God Acts Like God

"The publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner" (Luke 18:13)

Always, always, always God acts like God. Aren't you glad you aren't going to sneak into heaven through a cellar window?

Aren't you glad that you're not going to get into heaven by God's oversight? God is so busy with His world that you sneak in. You're there a thousand years before God sees you!

Aren't you glad that you're not going to get in just by being a member of a church? God says, "Well, that's a pretty good church. Let's let him in."

All of this cheap talk about Peter giving us an exam to see if we're all right - it's all nonsense! The Great God Almighty, always one with Himself, looks upon a moral situation and He either sees death or life. And all of God is on the side of death or life. If there is an iniquitous, unequal, unatoned, uncleansed, unprotected sinner in his sin, there's only one answer - all of God says, "Death and hell." And all of heaven can't pull that man up.

But if he beats his breast and says, "God be merciful to me a sinner" (Luke 18:13), and takes the benefits of the infinite agony of God on a Cross, God looks on that moral situation and says, "Life!" And all of hell can't drag that man down. Oh, the wonder and the mystery and the glory of the being of God!

Thank You, Lord, for Your consistent grace, which does not allow us to slip through the cracks but has mercy on us and saves us. Amen

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No Compromise With Sin

"To wit, that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation" (2 Corinthians 5:19)

But how can God say to a sinner, "I'll move over halfway"? Can He say, "You're blind, so I'll move over and be half blind, and you'll move over and be half blind ..."? And thus by God coming halfway and compromising Himself, could He and man be reconciled? To do that God would have to void His Godhead and cease to be God.

I'd rather go to hell than go to a heaven presided over by a god who would compromise with sin, and I believe every true man and woman would feet the same. We want God to be the holy God that He is. The prodigal son and his father  did not meet halfway to the far country. The boy came clear back where he belonged. And so the sinner in his repentance comes all the way back to God, and God doesn't move from His holy position of infinite holiness, righteousness and loveliness, world without end.

God never compromises and comes halfway down. God stays the  God that He is. This is the God we adore - our faithful, unchangeable Friend whose love is as great as His power and knows neither limit nor end. We don't want God to compromise. We don't want God to wink at our iniquity. We want God to do something about it.

Thank You, Father, that You never compromise but instead provide a way for me to come to You through Your Son. What a plan! Amen

~A. W. Tozer~