A fascinating thought recently came to me when reflecting on Adam and Eve’s choice to doubt God’s integrity. Why would God allow them to sin in such a devastating way? How else might God display His mercy, grace, justice, and truth?
The Holy Spirit inspired Paul to write, Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior (Colossians 1:21, NIV). That means since the time of Adam and Eve, each of us followed their lead, which alienated us from God. The verse following describes God’s act of mercy and grace. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation (Colossians 1:22, NIV).
If their sin locked us into the theory of cause-and-effect, we would be forever enemies of God in our minds. But God is eager to show each of us His mercy and grace if we humbly admit our helpless condition. Those of us who have so humbled ourselves receive His mercy, but we forget it all too often. We then lock others into the logical cause-and-effect model.
Recently, I was sitting in a worship service at church when I reflected on how a person’s unwise choices were negatively influencing others to follow a very unhealthy path of life. With my cause-and-effect default in play, I saw how one man’s skewed perspective of life was being played out in his sphere of influence. Then, when the congregation sang a song of hope and praise to God, this man became engaged in worship, expressing his hope and faith in God. The Holy Spirit seemed to rebuke me, saying “you forget I love to show mercy and grace that can completely change the trajectory of his unwise leadership?” Humbly, I sorrowfully admitted “guilty as charged”.
After Jesus had spoken what could easily have been misinterpreted, the Jewish leaders thought in their mind Jesus had committed blasphemy. Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts?” (Matthew 9:4, NIV). Like those Jewish leaders, I meet with failure when I attribute evil motives to people’s actions. What I had not considered was how this man was doing his best with what he had learned and trusting God to intervene and correct whatever he did that was not right. Woe be unto us if we think our own knowledge, skills, personality, or experience is enough to make everything in our world turn out right. Regardless of our ability to see it, each of us desperately needs God to adjust the trajectory of our feeble efforts and make them turn out right.
Lord, when will I realize that judging (attribute improper motives too) my brother means I am doing You and him a grave disservice? I am overlooking Your presence in him, for I must believe that You are working in him just as you do in me. I am reminded that judging others is the crudest form of pride or self-worship. It says God is working in only me. Paul wrote So why do you condemn another believer? Why do you look down on another believer? Remember, we will all stand before the judgment seat of God (Romans 14:10, (NLT2). I must remember what Jesus said about the mote and beam (Matthew 7:3). I still have so much to learn about His mercy, grace, justice, and truth! How about you?
I needed this…I actually need to be reminded every day!