February 26, 2006

If God was fair. . .

During the past few days of being reminded that God is infinite and wonderful — but my sinful human nature could not care less — I have an answer for those who think God is unfair, for those who say they believe in Him yet have dropped hell from their belief system because God “cannot be so unloving” as to send people to such a place. I’ve also an answer for those who think the doctrine of election, clearly taught in Scripture, makes God unfair — and therefore is not true.

After reading Stephen Charnock’s discussion on practical atheism, I realize the total depravity of the human heart. Even though God has redeemed and changed me, I see the atheism in my own thinking. I know that all of humanity has fallen from any desire to seek and know God. In our natural selves we do not want to love and serve Him, and even if we do it, our service so easily springs from self-centered motives. The depth of our rejection and rebellion removes all reasons for thinking God is unjust. He has every right to avenge our resistance to His goodness, to His right to rule over His creation. He has every right to send all of us away from Him forever.

But what does He do? He sees our sinful, selfish nature turned away from Him. He sees this atheism seated deeply in our nature and our will. He created us to serve Him but we serve ourselves. He knows, left to ourselves, we will never delight in Him and seek His face. He knows we cannot do it. He knows that if we are going to live supernatural lives, we must become supernatural people. We need a deep, inner change in those rebellious hearts that seek our own promotion instead of His glory.

So what does He do? Instead of giving us what we deserve, God poured out His justice on Jesus. Instead of the punishment that should be ours, He put it on His Son. Instead of the death that should be the result of our sin, He offers us a new life.

And that is why I worship Him!

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