Jesus Christ is my God!
Issued 10.10.1999
Bitterness or patience
Unhappy events can make us bitter. When we cannot find any man, whom we can blame for the injustice that we experienced, we are angry at God. What you think about God can be hidden insidiously, but the thoughts of your heart will be exposed at a fateful moment of your life. After the same accident the one who stayed patient is beautiful and the other who became bitter is ugly.
Accusers of God
The evil in the deeds of men is obvious. Also deeds that look good often turn out to be purely selfish, when the motives of the deeds are exposed. If somebody claims that man is basically good, his faith has only few visible evidences. There are so many evidences of evil of man in the world. One's deeds are worse than the others', but nobody is pure. The best man is like a thorn bush.
Most men also confess their wickedness at some moment of their life. Therefore one would suppose that great crowds are seeking mercy of God, because the need to get forgiveness of their sins is so great for every person. However, it is not so, because there is bitterness against God in the heart of men.
The evil in the deeds of men is obvious. Also deeds that look good often turn out to be purely selfish, when the motives of the deeds are exposed. If somebody claims that man is basically good, his faith has only few visible evidences. There are so many evidences of evil of man in the world. One's deeds are worse than the others', but nobody is pure. The best man is like a thorn bush.
Most men also confess their wickedness at some moment of their life. Therefore one would suppose that great crowds are seeking mercy of God, because the need to get forgiveness of their sins is so great for every person. However, it is not so, because there is bitterness against God in the heart of men.
Are you better than God?
The real obstacle of the salvation is not there that man denies that he is bad, but it is there that he doesn't admit that God is good. He is accusing God of his hard destiny. "Why did God allow it to happen to me?" In the Bible this situation is in the life of Job. He lost all, though he had lived as good life as anybody is able to live. It is so wrong, he thought. "The LORD said to Job: 'Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct Him? Let him who accuses God answer Him!'" Job.40:1-2
The problem with Job was there that he considered himself better than God. He criticised the ways of God and wanted to advise Him. Then God appeared to him and gave Job some difficult questions and said: "Brace yourself like a man; I will question you and you shall answer me. Would you discredit my justice? Would you condemn me to justify yourself?" Job 40:7-8
The real obstacle of the salvation is not there that man denies that he is bad, but it is there that he doesn't admit that God is good. He is accusing God of his hard destiny. "Why did God allow it to happen to me?" In the Bible this situation is in the life of Job. He lost all, though he had lived as good life as anybody is able to live. It is so wrong, he thought. "The LORD said to Job: 'Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct Him? Let him who accuses God answer Him!'" Job.40:1-2
The problem with Job was there that he considered himself better than God. He criticised the ways of God and wanted to advise Him. Then God appeared to him and gave Job some difficult questions and said: "Brace yourself like a man; I will question you and you shall answer me. Would you discredit my justice? Would you condemn me to justify yourself?" Job 40:7-8
Jesus proved that God is just
Jesus Christ came to prove that God is good and just. If you don't receive His testimony of the absolute goodness of God, you are not able to appreciate the sacrifice for our sins that Jesus gave.
God has presented for the whole mankind the bloody sacrifice of Jesus as the testimony of His goodness. "He did it to demonstrate His justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus." Rom.3:24-26 How is it possible that the rude execution proves that God is just? You realise it yourself! "You condemn me to justify yourself." This came true in the sacrifice of Jesus! Jesus is God and He was condemned to be guilty, so that you would get innocence as a gift.
God replies to your unjustified accusals by silence. He doesn't defend himself, but He is suffering quietly on the cross - for you, His accuser, who deserved the punishment.
Jesus Christ came to prove that God is good and just. If you don't receive His testimony of the absolute goodness of God, you are not able to appreciate the sacrifice for our sins that Jesus gave.
God has presented for the whole mankind the bloody sacrifice of Jesus as the testimony of His goodness. "He did it to demonstrate His justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus." Rom.3:24-26 How is it possible that the rude execution proves that God is just? You realise it yourself! "You condemn me to justify yourself." This came true in the sacrifice of Jesus! Jesus is God and He was condemned to be guilty, so that you would get innocence as a gift.
God replies to your unjustified accusals by silence. He doesn't defend himself, but He is suffering quietly on the cross - for you, His accuser, who deserved the punishment.
God bore our guilt in Jesus
God sympathises with people who are struggling with their accusing thoughts. You blame God and come against Him with clenched fist. You shout at Him and hit His face. You hit Him onto the cross that you would be right. He doesn't resist you. This is how Jesus proves for you that God is completely good God.
Many think that this kind of evidence is the presentation of so great weakness that they are despising the crucified Jesus. They are sneerers who are in a big danger: "Look, you scoffers, wonder and perish, for I am going to do something in your days that you would never believe, even if someone told you." Acts 13:41 When a proud one hears a God's message which also he actually is longing and waiting for, he doesn't recognise it, because his pride causes him to despise it.
When Job humbled himself, God made his life better. He learnt his lesson. "I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know." Job.42:3 What do you think and talk about God? If you obscured God's counsel with your untruthful thoughts, you must despise and be ashamed of your thoughts. When you will see God's love for you in the crucified Son of God, all your accusals against God will come to nothing!
God sympathises with people who are struggling with their accusing thoughts. You blame God and come against Him with clenched fist. You shout at Him and hit His face. You hit Him onto the cross that you would be right. He doesn't resist you. This is how Jesus proves for you that God is completely good God.
Many think that this kind of evidence is the presentation of so great weakness that they are despising the crucified Jesus. They are sneerers who are in a big danger: "Look, you scoffers, wonder and perish, for I am going to do something in your days that you would never believe, even if someone told you." Acts 13:41 When a proud one hears a God's message which also he actually is longing and waiting for, he doesn't recognise it, because his pride causes him to despise it.
When Job humbled himself, God made his life better. He learnt his lesson. "I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know." Job.42:3 What do you think and talk about God? If you obscured God's counsel with your untruthful thoughts, you must despise and be ashamed of your thoughts. When you will see God's love for you in the crucified Son of God, all your accusals against God will come to nothing!
Accused without cause
A believer applies this attitude of Jesus in practice so that also he is quiet, when he is accused without cause. This kind of silence is golden. If he is accused and he is guilty, he confesses that he did wrong. This kind of confessing is silver.
"But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His steps. He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth. When they hurled their insults at Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats. Instead, He entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly." 1Pet.2:20-23
A believer applies this attitude of Jesus in practice so that also he is quiet, when he is accused without cause. This kind of silence is golden. If he is accused and he is guilty, he confesses that he did wrong. This kind of confessing is silver.
"But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His steps. He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth. When they hurled their insults at Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats. Instead, He entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly." 1Pet.2:20-23
Grieving God
"The LORD saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The LORD was grieved that He had made man on the earth, and His heart was filled with pain." Gen.6:5-6 Very soon after this grieving He decided to destroy with the flood all creations of the earth. There were only Noah and his family and the animals of the ark that found favour in the eyes of the LORD. Only eight persons were saved of the mankind.
Now God is not anymore grieving for that reason, for He has got the atonement of all wickedness of the mankind. Jesus Christ has died for every person and He is the atoning sacrifice for all evilness. "He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world." 1John.2:2 God's hate against our wickedness hit the innocent Jesus on Calvary and produced the atonement and forgiveness. The place in Heaven is paid and reserved for every man and woman. Nobody is beforehand judged into Hell, but the salvation is prepared for all of us already about 2000 years ago.
God is calling us in the sacrifice of Jesus. He is waiting for the personal answer from everyone. If a man doesn't receive Jesus as the Redeemer of his own sins, that precious sacrifice will be of no value to him at all. God is not unmoved or unfeeling. Therefore now He is grieving for the fact that many discard his grace. He is serious and sad when He looks at many persons how they are selecting the way of Hell. Why doesn't He force to repent, but allows them to choose their ways?
"The LORD saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The LORD was grieved that He had made man on the earth, and His heart was filled with pain." Gen.6:5-6 Very soon after this grieving He decided to destroy with the flood all creations of the earth. There were only Noah and his family and the animals of the ark that found favour in the eyes of the LORD. Only eight persons were saved of the mankind.
Now God is not anymore grieving for that reason, for He has got the atonement of all wickedness of the mankind. Jesus Christ has died for every person and He is the atoning sacrifice for all evilness. "He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world." 1John.2:2 God's hate against our wickedness hit the innocent Jesus on Calvary and produced the atonement and forgiveness. The place in Heaven is paid and reserved for every man and woman. Nobody is beforehand judged into Hell, but the salvation is prepared for all of us already about 2000 years ago.
God is calling us in the sacrifice of Jesus. He is waiting for the personal answer from everyone. If a man doesn't receive Jesus as the Redeemer of his own sins, that precious sacrifice will be of no value to him at all. God is not unmoved or unfeeling. Therefore now He is grieving for the fact that many discard his grace. He is serious and sad when He looks at many persons how they are selecting the way of Hell. Why doesn't He force to repent, but allows them to choose their ways?
Grace must be asked for
The character of the grace is such that it cannot be pressed upon anybody. One has to humble oneself to ask for it. Instead of forcing He encourages us to humbleness by forewarning about the threatening danger.
Jesus tells us, what will happen, when that sorrow of God will again change to wrath. "No-one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man." Matth.24:36-39 Now there will be fire instead of water.
Why is it so that only the Father knows the time? Because He decides the moment according to the state of the mankind. His decision depends on the fact, how determinedly the mankind rejects Jesus and discards God's grace. On the other hand it depends on the fact how widely Jesus has been made known to all nations. Peter says that believers are speeding the coming of that day: "Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire and the elements will melt in the heat." 2Pet.3:11-12 .
I remind you of the sorrow of God in order to wake up your feelings. If someone starts to mourn over the hardness of one's heart and to be terrified at one's sinfulness, God's Spirit starts to prove God's love in the sacrifice of Jesus. "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." Matth.5:4 The sorrow that is according to God's mind brings about submission, which makes room for the grace in the heart. "Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death." 2Cor.7:10
Worry about what God thinks about you. All other sorrows are needless compared with it. When you reply God's request for repentance in Jesus Christ, He will be glad of you. Also you will have the same joy in your heart. So make God glad!
The character of the grace is such that it cannot be pressed upon anybody. One has to humble oneself to ask for it. Instead of forcing He encourages us to humbleness by forewarning about the threatening danger.
Jesus tells us, what will happen, when that sorrow of God will again change to wrath. "No-one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man." Matth.24:36-39 Now there will be fire instead of water.
Why is it so that only the Father knows the time? Because He decides the moment according to the state of the mankind. His decision depends on the fact, how determinedly the mankind rejects Jesus and discards God's grace. On the other hand it depends on the fact how widely Jesus has been made known to all nations. Peter says that believers are speeding the coming of that day: "Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire and the elements will melt in the heat." 2Pet.3:11-12 .
I remind you of the sorrow of God in order to wake up your feelings. If someone starts to mourn over the hardness of one's heart and to be terrified at one's sinfulness, God's Spirit starts to prove God's love in the sacrifice of Jesus. "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." Matth.5:4 The sorrow that is according to God's mind brings about submission, which makes room for the grace in the heart. "Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death." 2Cor.7:10
Worry about what God thinks about you. All other sorrows are needless compared with it. When you reply God's request for repentance in Jesus Christ, He will be glad of you. Also you will have the same joy in your heart. So make God glad!
The Bible version used in references is NIV