Friday, January 7, 2011

*Gasp* Only 59 Psalms Yesterday

Not so productive on the Bible reading front but very productive in reading the C.S. Lewis novel, Out of the Silent Plant, till around 1am. I hadn't picked the book up for a few days and I decided I needed a little break from my other reading. I think I will do a review when I finish it.

Something I was pondering whilst reading the Psalms: 
Often, very often, David makes mention of his righteousness; that he has kept God's law etc. It got me thinking about the differences between Law and Grace. In some ways we get it easy, but with ease, laziness and selfishness swiftly swoop.

I know we must be careful not to get legalistic, and we must be careful not to become grace-abusers.
"Being careful" all the time can in itself become an issue. One may become paranoid, anxious, depressed etc.

On the one hand, God's mercy and grace towards us should be overwhelmingly consumable. Being fully wretched we have no rights before  the pure and perfect God of the Universe; if we ever had any rights in the first place! You man, even before sin occurred in the world, were but an instrument, to be wielded by the Almighty. Have you no shame? Why then do you think it befitting for man to be free in his will; when now his will is to do naught but pure, unadulterated evil? Worms, we are worms, but we are His precious worms; fully justified, and being progressively sanctified, all for His glory and honour.

On the other hand, God's mercy and grace towards us should give us passion and vivacity; even the most melancholy of personalities cannot help but feel a joyous appreciation towards his Lord. That is not to say that we are ridiculous in our behaviour, as some of our brethren are, but that we have a calm, thankful attitude before the Lord. When you are grateful, do you not feel inclined to smile, and to show your feelings outwardly  in an enthusiastic manner?

A little etymology side note: enthusiasm = ἐνθουσιασμός
From ἔνθεος
ἐν = in
θεός = God
Literally 'Possessed by God'.

We still feel grievances and sorrows, but we have a hope. If we had a choice we would turn the other way, every single time. We were in a 'loving' bondage to our sins, but because of God's will, we now are in truly loving bondage to our Lord Jesus Christ.
(And that is how you place two conjunctions together and call it a sentence.)

We are free from the Law but we are not free from God!

2 comments:

  1. "We were in a 'loving' bondage to our sins, but because of God's will, we now we are in truly loving bondage to our Lord Jesus Christ"

    I just love that Patience!

    My hubby and I read the space triology as newlyweds ( uhh 37 yrs ago). We couldn't put it down. I think we stayed up most of the night till we finished all 3. I so want to read them again!

    Can you just imagine a major motion picture with special effects? Awesome!

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  2. Thank you :-)

    It would make an amazing movie!
    Hopefully I'll finish it tonight. I hope the next two books aren't hard to find.

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