((I found this OLDDDD draft to a "response" I wrote about a sermon I heard at church last year around this time...I guess I never published it...so I'm sticking it on here now so that I know where it is))
John 3:36
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.
This verse was the premise of the message that our pastor brought yesterday at church...He wanted to talk about God's Holiness...and more specifically, the WRATH of God...
It made me chuckle at first because a few things went through my mind...
#1- anytime people talk about God's wrath, I think of the old time preachers with all their hell, fire and brimstone talk.
#2-most people don't want to listen about this subject...especially the media, or "good people"...because, "most" people want to just focus on God's mercy, God's love, God's forgiveness
#3- all those "righteous" people (or those that believe they already have ALL the answers right) are gonna LOVE this talk...I could just see them smilin' in their seats, they were thinking, "stick it to 'em Pastor!"
I think what Pastor Terry did to make this lesson able to fall on teachable hearts, was first, he has spent the past month talking about the, for the lack of a better word, "HAPPY" side of God... His mercy, love, trustworthiness, forgiveness...etc...all the "feel good" things about God...
What I know that I often forget, is that God is JUST and HOLY too...
I often just don't really want to think about that aspect..
I'd rather just think that he just gets "sad" when I sin...that He's just bein' my sweet cheerleader up in heaven, hoping I'll figure it out, say I'm sorry and then give me a big ole hug and say, "atta girl, now, you just keep bein' a fairly "good" girl and we'll have a great mansion for y'all in heaven!...you just keep goin' there kiddo and we'll make something I can be proud of out of the mess you've made...cuz it's all about you bein' happy!!!"
It's either that, or I go to the other extreme, where I think He's up there extremely disappointed and angry and ready to spit fire for all the wrong doing in the world...that He's just waiting for me or others to screw up so He can "stick it to 'em"
And when I think of MY wrath...that's probably where it comes from...I am angry, I do get spitfire mad at the families and children that are ruined because of divorce, at the babies that will never take their first breath because it's an inconvenience for the mom to be pregnant, at the laziness and lack of work ethic in people that already have so much more than what our forefathers came here with, at the foolishness of the way people seem to be able to "justify" every action and get upset when others don't agree and call them intolerant...the list goes on...
Pastor Terry mentioned 2 False Narratives...1) God looks to punish sinners 2) God doesn't care about our sin
Both are wrong perspectives on God. Because really, when it comes to all this...His ability to forgive is beyond our comprehension...just like His mercy is unfailing...HOWEVER, if there is no judgment in our kingdom then there is no really need for Jesus...
You can't just cover our wrongdoing up with "mercy" and "love" and IGNORE the sin...that's where His Holiness comes in...
I liked Terry's description of God's wrath being like the example in Romans 1...there He just "gives them over" to their own choices...When a person decides in their heart that they would rather have their own "Kindgom" than to serve Someone else's agenda...(because God doesn't demand my love in return), He steps away and honors that choice.
How many times in a day do I do this? I choose what makes me happy rather than what is right...it "feels" much better to get frustrated with my spouse when he doesn't do exactly what I want him to do...it makes me feel better to yell at my girls when I've asked them a million times to clean their rooms...I like the attention much better when I "relay" a sad story about someone else (read gossip)...it also makes me feel all important when I start spoutin' off like I have all the answers in my "righteous anger" about the sin of OTHERS...
the list goes on...cuz I'm not perfect over here:)
The point is...and I'm beginning to realize, that God LETS me have my way when I choose it...fire bombs from heaven don't come down and stop me...my computer doesn't explode when I write out my bitter thoughts...He doesn't cause a car accident when I blurt out a profanity...however, I can't always attribute an available parking spot or a few pounds gone on the scale as God saying, "well done thou faithful servant, you are blameless and therefore, here is a holy parking space for you!"
He does offer His mercy and grace because of His Son first and foremost...and the ONLY way I can CLAIM His mercy and love FROM the Wrath (or consequences of my choices) is when I TURN FROM IT...I can't just say I'm sorry or say, "I've tried, but, this is just the best I can do...you understand, right God? It's all good...I don't want to try any longer...so let's just start from this point onward with my "new" decisions and you just make something You can be proud of"...it requires a 180 turn from what I'm doing in order to claim that forgiveness...It's foolish to think that someone really believes you are sorry for smacking them in the face, when you keep smacking them...it's like saying, "I'm truly sorry for stealing your shoes, but I'm going to keep them and you just bless me for that, okay?"
And the fact that we are living in the world He created and are surrounded by others that are a part of God's Kingdom, means that we get to experience those blessings here on earth anyway...He DOES bless us in so many ways..
I really gained a new perspective from his message this weekend...it's a lot to think about...what is my role as it pertains to the world and the sin in it...as it pertains to the choices I make...??
at any rate, it was nice to be able to write it all out:)
