The tension between Truth and mercy: Dust might be of little worth, and in the hands of the Maker, what is made, is priceless, but not retaining God, deserving of wrath
Mankind: we are of inestimable value. What God has made good, as a reflection of His Triune Self, is now broken, and tarnished, fading in sin.
Now, not good, and its glory, now fading… Being purchased, redeemed, God now commits Himself to make us beautiful, more beautiful, than before, restored to an even greater glory than in the beginning. (Gen 1:26-31)
Here is our value established: Genesis 1: 26-31 “…created in God’s image and likeness...”
Here is our worth described: Psalm 139:13-18 “14I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful”
And here is the goal of His purposes: Romans 8:28-30 “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son… that He would be the first born…”
So, we have to ask, who in their right mind, would want to pay such a high price for such a broken-down, deplorable thing - such as mankind?
Romans 3:10-20 “...they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.”
And yet, we see God’s love expressed in inexplicable mercy… (Ps 8; Heb 2; Eph 2)
· Made good and with some glory
· Sinned and marred, beaten, bruised, dented and dilapidated, that glory is tarnished by sin, but not gone - no longer “good”
· Seen through the right Lens, this dilapidated and deplorable thing is in its former glory, and now, redeemed, in the Restorer’s hands, will be restored to an even greater glory, and bring it ultimately to its final and future glory!
Yet, all is not lost! A righteousness of God made known to us in Christ, by His mercy!
Romans 3:21-26 21But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.
There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
25God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, (John 10:17-18) through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished (see: Rom 2:1-4)— 26he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus - who would believe in His name! (John 1;3;6)
Romans 1:18-32 Misperceiving God leads us to misperceive everything, especially ourselves, as the creation becomes our god. In His eternal glory and goodness (2Pet 1:3), God has made plain to mankind His invisible qualities…
Romans 1:18-20
In His eternal glory and goodness (2Peter 1:3), God has made plain to mankind His invisible qualities -
His eternal power - as Creator -
Eternal, everlasting, forward and backward, always
Power, force, might, ability - powerful deeds, deeds showing power - marvelous works - revealing the achievements by the Lord’s inherent abilities
This same power that raised Jesus from the dead - His greatest achievement (in man’s eyes)
And that same power that is now in us by His Spirit of power - our changed nature being a revealing of God’s divine power to achieve by grace (Eph 1)
His divine nature - that is of being “other” than man, though man is made in His likeness, their nature is not the same
Deity (His otherness) manifested - the revelation of God and his attributes which reveals Himself for people to know
God shows Himself being different from His creation
His being different from His creation could be seen by His creation - all of this that was not
God revealed this truth to us in the Garden, as He prepared mankind for one another
It is here that God expresses the difference between Himself – as other – and man, as Likeness, but not the same - Genesis 2:18 “18The Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.’”
God IS other than US - In spite of God giving the gift of light and life to everything (Jn 1:1-2) - so that He can be seen by what He’s made (mankind) man has chosen to suppress these truths and in so their minds have further degraded into futile thinking - or “worthless” thinking - claiming to be wise, they became fools - exchanging the glory of the immortal God for images of mortal man, birds, animals, and reptiles. Having been shown the superior nature of God AND the inferior nature of animals, man still chooses to exchange the glory of God for lesser glories, creatures that are lesser glory…
Romans 1:21-23
Genesis 2:19-20 “19Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. 20So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals. But for Adam no suitable helper was found.”
”“…But for Adam no suitable helper was found.”
Romans 1:24-25 Made in the image and likeness of God has in it our diverse and complimentary making – as He is 3-in-1, so we are diverse to reflect this truth and to enjoy one another as God enjoys Himself – as “us and ours” - Themselves
Genesis 2:21-25 “21So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs g and then closed up the place with flesh. 22Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib h he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. 23The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.” 24That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh. 25Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.”
Romans 1:26-27 Not retaining, even suppressing and rebelling against, the knowledge of God, the Maker/Creator, man tumbles deeper into sin, depraved minds, so that they not only now – do not understand – but, completely disregard God’s intention for their being like Him in bringing life forward in and through the marriage relationship, bearing the fruit of new life, as designed by God and also the light of God, in Christ, that is in us by faith, that leads a person back to God.
Genesis 2:21-25 “21So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs g and then closed up the place with flesh. 22Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib h he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. 23The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.” 24That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh. 25Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.”
Romans 1:28-32 falling further and further, we invent ways of doing evil… of putting ourselves and others in peril
“…32Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.”
Genesis 2:15-17 “15The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”
Romans 2:1-4 God’s mercy displayed in His kindness – expressed by His patient and tolerant love for His making… to bring them home…
Romans 12:2 “2Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing, and perfect will.”
