There are countless idols in our society, from celebrities to personal lifestyle habits. Anything that is worshiped in this world besides God Himself is a false god. It makes no difference whether worship involves Baal or oneself. One idol prevalent throughout the world of evangelicalism is a god who cannot render judgment on unbelievers because of his love. The end result of that is believing in a god who condones sin. Is such a deity even worthy of paying homage to? Many who claim to follow Jesus Christ in Western culture struggle to accept God for who He is.
If God is unable to judge unrepentant sinners as a result of being overwhelmed by sentiment, then He must be a weak God. He must be a feeble and miserable God. After all, in this scenario, He cannot bear to enforce His own moral commandments. God would be slave to a wishy-washy concept of love. Consequently, He could no longer rightly be said to be ruler over the universe. It would be governed by empty tenderness and any existing moral order would cease to be.
If God were to accept the sinful ways of mankind, then He would no longer be righteous and just. He would no longer be God, which is logically impossible. He would be exactly like us. God would no longer be judge, but a coward and hypocrite. Such a portrayal of God does not come about as a result of thinking critically about His character. It is based on a redefinition of love. The love of God is made evident in Him providing for both the just and the unjust:
"...for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous." (Matthew 5:45)
"...for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous." (Matthew 5:45)
The above cited text from the Sermon on the Mount mentions common graces of God, which we take for granted. These are things that no one deserves. He has the power and authority to both give and take them from us. All things that are good and enjoyable are gifts from God. If, however, we fail to take into account the character of God in its entirety, then we will inevitably reach a wrong conclusion as to who He is. A false god will be worshiped. It is a truth that God judges the wicked (Revelation 20). He is holy by His very nature.
As you may be aware, this question regarding God's justice...and what it means...has come up often in discussions with a certain "progressive" "Christian" (both words individually italicized due to each word being questionable when applied to such people---that is, is such a person "progressive" in reality, and is such a person, based on their professed beliefs, truly "Christian").
ReplyDeleteThe issue revolves around whether or not God is just based on human understanding of what constitutes justice. We have our notions of justice as evidenced by our laws and the penalties for breaking them. But other cultures...even those with seemingly similar sensitivities...have their own notions of what constitutes wrong/right.
Yet the disparity between our notions of justice versus God's too often fails to take into account that which God finds displeasing versus what we as humans do. Clearly, in this day and age, divorce, for example, is not held in the low regard it once did. The sanctity of the matrimonial vow is no longer as binding as it once was. But on what basis can we dare say that God's position on such things have changed? Without some Scriptural evidence, we simply cannot be so presumptuous.
Thus, if that's the case...and I see no argument one can make to suggest otherwise...we cannot pretend that what offends us is the same as what offends God, nor to what extent. I won't necessarily insist that God's sense of justice won't take into account extenuating circumstances, but again, how can I know with certainty that what compels me to behave in one way, regardless of how small a breech of morality it may be, will not provoke His wrath?
What's more, as I believe my faith in and acceptance of Christ means my sins are forgiven, that does not give me license to act apart from Scriptural teaching with regard to morality. The homosexual is the perfect example here, and one which provokes such discussion by progressives. If a homosexual lives a Christian life otherwise, yet indulges his homosexual urges under the pretense that it's just not sinful anymore, or that God doesn't care, is he really a Christian? Nothing in Scripture allows for his position on the behavior. It's still an abomination to God. It doesn't matter that the homosexual doesn't see anything wrong with it. All that matters is how God regards it.
God does not abide sin. Sin is basically anything that departs from God's will. How important is God's will to an individual compared to one's own desires? This is what should be considered, and even if one is uncertain as to the morality of a desire, one's devotion to God should be such that to deprive one's self for His sake is the order of the day.