To a friend on God's Kingdom Community
Hi Charlene,
Thanks for the poem. It’s always nice to hear from a friend. Like your poem said, I am who I am for a reason. God made me who I am.
This morning I was reading from Romans 4. I had just spent the night before writing on my blog and defending the Law of God. I read Romans 4 about the promise to Abraham wasn’t given on condition of obedience to the Law, but through or on condition of the righteousness of faith.
As I read of Paul’s exaltation of faith contrary to Law, I wondered how we can be so adamant about defending the Law of God. I see the need to defend it because we are watching this world get more and more corrupt because of its rebellion against the Law and its authority. Yet Paul exalts faith.
As I pondered this, I remembered what Abraham came out of. He came out of an overbearing, hypocritical religious world which Ham, Cush and Nimrod had established. They had corrupted the whole world after the flood, and this atmosphere of insincerity, cold-heartedness, and ruthless religion bruised Abraham’s soul. He had spent his whole life surrounded by all that in the idolatrous and greedy suburban towns around Babylon, and accepted it as all that God had to offer. But he must have thought, “God, there has to be more to life than this.”
So when the Lord approached him, it wasn’t with more rules and religion. His approach was to regain Abraham’s trust and love—something Abraham didn’t know he even had, but something Christ knows how to bring out of those who submit to His mysterious, yet wonderful work on the heart. Christ’s approach was through faith in a promise—like friends do to each other. What an overture to a weak and helpless sinner! The foundation for Abraham’s sanctification was a friendship, and the fixing up of misbehavior and faultiness in Abraham would come in Jesus’ own timing. Hence, “the righteousness of faith”—the righteousness of the Law that comes out of faith.
This is why Paul was so adamant about faith and a promise. He wasn’t, for a moment, trying to undermine the Law of God or the need for sanctification. That would come as the soul and conscience wakes up to the warm fellowship with the Savior. There was no secret desire to presume upon God and His Law in Abraham or David or Paul. The need for righteousness was fully made aware to them as they looked around and saw the rampant abuses which tore at their hearts. They didn’t want to skirt the Law when they jumped at the offer to have a relationship with God. A relationship was everything to them—especially a relationship with the God of heaven, the God of creation, the God of love, and law.
Charlene, I hope I didn’t overstay my welcome at your site. Have a beautiful day. I just thought we might be able to share this together.
David
Thanks for the poem. It’s always nice to hear from a friend. Like your poem said, I am who I am for a reason. God made me who I am.
This morning I was reading from Romans 4. I had just spent the night before writing on my blog and defending the Law of God. I read Romans 4 about the promise to Abraham wasn’t given on condition of obedience to the Law, but through or on condition of the righteousness of faith.
As I read of Paul’s exaltation of faith contrary to Law, I wondered how we can be so adamant about defending the Law of God. I see the need to defend it because we are watching this world get more and more corrupt because of its rebellion against the Law and its authority. Yet Paul exalts faith.
As I pondered this, I remembered what Abraham came out of. He came out of an overbearing, hypocritical religious world which Ham, Cush and Nimrod had established. They had corrupted the whole world after the flood, and this atmosphere of insincerity, cold-heartedness, and ruthless religion bruised Abraham’s soul. He had spent his whole life surrounded by all that in the idolatrous and greedy suburban towns around Babylon, and accepted it as all that God had to offer. But he must have thought, “God, there has to be more to life than this.”
So when the Lord approached him, it wasn’t with more rules and religion. His approach was to regain Abraham’s trust and love—something Abraham didn’t know he even had, but something Christ knows how to bring out of those who submit to His mysterious, yet wonderful work on the heart. Christ’s approach was through faith in a promise—like friends do to each other. What an overture to a weak and helpless sinner! The foundation for Abraham’s sanctification was a friendship, and the fixing up of misbehavior and faultiness in Abraham would come in Jesus’ own timing. Hence, “the righteousness of faith”—the righteousness of the Law that comes out of faith.
This is why Paul was so adamant about faith and a promise. He wasn’t, for a moment, trying to undermine the Law of God or the need for sanctification. That would come as the soul and conscience wakes up to the warm fellowship with the Savior. There was no secret desire to presume upon God and His Law in Abraham or David or Paul. The need for righteousness was fully made aware to them as they looked around and saw the rampant abuses which tore at their hearts. They didn’t want to skirt the Law when they jumped at the offer to have a relationship with God. A relationship was everything to them—especially a relationship with the God of heaven, the God of creation, the God of love, and law.
Charlene, I hope I didn’t overstay my welcome at your site. Have a beautiful day. I just thought we might be able to share this together.
David
posted by David | 4:44 PM
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