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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