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Friday, September 20, 2013

Pastoral Pings ~ The Friendship of Justice and Kindness in the Faithfulness of God

          It all began with this description: “And the vision I saw was just like the vision that I had seen when he came to destroy the city.”[1] At this point, Ezekiel was watching another vision of God’s glory, this time returning to fill his temple. God had already envisioned coming in judgment to drive out the idols from his temple. He wanted his prophet to know that mercy would follow judgment, and the glory of God in one would be the same as the glory of God in the other.

          I believe this addresses the problem of people thinking that God is glorious in grace but not so much in justice. The vision of God’s glory is the same even though justice requires him to express his glory one way, and his grace requires him to express his glory another way. His glory is more glorious than Ezekiel’s descriptions could possibly contain.

          These thoughts led me to consider how God can put together what appear to be contradictory attributes in phrases like, He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”[2] Justice seems like one thing, and kindness seems like another; so, how do we do both?

          The answer seems to be given in the revelations regarding Jesus’ second coming. When Jesus comes, his return will be with power and great glory”.[3] However, although the appearance of his power and great glory will look the same to everyone who is alive at the time, to those who have not received Jesus Christ in repentance and faith, his coming will be one of justice. In that regard, then all the tribes of the earth will mourn,[4] and will call, to the mountains and rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?’”[5]

          On the other hand, the very same appearing of the very same Jesus in the very same expression of power and great glory will affect the children of God quite differently. For us it will be a visitation of kindness as Jesus sends out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.[6]

          The way God chooses when to show his glory in justice, and when to show his glory in kindness, or mercy, is based on what people are showing him. When the Israelites showed him the worship of false gods, he came to clean things up. When they showed him their repentance, he turned to them in kindness and mercy.

          The same God who expressed kindness toward Noah and his family because they walked with God in the righteousness of faith, also expressed his justice to the sinful world that refused more than a century of invitation to join in God’s work of salvation. We cannot understand the ark except that it speaks of the kindness of God in salvation while also speaking of a judgment that required such a salvation. God’s glory was the same in both his kindness and his justice.

          While Jesus’ sudden appearing will settle forever who are his, and who are not his, the children of God are to live every day in love with both justice and kindness. The glory of one is simply a different color of the spectrum from the other, but both are necessary expressions of the glory of God who is light.[7] Because he expresses his glory in both, we are to love both, as we walk humbly with our God.

          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] Ezekiel 43:3
[2] Micah 6:8
[3] Matthew 24:30
[4] Matthew 24:30
[5] Revelation 6:16-17
[6] Matthew 24:31
[7] “This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” (I John 1:5)

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