Today, not judgment but grace and peace. . .

"Thy word is true from the beginning...," "Thy word is truth" (Psalm 119:160; John 17:17).

"As even the limited evidence we've presented suggests, this winter's extreme weather, animal deaths, and even earthquakes are not the beginnings of divine judgment...but rather these events appear to be the consequences of entropy, in conjunction with the wickedness of men" and Satan's power.

You mention God's chastenings in men's lives, to either bless them or call them to repentance. It is true that the Lord chastens those whom He loves (Heb 12:6). This principle applies to God's children--those who have been made joint heirs through faith in Christ(Rom 8:17). Scripture tells us that it is not God's wrath but His kindness that leads us to repentance (Rom 2:4)

With the professing church, it's important to note that in the New Testament we see God's judgment of unrepentant believers: "deliver[ing] such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh" (1 Cor 5:5). This may occur in a sudden, catastrophic manner, or perhaps in a slow but obvious deterioration of health. God simply allows Satan to do what comes naturally as the thief and destroyer and sworn enemy of God's people. This method of justice seems consistent with what we see in regard to peoples and nations today.

There is no scriptural or physical evidence to suggest that our Creator is presently doing the "thundering" or "shaking" that results in catastrophic death and devastation. Instead of a biblical view of love, grace, and mercy, this paints the Lord as a spiteful, vengeful being, who indiscriminately hurls lightning and waves upon the continents. Such a picture is largely indistinguishable from that of a mythological or pagan perspective.

Today in the age of grace, God "maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust" (Mt 5:45)--not for judgment, but for blessing.
(From The Berean Call Newsletter, May 2011.)

The "garish sun" . . .

MUSING…within our measure. 2 Cor. 10:13; Eph. 4:13
(Written for The Grace Messenger, August 2000.)

Give me my Romeo; and, when he shall die,
Take him and cut him out in little stars,
And he will make the face of heaven so fine
That all the world will be in love with night,
And pay no worship to the garish sun.
- Juliet, Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

Hide me from the day’s garish eye. - John Milton

These are the only two reference to “garish” in the Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations, 12th Edition. The word “garish” has intrigued me since friend Karlyn and I sang the song, Lead, Kindly Light many years ago. The second verse says:

I was not ever thus, nor prayed that Thou
Shouldst lead me on;
I loved to choose and see my path;
but now lead Thou me on!
I loved the garish day, and, spite of fears,
Pride ruled my will.
Remember not past years!

The “garish sun” is in full sway in the August circuit of the heavenly spheres. Psalm 19:6, “…the sun…his going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.”

August is the crown of the summer. Its name is from the Latin augustus, root of augeo, meaning of awe, impressing awe, magnificent, inspiring reverence.

In thinking of august reverence, Jesus speaks a parable in Matthew 21 concerning a vineyard. The householder of the vineyard goes away after giving the vineyard to a keeper, and in time the householder sends servants to collect the fruit, but the keepers beat, kill and stone the servants. The householder then sends his own son saying, “They will reverence my son.” They did not reverence the son but “caught him and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him.” Jesus indicted those wicked keepers of the vineyard in verse 44 with these words, “…whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.” The interpretation of the parable is that God the Father is the householder, Jesus Christ is the Son and the “Stone,” that either, by a broken and contrite heart you will acknowledge, or you will face Him as a "grinding Stone".

Jesus Christ will come back to earth one day. In the Book of Revelation there is a picture of this coming: “…every man hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; and said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: for the great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?" (Revelation 6:16, 17).

Oh, the August sun can be garish and relentless. We seek relief from its heat knowing that soon the circuit will bring on cooler days and nights. But when it is our day to stand before Jesus Christ, the “judge of all the earth,” as everyone must one day, there will be no way to assuage the pitiful condition revealed under the heat of His gaze. It would be our worst nightmare if not for our standing “in Christ." In Christ, robed in His perfect righteousness, we can stand, not condemned, but delivered “from the wrath to come” ( I Thess l:10).

Are you “in Christ?” If you put your trust in Him alone, not in a church, not in a sacrament, not in any good work you have done, but Christ alone because of what He did on the cross for you, He will freely forgive you and welcome you and clothe you in His righteousness. Why stand condemned with the garish, wicked world when you can stand “in Christ” in His awesome glory? Why not trust Him now—it will truly be an awesome August for you.

CHANGE OF RAIMENT

Lord Jesus, all my sin and guilt
Love laid of old on Thee;
Thy love the cross and sorrow willed,
Love underserved by me.
The victory over death and hell
Thou, Lord, for me didst win;
And Thou hast nailed upon Thy Cross
All, all my sin.

Enfolded, O my Lord, in Thee,
And hid in Thee, I rest,
Enwrapped in Christ’s own purity,
Secure upon Thy breast.
Had I an angel’s raiment fair
With heavenly gems unpriced,
That glorious garb I would not wear:
My robe is Christ.
- Gerhardt Tersteegen