How A Wondrous Love Was Afforded

"I just plead with you; when you're reading the bible, and you read water toy-text like, 'he loved you and gave himself for you,' you wouldn't go too fast over it. Linger! Linger! Linger! And plead with him that your eyes would be opened." - John Piper

I once read that, "God is admirable because of his many diverse excellencies." I believe that. I mean, who would have ever thought that I'd find God's holiness an admirable thing? Or even better, who would have ever conceived that I'd praise him for his wrath? Even his mercy seemed a small thing before my encounter with Christ. Prior to Christ, I remember singing the song "Amazing Grace." In retrospect, the words, though obviously strong and passion-filled, meant little to me. After my conversion however - and after studying grace via reformed theology - I cried. God's grace is no small thing. And it is this, the topic of grace, that this blog entry will seek to discuss. Before we continue however, a question must be asked. The question will seek to bring clarity to the many caricatures people have about God, and their own presumptions as to why God is obligated to be merciful. Here is the question: How could a sin-hating and holy God, be anything but wrathful to the people deserving of his wrath? Let me pause here and explain the reasoning behind the question. The question has in mind a few things:

1. God is too holy to look upon sin (Hab 1:13)
2. Sin is exceedingly sinful and beyond measure. (Rom 7:13)
3. God hates those who do sin (Psa 5:5)
4. It is an abomination for God to justify the wicked (Pro 17:15)
5. Apart from faith in Christ, all are evil (John 3:18-19)

If indeed the Bible does teach that God is exceedingly and holistically pure, and that sin is of the most contemptible and most heinous acts done in the universe, and that it is right for all those who commit such abominations to suffer wrath - the questioned is again asked, how could God be merciful to such a people? Now that an explanation for the reasoning has been given, let us now seek to answer the question at hand. Consider with me Revelation 13:8.

"And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world."

In answering the question at hand - namely, how it is possible for God to be anything but wrathful to such a sinful people, we come to see an amazing truth found in Revelation 13 and verse 8. There, we read that Jesus is the "lamb slain before the foundation of the world." But what does that mean; especially considering that Christ went to the Calvary's cross "in God's appointed time (Gal 4:4)," which came about 2000 years ago? Simply put, it means that in the eternal mind of God, he foreknew his plan to remain just while justify the ungodly. Therefore, we read:

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved"(Ephesians 1:3-6).

Notice that God's love act in electing certain individuals to salvation is not without God's justice being appeased. Christians are "blessed with all spiritual blessings 'in Christ.'" They are "chosen 'in Christ.'" And again, they are "made excepted in 'the beloved,' or Christ." It is because God "foreknew Christ before the foundations of the world"(1 Peter 1:20), and foreknew that he was going to be reconciling men to himself via Christ' atonement, that God is able to give the least of his common graces. Grace, the unmerited and undeserved favor of God - even the smallest of it - is only given because of Jesus' death. So in closing, the next time you enjoy a day at the beach, or when you smile and experience a caring hug from a loved one, stand in awe of the cost that made such seemingly small glories available for you. The Son of God was crushed in order to award grace on behalf on sinners. Therefore readers, be wise; be warned. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him (Psalms 2:10-12).
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