Songs and Meditations on Grace

I was getting ready for work this morning when a song popped into my head, Jaci Velasquez's God So Loved The World. The song is simple enough, but for some reason I thought about it and went to the next verse in Scripture, John 3:17:

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

The reason that this impacted me so much in thinking about this song and these verses was the correlation between salvation and the doctrine of election: Christ did come into the world to proclaim Truth and while He did state that this Truth would pit mother against daughter, and father against son, Christ came with the hope of the Gospel. Christ's entrance into the world was the ONLY way to save us from our path of destruction.

God had given His people, Israel, generations to attempt to obey His law; he would punish them, forgive them, then they would forsake him again. He could not leave redemption to chance or to our fickle nature--He sent Christ into the world to guarantee (not just make possible) the salvation that He would give.

When Christ speaks to Nicodemus in John 3 about being "born again," this is not the same as being educated on what car to buy or what college to attend and then making that choice. Because with most choices in our lives, if we really look deep down, we could see certain motivations that drive us to make those choices--even ones that on the outside appear good, moral and/or altruistic.

The radical nature of the "choice" of following Christ is one that is totally opposite of our thinking: we must "die" to self, giving up our desires to make His desires and will first. Think about that: we must submit to the will of someone else. Have you ever known yourself (or someone else) to purely want to do that, in any situation? Sure, on the outside, a person wouldn't let on that it rubs them a little wrong when they're asked to do something, but apart from Christ's indwelling, would you not act the same way? The Holy Spirit must move in our hearts, changing our hearts to be receptive to the Truth and to truly live for others rather than ourselves.

If the change in our hearts or choice to follow Christ is grounded in ourselves and our own power, rather than Christ, then is it not subject to the same weakness of foundation as all other choices?

I mean, I have a problem with "buyers remorse" sometimes--can you imagine if the salvation decision was as easily abandoned--would God do it that way? Would God, in His infinite wisdom, have Christ die for those who would not ultimately be saved simply because those people did not "choose" to? And this is election: that God not only ordained the vehicle for salvation (which is the birth, life, death and resurrection of His Son Christ) but He ordained the method, means and timing of our justification, sanctification and our ultimate glorification.

I thank God that He holds me firm in His grip and my faith is bound up in Christ's faithfulness rather than my own, and that He drew me to Himself, knowing that Christ had already paid for my specific sins on the Cross.

God's Immutable Nature

I have been endeavoring to read through books of the Old Testament for my reading each night before I go to bed, and right now I am on Jeremiah. In previous books, I would read several chapters at a time, but I have slowed to one chapter for this book, as it is very significant and at times quite terrible in its pronouncements to Israel.

However, in reading this book, I find a great truth. God is immutable, meaning that He has not changed. Webster more specifically defines it as "not capable or susceptible of change."

Why do I bring up this point in connection with Jeremiah? Because God's methods have not change from the Old Testament to the New Testament. There is a perception, perhaps even with some in evangelical circles, that after New Testament times, God is not the angry God of the Old Testament and is instead merciful and loving--like he has changed.

But the methods used by God through Christ in John 6 and in countless other places where the Word is preached by the Apostles, the same methods are used in Jeremiah!

Jeremiah 22:1, 4-6 "Thus says the LORD: 'Go down to the house of the king of Judah and speak there this word, "Hear the Word of the LORD...For if you will indeed obey this word, then there shall enter the gates of this house kings who sit on the thrones of David...But if you will not obey these words, I swear by myself, declares the LORD, that this house shall become a desolation." ESV

In Chapter 18, the imagery is much more stark, of the LORD asking them to turn from their ways, and they do not, over and over again.

To me this is a great reminder of grace in that we are ALL headed on the path to destruction, but in His grace He calls out to us, to take the exit off the road into safety. For those thinking that anyone on his or her human might or effort can come to Christ without a quickening or awakening move of the Holy Spirit--the nation of Israel were a chosen people and yet they forsaked the living God countless times. When Christ came humanity's heart was not instantly changed--remember it was them, in the hardness of their hearts, that crucified Him. Humanity still has the same hardness of heart as it always has. For true faith and repentance to be present as it was in Abraham and in apostles such as Paul and Peter, God must actively work, as He always has, and always will. Because He doesn't change.

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I hope to post a few other things I've been thinking on--one being on the importance of family, and the other on whether a crusade/cause can actually overshadow the importance of Scripture.