Come to Him on HIS Terms

8/1/2021

Oh in light of eternity
Seeing a satisfaction in people
Unruffled to hear of Hell because they have been told they are safe
Or they remember some change they have made
Or they just do not really believe it
Because they agree with Satan and the world that God wouldn’t dare be so cruel and unfair, and they think they can hold that in His face so that He will have to change His promise of judgement rather than be condemned by such influential mortals

There is some smugness and satisfaction in “proving” that God wouldn’t be nice if He did that, so therefore “even if He does damn me, He would be unreasonably mean.” So there. So shrug. So I’ll give Him what I deem sufficient for the moment, or what I deem a generous amount of humility and sacrifice. And while in my heart I still feel that, 1, the bigger picture is too extreme because the punishment is too much and too frequently assigned (and therefore is somehow false), and, 2, that what is asked of me now is too much, and too uncomfortable (and therefore even a partial obedience to walking in the light and being humbled or taking time to be “bored” with teaching when there are more exciting things to do, is a generous concession on my part that aught to be well rewarded).

What is the point of pleasures and satisfactions? Do we look at beautiful mountains and take the endorphins and satisfaction to heart? What if we praise God, thanking Him for such a nice thing and complimenting His handiwork? People do this who have no intention of being broken before God or man, no intention of listening to warning or making costly decisions. Do we thank God for the exhilarating view, without acknowledging (or allowing Him to be) the same God who sends most everyone to Hell, including our friends and buddies and family members, because they have not come to Him on HIS terms which He has clearly spelled out?

It is frightening to realize that we praise Jesus, and essentially pat Him on the back, thanking Him for His generosity and patience and kindness to give us nice things, and feeling VERY spiritual if we ask His advice and intervention in the details of our lives. But not only may we be blind to His clear warnings and judgments and measuring rods, but we may be threatening Him to treat us just so or else He’d be not nice, and He wouldn’t want to be mean, would He. “God thank You for forgiving and receiving me. Thank You for blessing me and please continue to keep me in your Right way.”

What if we treat Him this way, when we actually are outside of His will and don’t apologize for it? “What? Expose and humiliate myself to that extent in front of others? Why should I? What? Question these things that I do and think that I’m not ashamed of, that are arguably good? No one can make me do that unless I choose to be a SUPER Christian.”

Or if we do spend great effort to follow God, but don’t work hard to follow leads and hints that maybe we don’t see the real Jesus (there are many false ones) or to get to the bottom of how we could be so sure that God said this or is like that, and then find out He says something very different. We might find these contradictions and be complacent about it rather than slamming on the breaks.

We don’t say “What??! Did you say this road is heading right for the cliff instead of away from it? Well which way SHOULD I be driving?!”

Instead we say “hmm. Well I think this is probably the right way. I’m trying my best, but I’ll keep an eye out for that cliff, tho.”

Because after all, deep in our hearts we “know” what is fair, and what would be unfair of God since we’re not being sloths and blatant sinners.

Why do we think that we, or anyone with attitudes like that, are going to escape Hell, or make the cut where everyone casually claims they intend to go (heaven)?

(Jonathon Edwards)