Old Testament idea of Who God is. He is always telling me and others that God is going to ‘get’ them for their misdeeds and that they will suffer punishment. That may be true in the time to come, but in this time of Grace, not Law, that is not true. What do we need to repent of-we need to repent (metanoia-change your mind) of Who God is because He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Love, mercy, compassion, wanting to bless His chosen family-us. Yet we reject Him and His lovingkindness.
Once I sat in a church service where it was being preached that Jesus dies daily for our sins. WHOA! The Holy Spirit really riled me up and I did the best Bible study I have ever done on how Jesus died ONCE FOR ALL and paid the price for ALL of our sins. Past, Present, and Future. They are all paid for at the cross. How could God do that? I don’t know, but I do know He is just. One of my children went to be with Jesus when he was only 15 years old. I didn’t give him up willingly, nor could I see any good in his leaving me so young. But at his funeral, many of his friends accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior so that they, too, could receive this incredible gift of Righteousness that God offers to everyone. God willingly gave up His only Son, so that if we believe (isn’t that incredible that the only thing we have to do is BELIEVE!) we too, can have all our sins forgiven and be made righteous to enter into the very presence of God. God isn’t going to force anyone to accept His Son. God gave you and me free will so that we can make our own choices in life.
There is nothing wrong with the Law. It is perfect, it is holy, but it cannot make YOU perfect and Holy. Grace can. The Holy Spirit living within you, can. He can mold you into the image of Jesus and make you more like Him every day of your life. But you have to make that choice. No one can make it for you. Choose Jesus and He will change your life for the better. He has blessings you never dreamed of and plans you cannot imagine. Just give Him a chance. Does it happen all at once-NO. There is a song that goes:
The sun and the earth and Jupiter and Mars,
But, O how loving and patient He must be,
‘Cause He’s still working on me.
Yes, He’s still working on me.
To make me what He wants me to be.
O how loving and patient He must be,
‘Cause He’s still working on me.
We need to repent of our wrong ideas about God and see Him as David saw Him and as Jesus portrayed Him on earth.
Rev. Joyce L. Kaplan M.Div. Retired United Church of Christ Pastor.
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