Back a few years, I taught a class who might be described as GROSS! One girl had such a bad case of tooth decay that she looked like the graphic picture in a health warning. She used to belch loudly, too. One boy used to make fart noises. Several of that class used to make crude remarks that were not funny, usually sexual innuendo of a low-brow nature. And any chance they found to stop the learning process they could take, they seized on like vultures (slow-thinking ones, at least). And that class used to seriously disgust me.
I am not a snob. It is not my way to look down on people as being not good enough for me. But revolting behaviour is obnoxious no matter who it comes from. And that class used to make me wish I was somewhere else. In fact, they aroused my contempt. When I prayed about it, wanting to be taken away from it, I was given a sobering revelation.
To God, that is how I must look! And not only me, but I'll only presume to speak for myself, not about others.
A perfect God, without using the word sarcastically, must find human beings a bitter disappointment considering the start He gave His creation. Having a sinful nature, as fallen humanity does, I must look quite foul to God when He looks at me as I am. And if He turned His back on me in disgust it would be impossible to blame him - and yet how horrifying it would be!
Not long after that I had one of those prayer times when I felt especially close to God. I prayed for His help for those sinners, and in praying for them I said, "What else can I do? I'm just like them!"
It felt good to admit that, because complete honesty with God brings the one praying closer to Him. It is what He calls for.
That being said, it still stops me sometimes when I see people behaving in a really squalid way, really corrupt and evil, and then have to remember that from the standpoint of the Almighty I must look pretty poor as well.
Read some of the Old Testament passages about the duties of a priest in approaching God. It was a really involved ceremony and it included the sacrifice of some animal so that blood was shed for the atonement of sin. I can see that I'm forgiven an enormous amount by God, and He sees Jesus' goodness when He looks at me because I'm covered by the Messiah's sacrifice. But I'd better remember that! Jesus makes me look good by drawing me to Himself. On my own...well...
Showing posts with label redemption. Show all posts
Showing posts with label redemption. Show all posts
Monday, April 28, 2008
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