The God portrayed within the Old Testament is one of frightfully short nerves. One that demands respect and fear and is not hesitant to rein fire from heaven to be sure such respect and fear is given Him.Go read the complete article and be blessed.
We then proceed a little further within history and the Biblical testimony and find this same God humbling Himself so fully that we find Him a little pooping baby; a toddler being led about by a mortal human and then an adult washing feet and waiting tables. We likewise see a beaten heap of bloody flesh that is cursed and reviled and yet never offers defense of Himself.
A beautiful God so loving that He would unite in marriage Himself to putrid and ugly sinners.
The Jesus of the Gospels seems a far cry from the Yahweh of the Old.
Thursday, April 27, 2006
You have to read this
The Evolution of God, an article masterfully written and presented by Adam over at the Protestant Pub is a must-read. Here's a little sample:
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7 comments:
Surely you don't actually go to that site?
"Of course I do and don't call me Surely!"
Adam is truly a blessing to me. ;-)
You're awesome...thanks.
Truthfully, I wasn't planning on posting that. I had it saved until later and then when I got on today, VIOLA!, my poltergeist did it for me...
But thank you.
And Kc, I see I need to do some work. I have never intended to be a blessing, but a thorn.
I highly recommend this article. I read it and have to say it was one of the most well-written theological essays I have seen recently.
Great job, Adam.
Amen! Stand up for Jesus! You really know how to manifest His humanity ;-) Though, that's a pivotal part of the Gospel... In contrast, the way of the world expected the God-incarnate to be surrounded by pomp and splendor like a Pharoah-- and our beloved Christ was but a peasant carpenter, a commoner no less-- who came into the world crying, kicking and screaming just like me!
My favorite verse is Hebrews 12:2 which was the key verse I used to give my first pulpit sermon back in 2004.
Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
-Hebrews 12:2
:)
I am a sinner saved by God's grace- nothing more, nothing less. Soli Deo Gloria!
And as posthumous to my rereading the articles:
I know the Old Testament manifests the God of justice we hear so much about. And New Testament reveals the Gospel of grace in its fulness. One thing I noticed after reading the article... and I thought it needs some qualification.
R.C. Sproul's bestselling book The Holiness of God does a marvelous job explaining God's overarching attribute, namely His Holiness. From that Holiness emanates not only His love and grace, but also His justice. A proper understanding of the depth of the Gospel makes us realize that God's justice is not done away with following the New Covenant, but that Christ fulfills it. We possess an alien righteousness not our own, imputed to our accounts. And yet God's justice is fully satisfied. We shouldn't look past Revelation which manifests God's final judgment-- but no less should we look past the Heavenly Kingdom that lasts from everlasting to everlasting!
I believe there is a degree of continuity and unity in the covenants, but they all find fulfillment in a new and better covenant, the Covenant of Grace.
And yes, God was very much trying to teach sinful man in His interactions with Him.
This is definitely interesting subject matter-- but one has to be careful in how we approach it with our choice of phraseology. The tenor of Scriptures declares that God is the same yesterday, today, and tommorrow. Amen!
By Grace Through Faith!
Thanks for recommending that post Kristi. That's great!
ditto the praises on the post, thanks for the road sign there
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