25 God's foolishness is wiser than man's wisdom and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength.
22 Jews demand miraculous signs (God's demonstration of His power and strength in order the believe); Greeks look for wisdom (God's intelligence to be demonstrated in order to believe).
============================
The Jews demand miraculous signs (Matthew 12:38-42) - the "religious" people of that time.
Greeks look for wisdom - the "educated" and "philosophers" of that time
The Gentiles - the "non-religious" of that time
============================
God loves us. Of all of His characteristics that describe the uniqueness and awesomeness of the One, True and living God His ability to and quality of love define Him. (Psalm 136) His agape' love that endures in a continuous state remaining firm under suffering without giving in, forever. His deep love toward the unworthy - that's all of us. His unconditional love to the point of pain continues in the same state remaining firm under suffering and neglect without giving in forever. (A lesson God taught me in 2004.)
John 3:16 - For God so LOVED the world...
Matthew 22:37-39 - LOVE the Lord your God... LOVE your neighbor as yourself.
He loves everyone so much that He knew us before He created us. Knew our life, our choices, whether we would believe in Him or not, whether that belief would grow into acknowledgement of Him as the One, True God; acceptance, trust, obedience and love. Yet... He still created us "knitting us together in our mother's womb;" (Psalm 139:13) knowing every detail about us even "the very hairs on our heads," (Matthew 10:30) and whether we would love Him or not.
As our parent, He yearns for relationship with us as we yearn for the same with our children. Since we who are evil by nature, love our children, how much more does the very God of love-created love us? (Matthew 7:11)
Yet, God thinks beyond this blink of a life for each of us. He's inviting us to the ultimate life of eternity with Him as He intended life to be. He invites and continues to invite even though He knows who answers yes or no. But, we are His children, so He invites even to the point of pain knowing one of His children will say "No!" defiantly.
His love causes Him to be patient with all of us even to the point of what we think is hopeless hope. We say that's foolishness of God. Is it?
Is it foolish for God to extend patience and mercy to one of His children who ultimately will not choose to be in His family? Is it foolish for God to hold out hope? We say yes now, but that's because we see only this life, only this inconvenience and/or pain caused by the "false hope" extended to someone we judge unworthy.
Yet, God is looking to the day when "every knee will bow, every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord." (Philippians 2:10-11) On that day, everyone will know the truth. Everyone will know and understand God's wisdom, His strength, His power, His mercy, patience, faithfulness and most of all His love. They will know how persistent, compassionate, generous God was during their brief lives here. And most of all... they will realize it's too late to change the outcome of their eternal choice; it's too late to choose an eternity with God because, God in all of His wisdom will respect and confirm the decision each one of His children made while alive on earth concerning life with Him. And in that moment the anguish of each man and woman that said no will be so gut wrenching and awful to witness and hear. Can you imagine watching and hearing your child in ultimate anguish? God's heart as Father will break as His lost children will no longer be in His presence. They will go to be in the place of their choosing - away from Him for all eternity - and everything that is written about that eternal destination will be their home. The anguish beyond human thoughts and words will be known. And yet, we say God's mercy, hope and patience are foolish.
============================
For many are invited but few are chosen (Matthew 22:14). "Few are the chosen ones - the ones who choose to accept the invitation."
He makes the sun rise and the rain fall on the evil and the good. (Matthew 5:45) "He nurtures all creation by giving the things life needs to grow and be sustained; giving to those that accept and decline His offer."
Evil = decliners; those that refuse God's invitation, refuse to acknowledge Him as God. Good = acceptors; those that choose to accept God's invitation and acknowledge who God is.
============================
So, God in His love extends mercy through unbelievable patience and hope now while we are alive on earth so we won't be lost to Him and avoid that day of anguish - the day that starts an eternity of anguish for a life without God and all that God is.
Rose's Paraphrase of 2 Peter 3:9 - God isn't slow as we think being slow is. He's patient, not wanting anyone to perish but for each of His children to turn around from the choices we each are making and to choose Him and His life.
Now that's wisdom!
No comments:
Post a Comment