Monday, March 10, 2014

Beware the Unbeliever's God

Aaah, the Monday of daylight savings time. Once more I am tempted to use the devotional space for a political rant. We'll just say "Good morning!" and let that temptation go on its way. Today, let us beware of the unbeliever's god. You know the one; you have probably cowered from him a few times. The unbeliever knows some of the biblical stories, but ignores many others. To the unbeliever the god is punishment, retribution, condemnation and eternal hell. Yet, my Bible says that God is not willing that any should experience these things. The unbeliever thinks his god is all about that final judgment; is he good enough? Surely, this judgment is based on the lowest common denominator. Name a person in history worse or more evil than the unbeliever and he is off the hook. Tra la la, off to heaven we go. My Bible says something a bit different there.

For all have sinned and fallen short of God's glorious standard. No one gets a free pass to heaven, and no one gets to use other sinners as a stepping stone up. Yet, God also provided a Way to Heaven, and a man who died to save all. That man was God's Son. All can be saved in Jesus, and know the righteousness of God. But many would rather depend upon their own righteousness and cower from a god of divine displeasure. Living this way is too difficult for anyone, so in time they would rather not believe in a god at all. Unfortunately, by ignoring the saving mercy in God's Son, they fall into the God of judgment they feared all along. The good news is that while we walk this earth, we have time to tell of repentance and the saving power of Jesus' name. We can speak of a God who loves mercy.

Praise God for the new day,
Bucky

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