbers 23:19, ESV]

These are the questions that should confront us when we consider the life and faith of Abraham. Paul does well in taking us back to him. Any proper and biblical understanding of faith must begin with Abraham. When each of us can embrace this faith, then we too can be considered among the children of Abraham!

Stacie Orrico | “Strong Enough”

There are so many things that can drive a wedge between us as God. We have to overcome the first of all enemies, the sin that so easily besets us [Hebrews 12:1]. This devious foe has been conquered through and by the blood of Jesus that was shed upon the cross on Calvary [1 Corinthians 15:50-58]. And yet on this side of God’s grace-filled application of Christ’s righteousness upon our sin-stained souls we can still fall prey to the lies of the Devil. I know that I find myself wondering, “Could it be true that You are strong enough?” My amazement at God’s ability to forgive Sin is paled only in comparison to God’s ability to withhold His righteous and rightful judgment upon me.

Will my weakness for an hour make me suffer for a lifetime?
Is there anyway to be made whole again?
If I’m healed, renewed, and find forgiveness
find the strength I’ve never had
Will my scars forever ruin all God’s plan?

NO! it won’t. God’s eternal purposes will be accomplished [Psalm 138:8, Psalm 57:2; Isaiah 55:11, Isaiah 46:10]. God is not made impotent, by my failures. He shall forever be faithful [1 Corinthians 1:9]. Not for my sake, but for His. I find this song moving every time I hear it. I have included a prayer I wrote after having listened to it.

Oh God, have mercy upon me a sinner. Father, Your love overwhelms me and yet I fight the tender strength of Your grip. Help me to see that Your love is true. That You have not withheld any of Yourself from me. It is I who have failed to rely upon and rest in You.

Father I thank You. I thank You for Your manifold blessings. I thank You for Your entrusting of Your daughter’s into my feeble care. I thank You that You have been long-suffering with me until the force of Your mercies and love have buffeted me, like waves breaking against the stubbornness of my pride. You are my great God and heavenly Father are strong enough. You are stronger than any mythological god or any evil this world can concoct. You are worthy of my praise, yes You are. You are worthy of my loyalty and devotion. You alone stand as the great and might creator and sustainer of existence itself. You are the ground of reality and not merely its dynamic force or animating agent.

Continue to work within me the work of salvation that will not be fulfilled until Your Son returns to this earth in final and ultimate victory. Your ability to withstand the tantrums of a flawed man and not feel any distress upon Your character or authority demonstrates Your amazing attributes. Father, I am in need of You. I hunger and thirst for You and I ask that You supply my needs according to Your riches and wisdom. Do not allow me to think that I know what is best for me. According to Your will, let it be unto me. Now and forever, Amen.

Matt Maher | “Hold us Together”

I came across this song and wanted to share it with you. Love is what will hold us together. Love is the truest truth of the human experience. It can’t always be explained, but it can hardly be denied when it is experienced. When we fail to love as God loved we miss out on the opportunities that God has provided for us in this life. I pray that we as the church would learn to extend the love of God to the world in better ways.

Matt Maher’s explanation of the song.

The song.

John Piper | Why do you love God?

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Dr. John Piper is the Pastor for Preaching & Vision at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, MN. He is also the Chancellor of Bethlehem College and Seminary an extension ministry of the church providing training for pastors within the local church setting. He is the founder of Desiring God Ministries which serves as the source of everything Piper. You will find 30 years of sermons to read, listen to, watch or download. You can also find many of his books free for download as well. Dr. Piper is one of the finest expositors and proclaimers of the Scriptures in general and the Gospel in particular.

For those not familiar with Dr. Piper, his theological orientation is that of Calvinism. This, however, should not deter you from gleaning from the depth and breadth of Dr. Piper’s wisdom and insights into the Word of God. Even if you don’t agree with Calvinism as a theological system, there is no doubt that the Scripture and the God of the Scriptures is the most important thing on his mind.

This video is rich in its content, which means you may have to watch more than once. It’s about an hour long, but it will challenge you to consider your motivation for loving God. I hope you invest the time to hear this message. I am the better for doing so.

Source: Why God Makes Much of Us

Romans Series (Pt. 5) – Romans 2:1-11

God’s Reason in Being Patient (2:1-5)

After telling us in the second half of chapter one the depth of sin and its potential expression, Paul lets us know that because of this sinful inclination God’s judgment “rightly fall” [v.2] on us. The hypocrisy that we at times perform is only a small demonstration of our depravity. This hypocritical tendency should serve as a reminder of why God should and ultimately will judge the sinner. But Paul is not simply concerned with God’s judgment of sin.

Sometimes reading Paul can be difficult and we miss the little nuggets that are hidden in the letters. Here, even in the midst of laying the foundation of the Gospel, the grace of God is revealed. The Gospel at every turn and in every instance sheds the light of God’s grace in the midst of the darkness of our shortcomings. That is what is saying here. Paul says that “God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance” [v. 4]. This is unbelievable.

God does not hit the reset button and unleashes his angelic hosts because He desires for sinners to repent! The sad reality that Paul throws back at the reader is that the reason some do not head the Gospel summons is because of their “hard and impenitent” [v. 5] hearts. And it is this persistent condition that is “storing up wrath” [v. 5] for us when God finally returns.

God’s Demonstration of Integrity (2:6-11)

The major thrust of this entire section is that God shows no favoritism to the sinner or the believer in His dispensation of justice. All are sinners and are worthy and even deserving of eternal punishment, but God has overshadowed the sins of those that have believed and confessed in Christ. God will reckon what is rightfully due to each one “according to his works” [v. 6].

The irony in this statement is that those that believe in Christ have no work by which we are to be judged! The work of Salvation is the work of God in us. So the reward that we receive at the time of judgment rightfully belongs to God! We are the beneficiaries of God’s love and grace in spite of our sins. Look at what Paul says in Ephesians 2:4-10.

⁴ But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, ⁵ even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— ⁶ and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, ⁷ so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not a result of works, so that no one may boast. ¹⁰ For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. [ESV, Emphasis Added]

Paul outlines how God will deal with all humanity. To those who live rightly and obey God’s commands and does good there will be reward and “glory and honor and peace” [v. 10]. But to those that chose their own way and chose “unrighteousness” [v. 8] and “does evil” there will be “tribulation and distress” [v. 9].

There is no partiality with God because he will not be swayed by sentimentality devoid of reason. God sees clearly and will dispense the just reward or penalty to all who will stand and kneel before His throne.

What is the Gospel? (Pt. 2) – “The Holiness of God”

This is part of the series What is the Gospel?

The Glory of God reminds us of God’s utter perfection. This is an important concept to understand if we are to makes sense of the Gospel. But, God’s glory is not the whole picture. God is also Holy. In the Bible, these two words are no synonyms even though they are related. Holy means “to be separated from,” and specifically to be separated from a desire or capacity to sin. God is full of glory and is, therefore, Holy. What this means is that because of God’s perfection there exists a gap—a very wide gap—between God and humanity.

If the Gospel is to be effective the “distance” that exists between us and God must be seen and properly understood. This separation between us and God is not a matter of miles, it is a matter of the heart. The human heart does not naturally bend toward God if God does not first act upon us. As Methodist people, we see this as God’s Prevenient Grace. God extends His grace to us, calling us away from sin and sinfulness to follow after Him. The Gospel requires a proper understanding of God’s Holiness because that is God’s standard. “For I am the LORD your God. Consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy, for I am holy” [Lev. 11:44a, ESV].