Torn and Smitten part 3
You don't have to be punished in order to be blessed. I think that's the point I'm trying to make with this Rant Series. We seem to have the idea that God has to tear US before He can heal us. That He has to smite US before He can bind us up. But that's just not the way it is. God--our heavenly Father--is not in the punishing business. Even the cross--which has been misconstrued as God needing to punish someone and settling for His Son (which is nuts to me that we think Jesus had to save us from God... we think that God had to save us from Himself)--the cross was about restoration. See, we think Jesus died so that we could live. We think that the evil had to proceed the good. But really, we were already dead in our trespasses and sins. Jesus died so we could die. So we could die to death. Die to sin. The second death. And then Jesus rose again so that we could live. Live His life as He lives His own life in us, and through us, and as us. Experience His life by letting Him live it. Because nobody can live Jesus' life except Jesus. The harder we TRY to be like Him... the more frustrated we get when we fall short. But here's the good news (the Gospel), "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hat blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ" (Ephesians 1:3). We have already been blessed. Because of what Jesus did. Because of who God is. The Father doesn't want to punish the Son. The Father loveth the Son and hath given all things into His hands. Into OUR hands. Because as He is, so are we in this world. Jesus is our true identity. When God looks at us He sees Jesus. When God looks at Jesus He sees us. The inner man. The hidden man of the heart that is Christ in you the hope of (revealed) glory. When the glory is revealed the man of the heart isn't hidden anymore. And while everybody DOES love a comeback story, and while in this world we WILL have tribulation... we don't have to blame God for the things that happen to us. I say this all the time: Life happens, every single day. Things don't always go the way you think they should. But (and I was hoping I'd get here today), "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28). So when things don't go our way... trust that they're working together for good. All according to your heavenly Father's master plan. When you DO get torn and smitten, don't blame God. Actions DO have consequences. And, again, I'm not talking about punishment. I'm talking about, if you eat from the tree of death you'll surely die. What else could come from that action? Which is why God warned Adam not to do that. He didn't say, "If you disobey me I'll kill you." He said, "the day you eat from that tree you'll surely die." And when you DO get torn and smitten, don't run FROM God... run TO Him. Because He can (and will, and has) heal you and bind you up. He cares for you. Wants the best for you. Life WILL try to knock you down. But only God--only love--can hold you up. Pick you up. Keep you from falling. The blessings has already been given, and it had nothing to do with performance. It had everything to do with God wanting you to be blessed!