Ever Heard About Grace?
Forgiveness Heals
May 12, 2024
Living in the Age of Crises
May 20, 2024At the beginning of our lives there were many possible directions that our lives may have taken. Some of those possibilities were very good, and others would result in more painful and undesired outcomes. Often our own choices determined which direction our paths followed.
When we make a decision that leads to consequences that are harmful and hurtful to ourselves and to others, it is natural to experience shame, regret and self-blame for not having followed a different path. In life, we often learn the hard way that when we have done wrong, or not lived up to a standard, we deserve punishment and rejection.
I think the story of the Bible often grapples with this universal human experience. Right at the start of the Bible, in the book of Genesis, there is the story of Adam and Eve, who had to avoid only one thing to stay in a good relationship with God and to live a fulfilled life. It did not even seem very difficult to do! There was this one fruit tree that they were not allowed to eat from (Genesis 3:3).
And guess what! Of all the decisions they could make, they decided to eat that forbidden fruit. The consequences were terrible. Their nakedness (shame) was revealed. They were banished from the garden. They lost eternal life. And the rest of God’s creation was also affected by this!
A few thousand years later, in the time after Jesus’s coming, the Bible writer and apostle Paul reflected on this reality. In Romans 5:12-14 he says:
‘Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned. . . . Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses.’
Paul probably describes this reality also in Romans 3:23 when he says undoubtedly,
‘For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.’
I’m sure you can relate to this! And, by the way, if you read the Bible story, it is not just Adam and Eve who did this stupid or evil thing. It happens over and over and over again. People who may otherwise have been good end up falling short of the mark. People do bad things. You and I are included.
There is, however, another theme that runs through the Bible. This is the theme of a God who somehow does not give up on the human race. For some reason God stubbornly persists in mending relationships and establishing contact. This is even though God is the one who is always hurt by the bad behaviour of the people that He created.
God’s law sets a perfect standard. We are always breaking this standard. We are very resourceful and creative in doing this at times. And the results always lead to pain and suffering and hardship. But, for some reason, God just refuses to give up on us.
In the story of Adam and Eve, God goes after them and finds them hiding in the garden. He clothes them and He offers them hope for the future. He does this even while the negative consequences of their actions become apparent.
And when you read the Bible you see that God always does this. He refuses to sever ties completely. At times in the Bible it seems as though God is in full conflict with His people, but it is a conflict of love and passion that calls His people to a higher standard.
This stubborn love of God has a special name in the Bible. In Hebrew word is ‘hesed’. In English, we call it God’s ‘covenant love’. This is a love that is so much part of God’s character that it remains unbreakable. It pursues us even in the darkest places where we may find ourselves.
If I had to pick one verse from the Bible to illustrate this reality, I think I would choose Romans 5:8. It is perhaps my favourite verse in the Bible.
‘But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.’
What state are we in when God loves us? Definitely in a state of sin. We might not even have realised yet that what we are doing is wrong, or hurtful, or that it will have awful consequences. But while we are in this state . . . God is looking at us with a heart full of love. God longs to be with us and care for us.
For me, this is a great mystery. I often think: How can God love me? But somehow God manages to see through all the murkiness in my life and God finds something in me that is worthy of love. This is God’s nature. This is love. This is grace.
God always deals with us, not on the basis of our sinfulness, but on the basis of His character, of what God wants to do for us and what we can become when we live our lives committed to Him.
This is so different from our human nature. Human nature looks at the dirt and grime of our lives, and we are put off by it. We find it reprehensible, and we just want to get away from it. God looks at the same situation and says, ‘Something good can come from this!’ I think this is the really good news of the Bible.
And I think that when I realise that God is different than me and you, the most natural reaction to this is for us to turn towards God with wonder and awe. It can be the reason for you to devote your life to Him.
Weiers Coetser has been a pastor for more than 25 years. He feels very privileged to have the opportunity to accompany people on their journeys at different stages in their lives.
Ministering in Scotland, he is always amazed at how God works with people and churches, regardless of the circumstances.
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