Scripture
Our verse for today comes from John 15:11, “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.”
Background
Any Christian worth his salt will tell you that there are obvious discrepancies in the Bible. How else would you explain such things as God’s sovereign and perfect will and the will of man to choose? How has God chosen unto eternal salvation every person who will believe in Jesus before the foundations of the world, yet every person who does not believe will end up in hell because of their own unbelief? How is God one God, yet the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are that one God? How did the writers of the Bible compose the scriptures of their own words and mind, yet every letter is the inerrant, inspired word of God? How do we work out our own salvation, yet it is God who works in us to will and do for His good pleasure? How was Jesus fully man and fully God? How was He perfect and sinless yet grew in wisdom and stature and favor with God and man? And how does His joy remain in us and our joy be full? Obviously, I am woefully unable to reconcile these and many other apparent inconsistencies in scripture. But the good news is that they need no reconciling. And they need no watering down or amalgamation into some hybrid mix at the expense of both truths. What they need from us is to embrace them, for they point directly to a God who is so much bigger than our puny minds can comprehend.
Application
God chooses us, but we must believe. We live out our Christian walk, but Christ lives it through us. I am responsible for my sin, and the Spirit does every good work that I may do. So, we should celebrate that God has made it so apparent that man did not invent God’s true message of salvation through Jesus. If he had, it would all make sense and there would be no apparent loose ends. The theologians and the editors would have made sure of it. Let go and let God, or labor with all diligence? Both, of course. Serve the suffering servant, love Him who is love, give to Him who needs nothing, rejoice in weakness for then you are strong. It’s called faith, and it comes through a relationship with Jesus Christ.
Charge
As we seek Him today, let your lack of answers deepen your dependence on the great God of eternity.
Author – Rich Holt | BCWorldview.org
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