Work Out Your Salvation??

So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling. 

--Philippians 2:12

What was the Apostle Paul trying to communicate about salvation?

• Was he telling Christians that everyone’s salvation is different, that each person has to figure it out on his own?
• Was he making a point about individual responsibility?
• What does fear and trembling have to do with salvation? Fear of what?

Salvation: 

Paul was writing to Christians, those who were in a state of having been saved. Sometimes we are so accustomed to the word salvation that it becomes cliché. It is easy to forget that salvation is more accurately salvation from the wrath of God because of sin.

Work out: 

The phrase “work out your salvation” is not about ‘figuring it out’ but working through to completion. Salvation is not like a treasure hunt in which cryptic clues are discovered and must be figured out. (That’s the Hollywood way.) Rather, God has made it clear how a person can be saved from His wrath due to sin. In addition, God has made it plain how followers of Jesus are to order their lives while living in this world. There is no mystery about God’s expectations for the saints.

So, working out one’s salvation is not a mystery that is individualized. The phrase was meant to encourage endurance. Work it through to completion. Don’t give up part way through. Remain loyal.

Obedience: 

Look at the phrase, “just as you have always obeyed.” The early Christians would have understood fully what they were to obey. Paul was referring to obedience in their Christian life. They were obedient to the teachings of Jesus and His apostles. This was what they had ‘always obeyed.’ It really is that simple. That admonition carries forward to us. We are encouraged to hold fast to the things that God has revealed to us in His written word. Again, it is not a mysterious code. There may be passages that are challenging, but God’s instruction is clear and simple.

Fear and Trembling: 

Many believers today latch hold of a scripture they like:, such as, Call on the Lord and you’ll be saved. Or, believe in the Lord and you’ll be saved. The New Testament teaches these things but not in the absence of obedience, purity, and loyalty.

Many wish to portray God as a tolerant friend instead of Creator. Other’s fixate on ‘Father’ forgetting that God is also our Judge and demands holiness. ‘Fear and trembling’ call us to soberness, to say the least.

Ancient Jericho trembled when Israel approached. The Bible says that there was no spirit in them any longer. That means that they trembled to the point of being virtually lifeless. They had lost all motivation to fight. They could not run or cry for help. They trembled, accepting certain defeat.

We must have confidence in God’s word because God keeps His promises. And yet we must also possess a sense of awe and reverence toward God. We are not to be scared, but fearful. 

There is no personalized instruction to you and me. So, every time we open God’s word we must recognize that individually we are the learner, the slave, the child. We must open God’s book for understanding. We must be serious about interpreting God’s word according to what He intended, not what it means to me. And we must be careful to apply God’s word in obedient allegiance to Jesus, our King. This is not done without reverence and awe toward God, and yes, a measure of fear and trembling.

Mark Stinnett

June 28, 2026

The Fearful Wrath of God

People are not afraid of God these days.

Startling events are recorded in Scripture in which God took action against those who had no regard for him, who rebelled, or who kept on sinning.

• God poured out His wrath on Israel when they rebelled against Him after having been delivered from slavery in Egypt. Read Exodus 32.
• God took the lives of two priests who had no regard for His instruction when they offered ’strange fire’ to God. Read Leviticus 10.
• God took the lives of all who followed Korah, Dathan and Abiram in their rebellion against God’s leadership. Read Numbers 16.
• During the period of the Judges Israel strayed from God into idolatry. For that, he allowed neighboring nations to oppress the people.

Prophets were sent to warn God’s people that He was about to take action against them due to their sin. The people mocked the prophets and would not listen. They were not afraid of God.

The descriptive language of the prophets warning Israel and Judah of God’s wrath is often terrifying. It was meant to be terrifying because God could not overlook the sins of the people. He wanted them to turn back to Him. So, He used vivid language that would communicate the terror of being the object of His wrath. There are no empty scare tactics with God. God is a God of justice and must take action against sin. It is His nature.

The prophet Ezekiel was sent with a message to idolatrous Judah. Recorded in the 21st chapter, God warned His people of His coming wrath. It was pictured as a sword. The sword was sharpened and polished. Yet, this sword was not an object of beauty. The sword was “sharpened to make a slaughter” and “polished to flash like lightning” (v. 10). The latter description is not about its appearance but more about the manner in which the sword struck, like a flash of lightning. The sword was sharpened and polished to be given into the hand of the slayer!

Ezekiel was told to clap his hands, presumably signaling the beginning of God’s destructive judgment. The sword would strike in a flash going to the left and then to the right suggesting a powerful double-edged sword. God’s judgment would be thorough and complete. He would also clap His hands together, “and I will appease My wrath” (v. 17).

The word translated ‘appease’ was used elsewhere in the Old Testament for rest or the idea of being settled. God’s wrath had been aroused by the sins of the people. It was appeased (settled) after His wrath had been poured out on the people as a destructive sword.

While God speaks through Ezekiel in rich figurative language, the meaning of the prophecy was clear. God had prepared a sword, and the figurative sword would come as a real king with a real army, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. God warned His people that He would use the nation of Babylon to carry out His divine judgment against them. That should have struck terror in their hearts and caused them to turn back to God. Foolishly, they did not. They did not fear God.

How foolish we are to read the Old Testament prophets as mere Bible stories. How foolish we are to read the warnings in the New Testament that tell us of God’s wrath because of sin and not feel a sense of dread. God has never lied in His warnings.

“It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

Take the warnings seriously. 

Jesus will return. 

There will be a judgment. 

Only those who are in Christ are safe from God’s wrath!

Mark Stinnett

June 21, 2026

Awesome!

Years ago some college friends and I took a trip out west. I had grown up where the tallest mountains were the nearby Ozarks of northeast Arkansas. (My friends had grown up with similar 'mountain' experiences.)

We were all anxious to see real mountains. While the Ozarks possessed their own charm, they could not compare to the majesty of the Rocky Mountains. From many miles away we saw the distant Rockies on the horizon as the seemed to grow larger and larger.

Still miles away we became more and more aware that the Rockies were far more beautiful, far more majestic, and far more breath-taking than anything any of us had seen before. We leaned forward in the car and looked from side to side to try and take it all in.

Peppered in among long periods of silence were brief expressions: “Awesome.” “Incredible.” “Amazing.” We were still far away.

At some point there was only silence in the car. Our language failed to provide adjectives suitable to describe what our eyes beheld. We were overwhelmed. We could only gaze.
____________

I think that most people in the world are rather unimpressed with God. I wonder if many people, even some Christians, just look at God somewhat at a distance. I wonder if we are just too busy to look at God. Many are busy working out doctrinal questions. Some are busy serving others or planning and doing church work. Some are just busy. Much of our ‘busy-ness’ is important. However, do you ever stop...and just gaze at God?
____________

My friends and I reasoned and agreed that it is impossible to fully capture the majesty of the Rocky Mountains through a camera lens. There are many stunning photographic representations of the Rockies. Yet, none capture the essence of beauty seen by the human eye.
____________

I think many people look at God through a lens of doctrine or a lens of service or a lens of kindness or a lens of judgment or perhaps some other lens. Their view may be true, but limited. Sometimes it is worthwhile to stop…
     ...and without a lens
     ...and not trying to figure something out
     ...just gaze toward God.


   You can see God in His creation.

        You can see God in the Law of Moses.

             You can see God in his anger.

                  You can see God in his mercy.

             You can see God in the prophets.

        You can see God in Christ.

   You can see God in His church.

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

“Then the Lord God formed man out of the dust of the ground...
...and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life.”
—Genesis 1:1; 2:7

Stop and gaze…
     What do you see?


Mark Stinnett

February 9, 2025

Holy Is Your Name

Does holiness seem to be more of a religious word in our day? About the only time you expect to hear the word holy is in a religious service or in a silly exclamation such as, “Holy Cow!” However, God is holy. We are to be holy. His name is holy. So, what does it mean to be holy?

By definition, something that is holy is set apart from or separated from common things. So, in reality, museum artifacts are holy because they are separated from common items that are in current use. They have an important connection to our past, a unique quality, or great value. These special objects are guarded from casual contact, protected from the elements, and given a place of honor in a museum. Visitors are expected to give the artifacts proper respect.

God is holy. He is deserving of honor and respect, no, reverence and awe. We show reverence, not by admiring God as an artifact in a museum, but by our worship and by our devotion to his ways. He is holy because he is, by his very nature, separate from mankind and all that is created. He is holy; man is common. He is righteous; man is unrighteous. He is eternal; man is finite. He is creator; man is created.

When Jesus taught his disciples to pray, he taught them that the name of God is holy (hallowed). It is not enough to accept that God himself is holy, his name is also holy. 

At some point in their history the ancient Jews stopped saying the name of God. It is said that they reasoned that if they did not say God’s name then they would not break the command:

“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain.” 

--Exodus 20:7

It appears that the ancient Jews put God’s name up on a shelf as if it were an artifact. Yet, that was not God’s intent.

When God revealed his name to Moses it meant something. God told Moses to tell the Israelites that the God of Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob was about to deliver them from Egypt. He told Moses to tell Israel His name and it was packed with meaning. He is the one who Is:

“I AM Who I AM.”

God expected his name to be spoken but with reverence and honor. His name was not to be on an equal level with the names of foreign gods. His name was above them, because he is real, and he is supreme. His name is not a common name like that of any man or woman throughout history. His name is not to be used as the punch-line of a joke or the subject of humor. His name is not for meaningless exclamations of surprise. God’s name is not to be shouted as a explicative when experiencing sharp pain or anger.

God’s name has meaning and it uniquely identifies God as deity, as one who is self-sufficient, eternal in existence, and changeless. No other single descriptor is capable of encompassing his identity. His is not a name that must not be spoken but one that must be revered. The name of God can only be attributed to Him, for no other name can make such a claim as does the name of God: 

I AM.

“Our Father in heaven...HOLY IS YOUR NAME.”

Mark Stinnett

October 29, 2023

Nothing is Better than Something??

Have you ever heard the expression, “It’ll feel better when it quits hurting”? It is a silly way of saying that the absence of pain is better than pain. I know, it’s a kind of an “Oh, duh” thing.

If you’ve kept up with this blog in recent weeks, you’ve noticed a common theme: odd statements from Ecclesiastes. If you’ve read the past four blog entries, you should have noticed something else: All of these strange statements are understandable when viewed from Solomon’s perspective.

Solomon intentionally, and wisely, limited his search for meaning to the material universe. After all, he too was a part of the material universe. So, he could not speak about anything or anyone beyond the physical universe. He could not speak for God unless he was given God’s words to speak.

Solomon’s search for meaning ended poorly; he found no meaning within the limitations of the material universe. He also observed the activities of mankind “under the sun,” that is, man’s activities carried out on this earth. That too had a rather negative outcome as expressed in another startling statement in Ecclesiastes in which he compared the living and the dead:

But better than both of them is the one who has never existed, who has never seen the evil activity that is done under the sun. 

—Ecclesiastes 4:3

The fourth chapter began with Solomon writing, “Then I looked again at all the acts of oppression which were being done under the sun.” This is one of many injustices that Solomon observed and reported. Yet, it sounds worse than simply saying that there are many injustices in life. It sounds as if life was full of injustices in Solomon’s day.

Solomon considered all the injustices, the acts of oppression of man, and then “congratulated the dead who are already dead more than the living who are still living.” (v. 2) Do you understand Solomon’s reasoning; his point of view?

Solomon was saying that death resolved the pain experienced by those who were being oppressed. Death felt better because the oppression of life quit hurting. If a person cannot look beyond the material universe, then Solomon’s reasoning makes logical sense.

Solomon reasoned a step further. The one who has never existed is better off still. His simple reasoning is that the non-existent one will have never had to endure any kind of oppression in life on the earth.

Even admitting that his reasoning makes sense, it sounds defeating. And yet, that is what we are supposed to think. We are supposed to be dissatisfied with Solomon’s observations even though they are reasonable. That is the whole point of the book. When man looks at life in the material universe and cannot find answers and cannot find meaning, he ought to despair of life...but not give up! Rather, he should ask, “Is there something beyond this universe?” Solomon explained that God “so worked,” that is, made the universe the way He did, SO THAT, man would come to this conclusion about his existence within the material universe. (3:14) Man would then be forced by his own reasoning to look beyond the universe to his Creator. In humble awe and reverence created man would then be ready to listen to the Creator’s revelation from beyond. All of the negative things written in Ecclesiastes are meant to drive man, not to despair, but in reverent awe to his God.


Mark Stinnett

August 13, 2023

Do You Know God's Mind?

The creation narrative in the Bible might seem impersonal, even for believers...then again...

God actually spoke to His created beings.

And God blessed them; and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky, and over every living thing that moves on the earth." Then God said, "Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you; and to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the sky and to every thing that moves on the earth which has life, I have given every green plant for food"; and it was so.
--Genesis 1:28-30

In this blog I am not as concerned with the content of what was spoken, but rather the fact that God spoke to man. Not only does his speech demonstrate intelligence and purpose as well as authority and power (see last week's blog, "He Has Spoken!"), His spoken word is personal.

By comparison, I have built a few things out of wood in my lifetime. Yet, I have never spoken to the things I've made. They are mere objects, impersonal; inanimate objects created for my purposes.

Again, the Creator spoke to His created beings which He made in His own image.

The Old Testament prophet Amos wrote something meaningful about what God has spoken.

For behold, He who forms mountains and creates the wind
And declares to man what are His thoughts,
He who makes dawn into darkness
And treads on the high places of the earth,
The LORD God of hosts is His name. 
--Amos 4:13

The Bible does not 'contain' God's word, it IS God's word; his thoughts written for created man.

Why do you speak to people?
Why do you reveal your thoughts to others?

God has revealed his thoughts to mankind. In dong so He has revealed Himself to us. God is not silent; He has not hidden Himself. He has opened His heart while reaching out to man.

We must remember that the Scriptures are not just any words. The source of these words is our Creator. We can know the mind of God.

To this one I will look,
To him who is humble and contrite of spirit,
And who trembles at my word.
--Isaiah 66:2

Mark Stinnett

"I AM": His Glory, Our Quest

Look out your window; what do you see?

It is not about making a list. Rather, when you see God’s creation outside your window, what do you learn...about God?

The Apostle Paul said that mankind can learn some things about God just by observing creation.

For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made…. —Romans 1:20

Just by observing the world around us a person can learn that: 

• God exists;
• God is powerful;
• God is eternal and divine. 

When you think about it, humans have used their powers of observation to learn about animals for centuries. By looking at a beaver’s dam, we can learn some things about beavers. The same could be said about birds and their nests, ants and their ant hills and even the 'animal' called man and the things he builds.

However, the simple observation of things that have been made can only go so far. Some things remain unknown unless revealed. By observing a building a person would have no knowledge of the architect’s name, family relationships, influence in the community, religious values, etc. And let’s not be silly thinking that an architect’s style is recognizable. That is true only if the architect is already known for his/her other work. (The work of an unknown artist or sculptor reveals only so much about its maker.)

The simple point is that God has revealed something about Himself through His creation. Yet, He has revealed something more about Himself through verbal revelation. He used words to identify Himself by name and by character.

The occasion was shortly after Israel had been delivered from Egyptian slavery. God had instructed Moses to lead the people to the Promised Land assuring him that an angel would accompany them. Moses pleaded with God to go with them Himself, and God agreed to do so. Then, almost as a child making an impossible request of a parent, Moses blurted out:

I pray You, show me Your glory!

Since God would not allow Moses to see his face, he told him to stand in an indentation in a large rock. He would then pass in front of Moses and declare His name.

For centuries to come psalmists, prophets and those of faith would repeat the things God revealed to Moses about Himself that day. One of the greatest revelations in all of Scripture…

Then the Lord passed by in front of him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.” Moses made haste to bow low toward the earth and worship. —Exodus 34:6-8

Justice is a part of God’s character because He is pure and holy. Yet, He is never without love. Love is also a part of God's character, yet He is never without justice and purity and holiness. God is love and God is holy at all times. He does not ‘try’ to love or 'try' to be holy; these are His nature. Not one of the characteristics that God revealed competes with another as if God struggles against justice to show compassion; or that God struggles against forgiveness to be holy. He is at all times both loving and just; the God of love and the God who is holy.

Love and Holiness: His glory; our quest.

Like Moses, we would do well to bow low to the ground and worship...

"I AM": Just

Life’s unfair…

Kids come home from school and talk about their day:
     “The teacher said...and that’s not fair.”
     “My friend…and that’s not fair.”
     “It rained again; it’s just not fair.”

After supper mom and dad discuss their day:
     “The boss told us...and that’s not fair.”
     “I can’t believe what happened to…; that’s just not fair.
     “Did you hear what’s happening overseas? That’s really unfair.”

I’m not saying that people complain all the time (though some do). Rather, I think we spend a lot of time thinking about and talking about and wringing our hands about the many inequities of life, that is, the stuff that’s not fair.

The Psalmist often cried out to God because of the inequities of life. Yet, he concluded that God was his strength. He said that he “will wait upon the Lord.”

What does that mean, to wait upon the Lord?

In short, it means that a person is willing to endure the inequities of life and allow God to straighten everything out later. To wait upon the Lord means that, while the inequities in life are real, I will trust that God is also aware. I will be content to allow God to take action in His time as He sees fit.

So, is that really fair? Is God being fair?

Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.   —Romans 12:19

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.    —Romans 12:21

The simple idea is that God understands that life is not fair and He promises to deal with the inequities of life. We just need to be patient… because...

The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.    —2 Peter 3:9

From the opening pages of the Bible mankind has opposed God by declaring his selfish independence. The flood at the time of Noah dramatically shows what man deserves because of his arrogance: death. So, the question we should be asking is, “Why has God allowed us to live!?” The passage above answers.

The justice of God demands payment for sin; the justice of God demands death. Yet the love of God demands forgiveness, fellowship...life.

God will allow the guilty to live, but only if someone dies in their place, but who? Each person must bear his/her own guilt for sin. So, who is there to take my place, to take your place? The answer: Only someone who is sinless; someone who has no sin debt.

The prophet Isaiah wrote of the future Christ saying that God would be satisfied with his sacrifice. He went on to say that “He will bear their iniquity.” (53:11) Jesus, the Christ, was the satisfactory sacrifice for you and me because he was sinless. That’s not fair that he took my place and your place, but it is just! It satisfied the debt requirement for sin.

Is life fair??? No; you are still alive. 

Is life full of inequities??? Yes, but God is patient...are you?

It is as if God said to Moses, “I AM who I am...I am just.” And he did…

The LORD God...who will by no means leave the guilty unpunished….    —Exodus 34:7

"I AM": Forgiver

How big is your God?
How big is your sin?

Is your God bigger than your sin...or the other way around?

Is there something in your past, something that you can't seem to shake? Is there something you have done wrong and the memory comes back to haunt you from time to time?

Perhaps you hurt someone in such a way that you cannot forgive yourself. Whenever you think of that person, you remember what you did and the guilt feelings rush back.

Perhaps it is something you did that someone witnessed (or you think they witnessed). When you are around that person, the memory returns. You wonder what they think of you, but you are afraid to bring it up in conversation. You know what you think of yourself. The guilt hangs over you.

Do you have some sort of sin that will just not go away? (Some call it a vice or an addiction.) It is your weakness and you know it. You wish you could shake it, but you cannot. Stubborn 'will power' is not enough. You fall once again and guilt washes in all over again...and then again...and again.

Have you ever gotten angry with God? Not everyone has, but some people shout back at God when things go badly. Some even refuse God or rebel against him. Have you? Have you ever shaken your fist at God and in your heart walked away for a time? Coming back to God is hard, so very hard. You think, "How can He accept me back?" 

Can He; will He?

Did you know that forgiveness is part of the character of God? It is His nature to forgive, and what will he forgive?

Speaking about Himself, God said that He forgives: sin, iniquity, and transgression. These are three different words in the Hebrew Old Testament, each describing a different way in which a person can sin.

Their precise meanings might be illustrated by imagining a person who is walking along the right moral path toward good.

• Sin misses the goal, perhaps by wandering aimlessly, perhaps by distraction. To 'sin' is to fail or come short of the goal. God forgives sin.
• Iniquity distorts the path by bending or twisting the right path and ultimately not achieving the goal. 'Iniquity' includes different ways in which a person rationalizes wrong or renames wrong as if it is right. God forgives iniquity.
• Transgression is an abrupt breaking off of the path. It comes with the conscious intent to leave the path; rebellion. God forgives transgression.

You see, God forgives all kinds of sin regardless of the way in which a person sins. So, there is NO WAY OUT...You cannot possibly think that God cannot forgive your sins. As a result, there is true hope for everybody!

Now, someone reading this is dying to interject: "Don't forget to tell folks that they must repent!"

That is correct, but just calm down; this is not about US. This is about God and His forgiveness. It is about Him and His divine character.

Here's the point. God does not have to 'try' to forgive. Forgiveness is not 'second' nature. He does not have to wrestle with the reality of your sin and how repulsive it is and then make himself forgive by force of will. God forgives because it is his nature to forgive. It is just the way He is.

It is as if God said to Moses, "I AM who I am...I AM a forgiver."

He did.

The Lord God...who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin....--Exodus 34:7

Our God...greater than our sin!!!

"I AM": Slow to Anger

Eyes squint. Jaws clench. Fists tighten. Nostrils flare upon inhale.

You've seen it...ANGER!
(Expect fire upon exhale.)

If you have ever made someone angry, very angry, and that was not your intention, what a relief it was when they slowly exhaled and began to relax their fists...jaw...eyes: Self-control.

Better yet is the person who demonstrates self-control before the anger begins. They do not flare up quickly. They do not have to cool down; they never heat up in anger! The circumstances could have made the person angry, but the anger was controlled at the very beginning. Slow to anger.

Imagine yourself among a small group of friends. Everyone is asked to list a few words or phrases related to 'love.' Surely someone writes compassion; also grace and kindness. Would anyone write down, 'slow to anger'?

When God passed in front of Moses and verbally identified himself, the first few attributes expressed different facets of God's love.

The LORD, the LORD God,compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth.

--Exodus 34:6

• Compassion is an expression of God's love as He withholds anger and rejection that are truly justified.
• Grace is an expression of God's love as He generously gives when it is completely undeserved.
• Lovingkindness is an expression of God's love as He makes promises simply because he loves, and with that same love is loyal in keeping His promises.

        [Read more on these expressions of love...Compassion, Grace, Lovingkindness]

Right in middle of these love expressions is the attribute, 'slow to anger.' I cannot help but think that slow to anger is yet another expression of God's love.

Worded slightly differently, the expression slow to anger describes God as one who takes a long time in becoming angry; an anger procrastinator. It reminds me a number of older people I have known; people who have experienced life and understand human nature. They know something about human weakness; they understand the human dilemma. They recognize the brevity of life and know the things in life that are of value, true value. They know the futility of anger and its destructive end.

They are not unconcerned or uncaring, they simply know how to live without acting impulsively or overreacting to life's circumstances.

Isn't that a loving characteristic? Isn't it an act of love when a person does not become angry quickly? Isn't it a sign of love when a person does not lose his or her temper? We might not always 'see' the absence of impulsive anger, and as a result might not recognize the love that is there. However, it is an expression of love and it is an attribute of God.

God does not 'try' to take a long time in becoming angry. It is not his 'second' nature. It is not by force of will or internal fortitude that God wrestles with himself and overcomes the impulsive flare-up of anger. It is by nature that God takes a long time in becoming angry. It is just the way he is.

It is as if God had said to Moses, "I AM who I am . . . I AM slow in becoming angry."

Oh wait...He did!

     The LORD God...slow to anger....
     --Exodus 34:6

"I AM": Lovingkindness

     Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness....
     --Psalm 51:1

What is lovingkindness?
It sounds sweet, but what does it really mean?

You can separate the compound word into two words, loving + kindness, and get an idea. However, the full meaning is masked by translation and ancient usage. The English language really does not have a good word to translate the full meaning of the simple Hebrew term: chesed. (Sounds like KEH-sed.)

Different translations of the Bible use terms such as kindness, lovingkindness, mercy, steadfast love, enduring love, and others to express the meaning of chesed.

Many writers have described chesed as 'covenant love.' It is true that chesed often appears in the context of a covenant. However, one Hebrew scholar has accurately observed that chesed is not tied to the covenant, rather, the covenant is tied to chesed.

The picture painted by the term chesed is that of a deep love that would motivate someone to make a covenant promise to another. Once the promise is made, the covenant promise acts as a reminder of the original love. More specifically, God's lovingkindness [chesed] moved him to make a covenant promise with man, and it also described his loyalty to that covenant promise. He will never forget a covenant promise that He has made. He will not leave it unfulfilled.

After King David had committed adultery with Bathsheba and had her husband killed to cover up his sin, he was confronted by the prophet Nathan. David confessed his sin and prayed to God for forgiveness by appealing to God's lovingkindness. [Read this in Psalm 51.]

David understood that there was no sacrifice that he could offer to take his sin away. According to the justice of the Law of Moses, there was no forgiveness. So, he appealed to God's chesed. He was not trying to back God into a corner as if to force God's loyalty to His covenant promise. Rather, David was crying out in desperation for God to love him with the same love that moved Him to make the covenant promise in the first place.

David appealed to the very nature of God. He recognized the enduring love of God that had moved Him to make promises to his forefathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and to the nation Israel. David appealed to the divine kindness of God that would motivate him to initiate a covenant promise. David's appeal was that God would continue his steadfast love toward him because He had already loved him.

     Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness [chesed]....
     --Psalm 51:1

God does not try to love [chesed]. It is not his 'second' nature. He does not analyze and synthesize a situation, wrestle with his will, and then finally decide to love. It is his nature, his identity. It is just who he is.

It is as if God had said to Moses, "I AM who I am...I am chesed."

Oh, wait...He did!

     The LORD God...abounding in lovingkindness [chesed]....
     --Exodus 24:6

"I AM": Grace

Have you ever had an occasion in which you were so happy that you wanted to celebrate? You received a promotion or a bonus at work, or a new child was born into the family, or very difficult circumstances were resolved. You wanted to celebrate and share your happiness with friends. So...YOU threw the party. YOU bought the meals. YOU provided for friends and family because you had received a special gift.

That kind of giving is an illustration of grace, and few shine brighter than King David of ancient Israel.

King David desired to build a more permanent temple for God that would replace the portable tabernacle that had been made at the time of Moses. The prophet Nathan gave him the 'go ahead' to proceed with his plans. However, at God's instruction Nathan quickly returned to tell David that as a warrior he had too much blood on his hands. He would not build a temple for God, instead, the temple would be built by his son Solomon.

Nathan continued with God's message to David, a prophecy and a promise:

     Your house and your kingdom
        shall endure before Me forever; 
     Your throne shall be established forever.
     --2 Samuel 7:16

Though David may have felt a little sad over not being the builder of God's temple, he understood the magnitude of the promise. In response to God's gracious promise, David searched for someone on whom he could show grace. He found Mephibosheth, the crippled son of his dear deceased friend Jonathan.

David brought Mephibosheth to his palace in Jerusalem, restored his family's land to him, and invited him eat daily at the king's table. Mephibosheth recognized his inability to offer anything in return and referred to himself descriptively as a 'dead dog.' Yet David was delighted to offer his gift of kindness. (Read about Mephibosheth in 2 Samuel 9.)

In a figurative way every Christian is a Mephibosheth before the King of heaven. In reality, as sinful creatures we are nothing but 'dead dogs' before God, useless and undeserving.

But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus, in order that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that, not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.

--Ephesians 2:4-8

God does not try to be gracious. It is not 'second' nature to him. It is not a battle of the inner will in which grace wins out over something else. God is, in himself, by nature, full of grace. It is as if God could have said to Moses, "I AM who I am, I am grace."

Oh, wait . . . He did.

     The LORD God . . . gracious....
     --Exodus 34:6

"I AM": Compassion

Childbirth...
The ears of the nurses ringing from the screaming voice of the 'lady in labor'...
     "Just get that thing out of me!!!"
Then, moments later the world is at peace with the mother's gentle coos...
     "She's so precious...the most beautiful baby in the world."
It can be somewhat amusing.

For the rest of her life a mother will experience pains of a different kind, pains emerging from deep within. I suppose most people have some understanding, but no one understands like a mother. It is the pain felt when one of her little ones scrapes a knee or cuts a finger. It is not mere emotion tugging at the heart, but rather, a true inner pain that hurts along with the child's pain. Dad's can feel the same kind of pain, just not, I think, quite like a mother.

That deep-seated inner feeling that aches when your own little one is hurt is something we call compassion.

Of all the words God used to describe himself, the word compassion, or mercy, is more descriptive of his emotional involvement with humanity than any other word. With that in mind, consider a wonderful description of God's compassion toward his child, Israel, from Psalm 78. First, a little background....

God delivered the nation of Israel from Egyptian slavery through a dramatic display of miracles which ended with Israel crossing of the Red Sea on dry land. However, after only a few days, the singing and dancing of a freed nation turned into complaining.
     The people were thirsty;
     The people were hungry. 

God was angry with the people for their lack of faith. Having seen His mighty hand of deliverance they should have realized that He would also be their provider. Yet, they doubted. Their complaining continued and they ultimately sank into idolatry. Over and over the people failed so that the description was written:

     Their hearts were not loyal to him.
     They did not keep his covenant.
     --Psalm 78:37 (NLT)

Yet, in spite of their weak faith, God responded with compassion:

     Yet he was merciful and forgave their sins
        and did not destroy them all.
     Many times he held back his anger
        and did not unleash his fury!
     For he remembered that they were merely mortal,
        gone like a breath of wind that never returns.
     --Psalm 78:38-39 (NLT)

God's was compassionate when faithless Israel deserved anger and wrath. God would have been justified in destroying them for their complaining and idolatry. There was nothing they could do to redeem themselves; nothing that they could offer to make amends. There was no 'undo.' Their only chance for survival was a deep 'motherly' love that would move God to act with kindness instead of justice. They needed compassion.


And God responded with compassion. It is tempting to say that He responded 'in spite of' their weakness, but in reality it was 'because of their weakness.' So it is with us today.

A mother's compassion is merely an illustration of God's compassion. It is God who gives meaning to compassion.

God is compassionate as a part of his divine nature. He does not try to show compassion. It is not 'second' nature. He does not wrestle in his inner will until compassion wins out over something else.  God is, in Himself, by nature, full of compassion. It is just who He is.

God extends compassion when it is not deserved, when justice calls for rejection, judgment, or even death. God could have said to Moses, "I AM who I am; I am compassion."

Oh wait . . . He did!

     The LORD God, compassionate....
     --Exodus 34:6

An "Aha!" Moment: God

Setting: Seventh grade math class...back when I was a school teacher...
   Matt did not understand; I explained again.
   Matt still did not understand; I explained again.
   Matt STILL did not understand; I explained YET AGAIN!

   "Aha!"

It was an exciting moment for Matt, and a gratifying moment for me as his teacher: an "Aha!" moment. Clarity. Insight. Knowledge realized.

Have you ever had an "Aha!" moment when you came to a sudden new realization of something you already knew, or perhaps something you had been told but did not understand? It was not new knowledge, but previous knowledge that had a new, strong and sudden impact.

Young parents are often struck with surprise as they realize with new insight the love their parents had for them. They knew it all along, but as they experience the deep love for their child, they realize that their parents must have had a similar experience with them. "Aha!"

Can you imagine the "Aha!" moment for the Apostles when they realized that the Messiah was not setting up an earthly kingdom? Jesus had tried to tell them; no, he had told them, but they had not understood.

Jewish Pentecost: Fifty days after the Passover and the crucifixion of Jesus. The Holy Spirit was poured out upon the Apostles and they preached the gospel for the first time to a large Jewish crowd. What was it like when the Jews suddenly realized that Jesus of Nazareth WAS the prophesied Messiah? That they had crucified the Son of God!?

• Is your knowledge of God made up of teachings that have merely been handed down and accepted?
• Is the identity of Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah and Son of God simply a dry biblical fact?
• Is your salvation merely an exercise in holding to correct biblical doctrine?
• Is your religion comfortable, but lacking AWE? 
• Have you chosen an easy path just to get along with others?

Pause. Reflect.

• Are you a Christian who has never had an "Aha!" moment?
• Does the magnificence of God impress your mind?
• Does His creation bring about a sense of awe in your heart?
• Does the reality of his wrath, but also his forgiveness, affect your soul?

Is 'God' a comfortable belief or an awe-inspiring being that overwhelms you?

Will you appear before God standing upright or will you tremble to the ground on your knees...on your face?

How great and wonderful is your God?

Oh that we might lift our eyes to see His magnificence.

The LORD passed in front of him [Moses] and proclaimed, "The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations."

And Moses made haste to bow low toward the earth and worship. 

--Exodus 34:6-8

Holy Smoke

Of our five senses, sight is probably the one we protect and rely on the most. Next would be hearing and speech. So, what about our senses of smell and taste?

It might surprise you to know that there are many scientific studies in the areas of taste and smell. In fact, the sense of smell is quite powerful. Americans, however, have generally desired to mask unpleasant odors, which makes us an exception among the nations of the world.

According to “The Smell Report” by the Social Issues Research Center (yes, this is real), humans are able to detect thousands of odors even when present in infinitesimally small amounts. Yet this pales in comparison to many animals whose sense of smell is 10 to 20 times more sensitive than that of humans.

Discoveries regarding the human sense of smell are quite extraordinary. But even more amazing is how our sense of smell coordinates with our memory. Most adults can probably relate from experience what ‘smell studies’ have concluded through research: A single odor smelled in years past can immediately bring back vivid memories of the original event.

For example, for many folks, it is the sense of smell that brings back fond memories of a special holiday.

Did you know that God actually created a specific aroma for the ancient Israelites to use in their worship?

The book of Exodus contains many requirements regarding sacrifices, feasts, fasts, the clothing of the priests, the articles used in the tabernacle, the utensils used in the sacrifices, and so on. Among these many regulations was a special formula for the anointing oil and incense that were to be used in the worship (Exodus 30:22-38). The anointing oil was 'Holy' oil, and the incense was 'Holy' incense. Each was to be used only in the tabernacle and only for the worship of God. Neither of these could be used on the body as a perfume. They were prescribed by God and belonged exclusively to God: Holy.

The purpose seems clear: The fragrances from the holy oil and holy incense were used as a call to worship through the sense of smell. After smelling the distinct fragrances of God’s holy oil and holy incense, it would not have been long before the Israelites would have associated those fragrances with worship to God.

That unique smell communicated “worship” to the mind of the people. It was the smell of surrender to God; the fragrance of praise and honor to God; the aroma of security in the arms of God.

Whenever a person had been away from the worship for a period of time and then returned to the assembly, they would breathe deeply of that sweet smelling aroma and remember their God, their Deliverer, their Creator.

With the exclusive scent of the Holy Oil and the aroma of the Holy Incense, God called his people to remember Him and to worship Him.

Who is this wise and wonderful God who would assign a specific fragrance to the worship? One cannot help but stand in awe!

---------------------

There is another aroma found in the Bible. The Apostle Paul reminded Christians:

But thanks be to God, who always leads us in His triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing....
--2 Corinthians 2:14-15

Just as the aroma from the holy oil and the holy incense reminded the Israelites of the worship of God, Christians today are the aroma of Christ in this world reminding people of Christ and calling them to worship Him.

May we conduct ourselves in such a way that we will be the sweet smelling fragrance of Christ to all who encounter us.