What if grace didn’t exist through the Resurrection? What if we were only made just to be thrown in hell because we are sinners? A lot of what if questions start to creep up into my mingled mind to take precedence over truth and reality. Just recently in our dialogue chat on Friday evening, Manuela, Matt and I were discussing what life would be like without grace. We basically concluded that we all would be in hell. Well, then, I started thinking more in-depth about what this conclusion was, horrible, depressing, and pointless to me; until I started putting the puzzle pieces together. It actually would make sense (if) the grace of God was nonexistent and the sacrifice He made on the cross never happened. However, Through the Resurrection, grace and love abounds. I believe that Father created us to be his companions on the earth and to live and love Him as He would love us. Beautiful picture right? Well, then here comes satin the deceiver and father of lies. Who would then destroy what was good and deceives Eve to disobey God and then sin is tossed and thrown on the rest of us. We are now sinners, all of us. We could no longer be close to God as was planned. Or was it planned? This is a sentence I used in our dialogue. “Why did Father make Adam and Eve KNOWING that they were going to hell in the first place? The bible says Father is all knowing, so it wouldn't make sense to make 'people' in the first place IF the whole purpose was to throw all of them in hell”. Well then the more I thought about it, if He is all knowing, then He knew about the Resurrection and how grace would set us free. He knew that was the only way to free us from sin. Our sins have been washed away and now that we are free, Father can now be in relationship with us just like in the beginning, whoever accepts Him and desires him as He desires all of us. I get it, now that Father went to the cross to deliver us from an eternity away from Him; it is now our responsibility to come to Jesus now that we have a free will. He wanted us to want Him; He isn’t demanding us all to love Him, but to choose on our own to want Him and to love Him. That is why we have a free will. If that wasn’t the reason why, then He might as well have made robots who automatically loved Him and who bow down to Him. But I think Father is more concerned about being in relationship with us than making us do anything. We were made to be in relationship with Him, and now that we have that choice, He can really know who want to be with Him. One verse in scripture has captured my heart since the moment I started to realize how important and significant Grace is in my life, but most importantly, being in relationship with Father; for that is why grace exists in the first place.
Galatians 5:1 It is for Freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
Praise Him for Grace!
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6 comments:
Great thoughts, Nicole. I'm so sad that I couldn't be there with you guys last night! Sounds like you had an interesting conversation.
When you mentioned that God knew beforehand what was going to happen, a passage came to my mind that goes along with that thought. As you said, He knew what Adam would do, and that as Romans 5:12 says, through Adam, sin would enter the world, and death through sin.
The passage that came to my mind was this one:
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1 Peter 1:18-21
...knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
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Before it all happened, God knew that sin would enter the world, and also before it all happened He planned the Lamb of God, spotless and without blemish, who would redeem mankind from sin.
Yep indeed, grace was always in the picture. :)
Joel, great thoughts brother! I love that scripture you shared, it really brings truth to what was said. Father knew all along how and what was going to happen, and I believe from the beginning his deepest desire was and still is to become closer and have relationship with each and everyone of us... It is great to think about Father in that way!
In Freedom, Nicole!
Nicole,
Excellent post!
You know, the New Covenant wasn't an idea all of a sudden spurt out in God's mind when He found that the Israelites were unable to keep the law (Old Covenant). The new covenant is as old as God Himself! (As Joel pointed out). It's an eternal covenant. God foresaw not only the 'problem', but also the solution and He revealed it through His prophet Jeremiah so many years before Jesus came saying:
"The time is coming," declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant...
It will not be like the covenant
I made with their forefathers...because they broke my covenant...
"This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time," declares the LORD.
"I will put my law in their minds
and write it on their hearts.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.
No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,'
because they will all know me,
from the least of them to the greatest,"declares the LORD.
"For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more." (Jeremiah 31:31-34)
Amen?
Bino. Wow, great thoughts brother! What translation or bible are you reading from? I really really like how it is written.
Praise God for the new covenant that frees us from bondage to the law! :)
Thanks for sharing that!
In Freedom, Nicole!
Hey Nicole,
I quoted it from NIV.
Nice! I thought so, but wasn't sure!
Great scripture...
In Freedom, Nicole!
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