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Saturday, July 6, 2013

Pastoral Pings ~ The Sea we See Between Us and God

          QUESTION: When you see yourself standing before the throne of God, what do you see between yourself and the one who sits on the throne?

          Do you see your good works piled up as a sacrifice to God that looks so good to you that you are sure they have built a suitable bridge to get you through the valley of God’s judgment against your sin without any danger? Or do you see a sea of glass, like crystal,[1] telling you that you can only come to the Holy One who sits on the throne as a sinful, condemned, criminal against the court of heaven who needs to be cleansed through the only hope of such cleansing, which is the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ?[2]

          When you see yourself standing before the one who is on the throne, do you see your family there all telling you that you can make it to God in your own strength, that they all approve of you the way you are so God would have to approve of you as well (they have all voted, so God must be bound to their decision)? Or do you see yourself standing there as a solitary sinner with no recourse to family or friends to speak on your behalf since they are all just as sinful as yourself, but there is this glassy sea promising you that your sins can be forgiven and your heart purified from all your unrighteousness?[3]

          When you see yourself standing before the throne of God, with the glorious radiance of his seven-colored bow framing his presence, and his throne sending out flashes of lightning, rumblings, and peals of thunder, do you find yourself stacking up the books, and scrolls, and electronic media that all tell you why you are free to come to God as you think he is, in whatever way you have chosen to think is acceptable or necessary? Or do you find yourself throwing off all earthly philosophies, speculations, and religions as rubbish and casting yourself down into the glassy sea with the realization that in this sea alone is the cleansing from sin that makes you as right with God as you hunger to be?[4]

          When you see yourself standing before the presence of the one who caused a whole nation of people to tremble with fear at the base of the Mountain, do you feel a strange confidence rising up within you that suggests that things are going to be different for you than it was for them, or that God is a different God than they thought he was at the time, or that you have advanced with the world’s evolutionary and technological developments so that no one has anything to fear of God any longer? Or do you come before God with fear and trembling because you know that he is a consuming fire who continues to destroy all those who are against him,[5] and your only hope is to come to him through that sea that gives you clean hands and a pure heart?[6]

          Today it is very clear that the difference between living in expectation of blessing,[7] and living with the certainty of condemnation,[8] is what we believe is between us and the one who sits on the throne of heaven. If we see anything there that fits the description of “the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life”, that clearly is not from the Father but is from the world.”[9]

          Revelation 4 is actually a lot simpler to understand than I had ever imagined. It is a clear picture of the one who sits on the throne, and the response to him of those who know him best. Those who come to him through the glassy sea love him as the treasure their hearts have been longing to find.[10]

          From my heart,

          Monte

 
© 2013 Monte Vigh ~ Box 517, Merritt, BC, V1K 1B8 ~ in2freedom@gmail.com
Unless otherwise noted, Scriptures are from the English Standard Version (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.)

[1] Revelation 4:6
[2] “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” (I John 1:7); To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. (Revelation 1); 18 knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. (I Peter 1)
[3] If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (I John 1:9)
[4] “2 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. 6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” (Matthew 5); Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— (Philippians 3)
[5] “Know therefore today that he who goes over before you as a consuming fire is the Lord your God. He will destroy them and subdue them before you. So you shall drive them out and make them perish quickly, as the Lord has promised you.” (Deuteronomy 9:3); 28 Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, 29 for our God is a consuming fire. (Hebrews 12)
[6] Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully.” (Psalm 24)
[7] Matthew 5:1-12
[8] 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. (John 3); 36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. (John 3)
[9] I John 2:16
[10] “44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. 45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, 46 who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.” (Matthew 13)

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